
Nicoleta Armanu
Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, RomaniaPresentation Title:
Codependency
Abstract
Codependency which throughout the years has been termed differently by various specialists: habit, genetic predisposition, defensive behavior, personality disorder, learned behavior disorder, or relationship/object addiction; is not classified as a mental illness in clinical terms. However, it is considered a behavioral condition (determined by a combination of factors like fear, shame, guilt, prolonged despair, anger, denial, rigidity, problematic development of identity and confusion) that can significantly impact mental health and relationships as it can lead to or exacerbate mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem. Consequently it can benefit from individual therapy, CBT or EMDR that usually treat mental disorders. Still, in order to be correctly diagnosed there is need for an accurate scale. Starting from the 16 item Spann-Fischer Codependency Scale (Fischer et al., 1991), we expanded the Spann-Fischer questionnaire to a 30 item one that comprises a larger and more recent view on the concept of codependency. The newly designed codependency scale may also help to further study this disorder in relation to other psychological realities like forgiveness, spirituality, etc in the attempt to detect other possible therapeutic ways.
Biography
Nicoleta Armanu completed her PhD at the age of 36 from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Romania. She is a PhD Lecturer at the Faculty of Computer Science of the same University and teaches The Psychology of Communication in IT. Her interests are in the field of addictions and codependency and her articles treating mainly these two topics. She is also a psychological counselor and has supported students struggling with anxiety, depression and other mental disorders.