I am struggling with codependency and depression. I cannot afford therapy. What can I do to get help?

Start by setting interpersonal boundaries. That is the most powerful tool you can begin with. Stop oversharing with other people if you find yourself doing that; keep some aspects of your life to yourself. Codependency is a way to control over people indirectly: ask yourself why you're trying to control others. Are they trying to control you? Do you lack autonomy in your life? If so, figure out ways to gain real autonomy. Determine, for example, a plan to achieve financial independence if you have not already. Limit interactions with other toxic or codependent people in your life, if they exist. Identify things that you like/enjoy in life that other people do not enjoy or like. It is ok to be different; to be yourself; and to disagree to with other people. Remember that disagreement is the embodiment of kindness and morality if it is honesty: it is a way to give other people more information about where you stand, thus honoring their ability to be human decision-makers, possibly capable of even rejecting you. Be ok with rejection as well, especially if toxic people try to reject you for being honest. Moving beyond codependency takes lots of work, failure, and practice. It will be hard. Keep pushing forward!

I definitely get how hard it is to balance relationships while your depression is bad! If you want more help with this, try consulting local mental health resources, or talking to your support network to define boundaries and/or get help! Many cities have some lead on therapeutic resources that are either free or discounted heavily! If you're in school, a school counselor is perfect for this type of thing! It is also important to keep your support system in the loop, for both your health and theirs. They can figure out how to best support you while also setting boundaries for themselves.

hello, im sorry to hear that. Have you ever considered getting a pet ? I heard that pets can make adrenaline boosts in a persons hormones. Or if you dont like pets try doing therapeutic things for the soul such as art therapy. No need to go to ACTUAL therapy, but the idea of drawing or expressing through art is a good idea to help remove some depression or help you find words. Also, if you're not a person who likes art, try reading. I have been reading so many cool books that help me escape from reality and put me in this cloud of dreams and fictional situations. So basically when someone asks me what my happy place is, I would think of a book that I have read recently and go to my happy place, which in this case is the book. I hope this helps, if you even consider reading, message me and I can put you on some real good reads that won't waste your time and are also fun art the same time.

Codependency can often be the source of depression, because we find that we rely on others in order to make us happy. Coping with it on your own can also be difficult, but it is also fundamental in order to gain the skills to take forward with you through life. Being independent and being able to be okay on your own is the most important step to take that goes away from the codependent nature. It'll also allow you to find sources of happiness on your own rather than finding it from others. The small kindnesses you show yourself will help in the long run.

You can join a free support group. Codependency is often grounded in the lack of external relationships which makes it hard to place and enforce boundaries, but once you have good solid relationships that are not abusive you start gaining that power back rapidly. Once out of the relationship, you can use more time and energy to heal, grow, and even get the means for therapy. But joining a group can be itself therapeutic. You can also read, watch videos, and educate yourself about abuse, relationships, boundaries, and basic psychology, which can help you help yourself. Journaling can also help. Sharing your story, helping others, can be healing.

I believe the best thing you can do for yourself is to get comfortable with being alone. A lot of the time, being alone and lonely are often considered synonymous when they're really two entirely different concepts. And being ok with being alone and getting in touch with yourself is something that can be genuinely eye-opening. Whether it be through new hobbies you pick up or things you're passionate about, take some time to unplug from the rest of society and plug into what interests you. And of course, writing what you feel to let it all out does provide an outlet that is very much like self-therapy. Hope this helps!

I would really recommend finding someone you can trust like a family member or a close relative. If you cant do that than talk to people on 7 cups and i am so very sure they can help you out in your situation by comforting you and making you feel better so if you need help ask someone and tell them. everyone here would love to help you anytime you need it so give it a shot you will not regret one single thing you say when you are speaking to us trained listeners and have a great day

Those are 2 things. For codependency, you can start by consuming books, podcasts, and similar resources. Take notes on the ideas you want to remember, and brainstorm ways to implement them. Personally, niche mental health meme pages helped; if you know your way around the internet, you can find helpful tidbits for free. I've tried FB groups, but maybe there are also Reddit communities. Look for ones that are run by or made up of people who have or used to have the same concerns as you, so they understand where you're coming from. You'd be pleasantly surprised how much people pass around stuff they get in therapy to people over the internet who can't afford therapy. For depression, see if your government or community has free or discounted therapy programs you can avail of. If this feels taxing to you, ask a friend or two to help you with the research.

I think you should try talking with an active listener here it is free they really help me when I feel depressed due to my depression , anxiety, autism and BDP.

Learn yourself worth and independence. Look educational youtube videos, talk to other people, get help from Listeners on 7Cups. Spend quality time one on one, do what you love and enjoy. We often tend to minimize our importance or achievement. Take your time, pat yourself on a shoulder. Make a journal where you will write all the positive and happy things that happened to you during the day. Even the smallest things. Look at it when you feel down, and see that you are doing great and doing great by yourself. Also see your doctor, so they can evaluate you, never take any medication without your doctor approval

The first step is always identifying the problem, then it’s important to seek help. Depending on the situation, often moving away from the person, even for a little period, or setting boundaries can help a lot with getting in touch with ourselves and “detoxifying” from the relationship. You wouldn’t stop a substance dependance with it stopping taking it, am I right? In the meantime it’s fundamental that each person works on themselves, on self-worth and attachment issues. If you can’t afford therapy you can try talking to friends or family and in the meantime setting some boundaries like I said before. You can also try looking for free associations in you area that give help to people struggling with codependency. Then, if depression is a direct cause of codependency, solving the previous will help you get better. Otherwise it might be useful talking with your doctor

Therapy can be expensive and seem out reach for a lot of people struggling and in need. There are so many other options available to you out there and so many highly qualified, professional and supportive people ready to help you. Try talking with your Family Doctor first. They have the resources and knowledge to refer you to someone they think may suit your needs and often with their referral comes a government funded solution. They are connected with Social Workers, counselors and various other mental health alternatives, usually free and close by. Another option is searching online for agencies similar to 7 Cups, where there are trained people capable of helping you through most issues that might come up and can help in suggesting tips to help work through and settle your issue. Support groups in the area are another way to help work through what’s going on, with similar people going through similar situations. Finding someone to talk to that you can trust and confide in is the main goal, no longer struggling alone.

