How To Have A Codependant Relationship

A few things about this video.

Codependency is a big topic, and can vary from the mildly amusing (early awkward teenage relationships) to the truly devastating and soul destroying realities of some adult lives.

Rather than making light of it, I wanted to make a video that, had I seen it years prior, might have flicked a switch in my brain to say “hey, maybe these attitudes aren’t so helpful or healthy”. The comedy here is simply the method of delivery - I’ve been in these situations, and they’re no fun.

As with the previous posts of this nature, this is also very much a self-parody. Many of the attitudes expressed in this video I’ve had, though for the record - most of my relationships have been wonderful. I’m hoping everyone can perhaps recognise at least a part of themselves in the video at some point, either historically or presently.

While the attitudes expressed by Emma in this video feel somewhat obvious in how they’re slightly toxic, I wanted to highlight how the reverse of these are still no good. Historically I’ve been terrible at expressing my problems or feelings, and have felt a sort of self-justifying sense of pride at doing so because that makes me a more ‘fun’ partner. I’ve even, at times, felt it necessary, as by having these problems and being open about them I would feel less attractive. Some of my relationships have reinforced this with the depicted opposing attitude.

Other notes: We thought it better to depict me as the one, in step 5, who was doing the emotional management. Rightly or wrongly, in a hetero-normative relationship, men losing control or offloading that way felt less naturally comedic to us.

If you recognise any of yourself in the video, but the reaction isn’t one of laughter so much as horror, I’d recommend looking more into these dynamics. It’s possible you’re in a situation which is destructive. Some good, serious sources to check out next would be the videos below