The Co-Dependent Me

Everyone has heard about Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous but have you ever heard of Co-Dependents Anonymous? If you have heard of it did you think it was real? It is very real. Just like AA and NA, CoDA is a fellowship group made up of both genders with a common goal of building healthy relationships.

CoDA uses the 12 Step Model and has only altered the first step by changing the word alcohol to others. Former members of AA, known as Ken and Mary founded CoDA in 1986 in Phoenix. They liked the concept of the AA model but wanted something that dealt with codependent behaviors. There were only 30 people at the first CoDA meeting but within just a year there were 120 groups organized across the country and in a decade thousands of groups had been established.

Currently, CoDA is still active and recognized, although they have decreased in size. Now, there are a couple thousand groups on a global basis. Support is also available online and via phone. All things shared are held in strict confidence and trust. Meetings consist of a group of people that share experiences and feelings. CoDA is a spiritual program but many attend that have no belief in God. They do refer to God as their Higher Power. Meetings of an hour or so do end with the Serenity Prayer.

If you are a codependent, you are not alone. Codependents do have hope when they realize that help is available. Most codependents don’t even realize they are unhappy while others are dying inside. Just know that a beautiful life awaits you on the other side and all you have to do is reach for the help.