It’s not codependency. It’s trauma. For years, betrayed partners were often mislabeled as “enablers” or “co-dependent.” But research—most notably from Dr. Barbara Steffens—showed something different. When women described the shock, fear, and hypervigilance they felt after discovering betrayal, those symptoms looked a lot like trauma. In fact, they often mirrored PTSD. This shift—from blaming to understanding—changed everything. It changed how we see betrayed partners. It changed how we treat cou

Codependency refers to a dysfunctional relationship pattern where one person relies excessively on another individual to meet their emotional and psychological needs. In this dynamic, the codependent individual may attempt to control or manipulate others in order to maintain a sense of security, often stemming from underlying feelings of inadequacy or fear of abandonment. This behavior can manifest in various forms, such as attempting to micromanage others’ actions, emotions, or decisions, all i