What codependency is and how it differs from love

Love gives you strength. Codependency drains it.

Codependency is when your life begins to revolve around someone else. Not because you love them that deeply. But because you've lost yourself in the relationship. You no longer feel where you end and they begin. Their problems become your problems. Their mood becomes your mood. You live their life and forget about your own.

Many people confuse codependency with love. They think: if I'm anxious, it means I care. If I sacrifice myself, it must be real feelings. But love doesn't take away. Love doesn't turn you into a shadow. Love is when two whole people choose to be together. Codependency is when one person dissolves into another because they're afraid to be themselves.