Prodependence Anonymous is geared toward healthier relationships with ourselves and others, especially with loved ones who are struggling with addiction, mental illness, physical illness, or some other debilitating issue. As members of Prodependence Anonymous, we share the following relational goals.
- To develop mutually supportive and beneficial relationships, with one person’s strengths filling in the weak points of the other, and vice versa.
- To care for ourselves as well as the people we love.
- To celebrate the basic human need for and pursuit of intimate emotional connection, viewing this as a positive force.
- To feel loved and accepted exactly as we are.
- To recognize that with rare exceptions other people can take care of themselves; they do not need (or want) us to manage their lives for them.
- To value our own thoughts, feelings, and needs, and to express those thoughts, feelings, and needs in healthy, appropriate ways.
- To be empathetic, compassionate listeners who give advice only when asked.
- To feel worthwhile and valued in our relationships.
- To understand the difference between attempts to care for a troubled loved one and attempts to control a troubled loved one.
- To get our needs met in our relationships, just as we attempt to meet the needs of those with whom we are in relationship.