Negotiating Togetherness & Separateness in Romantic Relationships
Negotiating Togetherness & Separateness in Romantic Relationships
For those of you who have ever been in a relationship where you believed yourself or your partner to be “co-dependent,” it is far more likely that your relationship problems were/are due to something else. “Dependent Personality Disorder,” as it is labeled in the DSM-V is extremely rare, occurring in only 0.49% of the population. So, chances are neither you or your partner would likely meet the criteria for the diagnosis, but that’s not to say you and/or your partner didn’t both experience the struggle of negotiating separateness and togetherness. There is such a thing as a health dependence in intimate relationships.
Establishing boundaries is a normal part of every relationship and is often most difficult early on, however, if conflict continues to arise each time a person wishes to spend time separately, there may be something deeper to examine in the relationship, and you may be surprised how much taking this deeper look at the relationship patterns can truly help.
So before you write off another “doomed relationship,” consider the potential gains you might experience by gaining a deeper understanding of yours and other’s non-co-dependent attachment styles. If you are interested in learning more about your relationship patterns or personal attachment style call 214-250-7808.
