What if you're mistaking something emotionally dangerous for love? In this episode, Dr. Greg tackles a painful but common pattern: relationships that look close, committed, and appear to be flourishing, yet quietly trap both people in fear, dependence, and anxiety.

Key Topics:

Why both partners can feel "happy" even as the relationship becomes unhealthy
How codependency distorts the kind of free, fruitful relationships God calls us to
Why awareness and willpower aren't enough to break these cycles – and what we can do to heal them

Learn More:

Pilgrimage to Poland - Learn more about this interior journey with St. John Paul II
Being Human episodes on the Dependent Defense Pattern:
- Ep. #266: You're Giving Too Much! Uncovering How Anxiety Disguises Itself as Holiness
- Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing
Person and Act by Karol Wojtyla (Pope Saint John Paul II)
Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla (Pope Saint John Paul II)
Discernment of Spirits - Learn more through the lens of Catholic anthropology and Catholic mindfulness
Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation
Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment

Episode 267: Not All Satisfaction Is Good: Understanding Codependency As Relationship Cancer