Addiction to an alcoholic, drug addict, or to any person. It is applied most often in the case of chemical dependence (drug or alcohol addiction) in which the chemical becomes the center of the family’s life and every family member must adjust to it; this may involve pretending to be what the addict wants so there is as little confrontation as possible; often one addict or alcoholic parent is the focal point, while parent is the focal point, while the other parent spends most of his or her time and energy trying to modify family life to the situation; codependence often results in serious psychological problems for all family members.
A pattern of behavior found in a person who enables someone addicted to alcohol, drugs, or compulsive gambling to maintain his or her addiction. The behavior is usually unwitting. The codependent person honestly wishes to help but does so in ways that prevent the person who is addicted from recognizing the addiction for what it is. Treatment consists of helping the codependent person recognize the pattern of enabling behavior and take steps to change it.