Boundaries are an often overlooked and neglected factor in our mental and emotional health and well-being. Having healthy boundaries means we know what we want and need in our relationships and in our daily lives, and we take regular measures to make sure we’re getting everything we need in order to be happy and healthy. When we have healthy boundaries in our relationships, we prioritize feeling respected and valued. We appreciate ourselves, and as a result, the people we attract and choose to be in our lives also appreciate us. We have a healthy sense of self, and we’ve developed our identities to reflect who we truly are, allowing us to feel fulfilled and satisfied in all areas of our lives. We feel whole and independent on our own and don’t need another person to define us.
Boundaries look different for everyone. Some people require a lot of solitude in order to feel happy and at peace within themselves. Others need to set up communication standards in their relationships to learn each other’s communication styles and to prevent misunderstandings and miscommunications down the line. Some people need to communicate their deal-breakers, the things they can’t tolerate in a relationship, early on. Whatever it is we need, it’s so important to figure out what those things are and to learn how to express them to the people in our lives.
In co-dependent relationships, we become so embroiled in the interpersonal turmoil, so deeply and unhealthily attached to this other person, that we don’t know where one person begins and the other ends. We don’t have healthy boundaries or a healthy sense of self. We lack independence. We don’t respect each other’s wishes and needs, because very often neither of us knows what they are, either for each other or for ourselves. We haven’t given ourselves time to figure out what those desires and needs are, because we’ve devoted so much of our energy to pleasing and accommodating this other person.
Our attention goes predominantly to the other person, so much so that we end up contributing to the detriment of our own well-being. We often don’t maintain boundaries for ourselves, in any capacity. We sacrifice ourselves, our wishes and our needs, causing us to become even more depressed and anxious, and to rely on our addictions to try to make ourselves feel better. Our co-dependent relationships and our lack of boundaries, therefore, can be a major catalyst for our addictive patterns.
At The Guest House Ocala, you will be treated with dignity, respect and compassion. Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.