Recovery from Self-Abandonment and Codependency

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the psychological principles, definitions, and recovery tools related to self-abandonment and codependency.

Depth Psychology

Known as the psychology of the soul, this Jungian approach emphasizes the unconscious and views life events as being in service of the path to individuation.

Individuation

The path of self-development in depth psychology where all life struggles and events are understood as being in service of reaching one's true potential and self-realization.

Self-abandonment

Any action taken that goes against one's intuition, inner knowing, or true self, involving the rejection, suppression, or neglecting of parts of the self to be loved or maintain an attachment.

Gabor Mate

A famous MD specializing in childhood development, trauma, and addiction who asserts that people have two core needs: attachment and authenticity.

Attachment vs. Authenticity

The concept that as humans, our survival depends on attachment to caregivers; when authenticity threatens attachment, attachment will trump authenticity.

Family of Origin

The primary family unit where individuals learn early on what behaviors, emotions, and topics of speech are acceptable to maintain attachment.

Codependent Behaviors

Relational patterns that initially serve to gain and keep attachment but can lead to unfulfilling relationships, anxiety, and addiction in adulthood.

Identity Work

A term for the recovery process from codependent behaviors, emphasizing the need for self-knowledge, self-compassion, and self-connection.

Primary Emotions

The basic, limited emotional language many people grow up with, typically consisting of happy, mad, glad, and sad.

Emotional Vernacular

A broad and nuanced vocabulary of hundreds or thousands of words used to describe specific emotional states beyond primary emotions.

Workshopping

The practice of communicating feelings, hurts, or needs in real-time with another person, working through the messiness in the moment rather than pre-packaging thoughts.

Inner Belonging

The goal of recovery from self-abandonment, moving from a state of seeking external acceptance to a deep sense of self-knowledge and authenticity.