Episode 267: Not All Satisfaction Is Good: Understanding Codependency As Relationship Cancer

Episode 267: Not All Satisfaction Is Good: Understanding Codependency As Relationship Cancer

From Being Human by Dr. Gregory Bottaro

February 24, 2026 · 56 min · Episode 267

About this episode

Dr. Greg discusses the dangers of codependency in relationships that appear healthy but are actually harmful.

What if you're mistaking something emotionally dangerous for love? In this episode, Dr. Greg tackles a painful but common pattern: relationships that look close, committed, and appear to be flourishing, yet quietly trap both people in fear, dependence, and anxiety. Key Topics: Why both partners can feel "happy" even as the relationship becomes unhealthy How codependency distorts the kind of free, fruitful relationships God calls us to Why awareness and willpower aren't enough to break these cycles – and what we can do to heal them Learn More: Pilgrimage to Poland - Learn more about this interior journey with St. John Paul II Being Human episodes on the Dependent Defense Pattern: Ep. #266: You're Giving Too Much! Uncovering How Anxiety Disguises Itself as Holiness Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Person and Act by Karol Wojtyla (Pope Saint John Paul II) Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla (Pope Saint John Paul II) Discernment of Spirits - Learn more through the lens of Catholic anthropology and Catholic mindfulness Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Gregory Bottaro

Topics covered

  • codependency
  • relationships
  • emotional health
  • dependence
  • anxiety
  • spirituality

Keywords

  • codependency
  • relationships
  • emotional danger
  • dependence
  • anxiety
  • healing
  • spirituality

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Person and Act, Love and Responsibility

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