As I was sitting at my computer getting ready to write this blog my cat would not leave me alone to do my work.  He kept head-butting me, circling my chair, and attempting to jump up on my keyboard all the while with a purr at the decible level of a passing airplane.  He is quite persistent and it became obvious that he was not to be deterred.  So being the “codependent Mom” I am, I picked him up and cuddled with him for the longest time.  Honestly…..we both loved it!

Melody Beattie defines codependents as:  “one who has let another person’s (cat’s) behavior affect him/her….”  Those times when one pays a tremendous amount of attention to the actions or feelings of another and, in the process, neglects his/her own needs at some level.  When dealing with substance users this is a recurring pattern not unlike the interaction between me and my needy cat!  Habits are formed!  So codependents end up reinforcing the behavior of the “needy”, the cycle intensifies and the cost ends up being yours not theirs.   Our course, Understanding Codependency, goes into detail about this interesting phenomenon so please check it out for additional information. 

I will truthfully tell you that I have no intention of rejecting my needy cat – now or ever – my human “substance using needys” are another story entirely!

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun