Stora hjärtan som hjälper alla, men på bekostnad av vad? En kvalitativ studie om kvinnors medberoende i en parrelation

Sammanfattning: This study has examined how women's codependency on their male partner with alcohol or drug problems is expressed and how codependency can be understood in relation to their upbringing. A qualitative content analysis of 7 podcast episodes where women talked about their upbringing and codependency was made. For a deeper understanding, we used Johan Asplund's theory of social responsiveness, which highlights the processes of interaction between people and its impact on the individual. The study concluded that different types of dysfunctions in the family of origin during childhood can cause patterns of behavior within the child that may in turn heighten the risk of them developing codependency. Furthermore, the study also found that one of the women, who did not grow up in dysfunctional conditions, still developed codependency. The study showed, as with previous research, that women's codependency expressed itself through outside focus, self-sacrifice, and control, which in the long run also affected the women's self-esteem and management of failure. Finally, in contrast to previous research, this study has found discrepant behavior in women in which they may put themselves on a pedestal instead of others. A deeper understanding of the observed behavior could not be made due to a lack of empirical data and previous research.