The 6 Types Of Emotional Dependence: What Are They?
Emotional dependence usually manifests itself in one’s relationships with others and is usually related to one’s partner, family or certain friends. In this sense, We can talk about types or kinds of emotional dependence
It is a complex psychological state, in which the person who suffers from it feels unable to break the ties that bind them to that unstable, destructive, unbalanced relationship and where the other person is idealized, very negatively affecting their self-esteem, physical and mental health.
To better understand the nature of this phenomenon and how it affects us and our relationships, in this article we will see What are the main types of emotional dependence? and their characteristics.
As with addictions, emotional dependence also produces something similar to withdrawal syndrome and this is mainly motivated by the fear of loneliness or the panic that the relationship will break down. In addition, emotional dependence also influences the development of obsessive thoughts and states of anxiety or depression, which occasionally disappear if the relationship or contact is resumed.
Where there is emotional dependence there is a vicious circle: the person internalizes the idea that he or she depends on the other to be happy or even to be complete, and this contributes to generating a submissive role that predisposes the other person to dominate that relationship. thus reinforcing the idea that there is a self-sufficient part and another that is a simple extension of the previous one
In general, there are certain characteristics that can be associated with people who are emotionally dependent on others, such as: lack of self-esteem, negative moods, fear of being alone, philophobia, putting the relationship before anything else, need for constant attention on the part of the other person, easy isolation from everything around them in favor of the relationship, the need to always please the other person, self-annulment, feeling inferior to the other and even a lack of communication skills, since that His conversations always revolve around the person he is emotionally dependent on
Furthermore, emotional dependence also has a social stigma since there are a multitude of labels that are imposed in this area and that can affect the behavior of people, who, far from feeling free, have the need to please others with their actions.
Otherwise, and often in the wrong way, we internally accept labels – such as selfishness – that are determined by the thoughts, feelings or expressions of another person and that, in reality, we should not always take into account.
The fear of rejection, of not being loved, valued and even admired by other people, also reinforces that “social need” of being emotionally dependent and that feeling, in most cases, is extrapolated to other important aspects of life such as the partner. , family or friends.
The types of emotional dependence and their areas
Let’s see below what the main types of emotional dependence are and how they affect people.
1. Types of emotional dependence according to their scope
In what areas does emotional dependence manifest itself most frequently? We could talk about 3 main areas in which emotional dependence can manifest in a person and they are: the couple, the family and the social environment. They are known as types of emotional dependence according to their scope.
1.1. in the couple
Emotional dependence on the partner It is the form that occurs most frequently in our society and is also the most recognized As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, the symptoms are quite similar to those that an addicted person can suffer, and in many cases withdrawal syndrome occurs.
People who are emotionally dependent on their partner have a totally wrong concept of what a relationship should mean since they forget their own identity, they frequently feel jealous, they have an extreme desire to be with that person all the time, They cannot or do not want to do other activities that do not involve their partner and they make them the obsessive center of their well-being, in addition to obsessively trying to control each other’s every act or thought.
1.2. In the family
On the other hand, we will talk about emotional dependence on the family when a person demonstrates excessive and obsessive attachment to certain members of their family nucleus
For example: the need to talk to that person every day, to know about them and control their daily life, to need their judgment to feel emotionally safe, to not be able to make decisions without that person’s approval, to give up on other projects. Due to the fact of having to separate and the lack of time for oneself, these are aspects that characterize a person who has emotional dependence on one or more members of their family nucleus.
1.3. In the social environment
Emotional dependence on the social environment manifests itself in people who have the need to be recognized by others in order to feel at their level of being accepted in their work environment, of submitting to the approval of their closest circle of friends and of spending time worrying excessively about the needs or problems of others, forgetting about themselves.
It is also important in this sense to mention relationships of emotional codependency. This type of emotional dependence implies the connection between two or more people, it implies a dependence that occurs simultaneously between them and there are different areas in which it can develop, such as those mentioned above – couple, family or society – and others such as work or education.
2. Types of emotional dependence according to their psychological effects
If we go beyond the form and address the substance of the matter, we can distinguish three other types of emotional dependence according to their effects.
2.1. Emotional dependence hidden from oneself
It is a type of emotional dependence in which the person is not aware of the existence of this It is one of the most frequent, and it also makes it difficult to seek psychotherapeutic help.
2.2. Emotional dependence detected
In this type of emotional dependence, the person is aware of the existence of this psychological phenomenon, but doesn’t see it as a problem You may even see it as something positive or desirable, a sign that love is true. In many ways, it is a consequence of the myth of the better half.
23. Identified emotional dependence
In this type of emotional dependence, This has been identified for what it is, a problem Thanks to this, the possibilities of seeking professional help to overcome this dynamic become much greater, but the person still has to deal with the difficulties of leaving their comfort zone or even with the feeling of guilt.
