In this week's episode we talked about whether some people are predisposed to codependency and whether or not a lot of codependent behavior might simply be caused by a lack of communication. During the show we also discussed the following e-mail from a listener:
"I was raised to keep the peace, Don't say anything that isn't nice, and help before being asked. My questions on codependency are: Does someone's gender or personality predispose them to a codependent behavior? Is it just a lack of communication skills that puts someone in this harmful one-sided relationship? Can you please give an example of "assertiveness skills" needed to stop and recognize the abusive behavior/repressed emotions while keeping the peace and not enabling a family member's bulling/codependency to continue. A win-win situation. Thank you!"