What is the definition of codependency?

Codependency is a psychological state in which one or both members of a relationship are emotionally reliant upon the other. The codependent person is overly reliant on the approval of the other person in the relationship to feel content and secure.

The concept of codependence originated when Alcoholics Anonymous recognized the detrimental effects of friends and family members who enable the destructive behaviours of an addict. Codependent people depend on the actions of others to maintain their own self-worth. Their inherent fear of rejection and disapproval often leads to an unhealthy acceptance of abusive treatment, as they repress their own desires and impulses in favour of others'.