An ideal free first step, in my opinion, would be to talk to some trained listeners here on 7cups. It may help you understand the reasons behind your codependency and depression. Once you understand the reason behind your codependency and depressions, you can discuss with your listener and devise some SMART goals to overcome it. A great source to understand the reason behind codependency would be to explore your childhood and understand your attachment patterns with different people. I feel it will help you understand how it translates to current relationships and how it might be linked to your depression too.

It could be helpful to reach out to the friends and family and try spending more time with them. Additionally, as a way of developing new tools for dealing with depression and codependence you could read books on that to educate yourself on this topic. Lastly, consider joining support groups online or maybe in your town, those should be free. You are strong for reaching out and trying to find the resources, with some effort things will get better

I was struggling with depression for quite sometime. I never knew I was in depression until recently I came across another peer suffering with depression. I could totally relate to whatever she said and felt. It began by just withdrawing myself from social media platforms and isolating myself. I would never answer calls or reply to messages. I cut off myself from all my school friends and wished to be alone. I was indulged in overthinking, lost my appetite, lost interest in doing things I liked once, lost sleep. I was crying for help from within but was fearful that my people might judge me, which made me shut. Also going for therapy meant telling me family what I am going through and adding up costs. But then I came across 7 cups, and it brought me a step closer to open up my heart to somebody. I started feeling lighter after talking to online listeners. It still is helping me a lot.

Do your best to be aware of your codependency and the feelings connected to it. It can be very difficult at times to focus on those feelings, but a saying I tend to use is 'you have to feel it to heal it.' Try to think about *why* you are experiencing codependency and how this meets an unfulfilled need in your life. Doing this through journaling, meditating, or inner child work could be helpful. Possibly pursue long-term support with a listener to have more structured support in your journey. Pay attention to your relationships with others, the boundaries that you (and the other person) have set, and the feelings those bring up. It is okay to have a hard time and you are not alone in your struggle with codependency and depression.

Both codependency and depression are tough to deal with alone. I can only imagine how overwhelmed and helpless you might feel at times. Joining support groups can be very helpful, just to feel heard by others going through similar challenges but also to have an anchor, a place to turn too when needed. There are many free supports groups available online if therapy is not an option for financial reasons. Learning coping skills to deal with depression is crucial to avoid spiraling down and not bein able to get out of it. Something which I consider very helpful are DBT Skills (Dialectical Behavior Therapy ) as well as CBT Skills (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). 7cups offers free support groups as well as self-help guides.

I am sorry for what caused you to be in this situation. I also could not afford therapy when I was depressed. I worked on myself by myself. I did all of following, every single thing- Talked to listners here, mostly to take out my frustrations, not for advice. Because nobody never knew what exactly I want and my situation accurately. I still do but the frequency has fallen from 3 times a day to maybe once a month or fortnight. It feels good to be by myself. Talked to people who were like the person I see myself to be. I still keep an eye for such people. Pushed myself into physical works, literally was hard on myself for it. And 50% of the betterment was from physical workout only. It started working for me after 20 days or a month at least. I worked only towards having an everyday proper routine, not any fancy goal. It worked and helped me having clear thoughts about what I want and the ways I can achieve them. It was not easy to set back to routine, took months. I have cut off toxic people for me by taking chance of a situation from everyday routine. It felt so much lighter after it. And I kept being my best friend and turning towards myself for the best help. It worked the most. I was needy to have someone by my side throughout the day, even if it is a train of listener/s. Then I got back to myself after filling my time with tv shows, movies, studies, work, sleep, studies. Slowly I regained my tendency to be by myself. It would have taken 3 to 4 months. I dropped things that were pulling me back. Not easy. Took time. I had tried all this separately an year before. A therapist makes it easy, but still it is you who has to work on yourself.

I can really hear you feel anxious and worried about not being able to afford therapy which I understand is a costly means of support but please know there are others resources out there that do not involve therapy. From personal experience I usually turn to books , workbooks and apps as resources for codependency and depression which are more accessible and affordable. To understand the creditability of the resources please look out for the credentials or experience of the person (lived experience, expertise) who wrote the resource. If wanting to open up about your experiences in real time connecting with a listener on our site can be the choice for you! Some of our listeners have lived experience with codependency and depression. Familiarity can bring people together and reaching out on this site can help you feel less alone with what you go through! Hope this helps!

You can talk to someone on 7 Cups. You can look for supportive people, which may come in the form of support groups. Three free support groups, which also have a presence online and Zoom meetings, are Al Anon, CODA and ACA. These all offer supportive people and a framework to deal with codependency problems. Engaging in these programs will also really help to lift or lessen depression. Exercise, healthy eating, and good self care will also improve depression. Good self care could be getting enough sleep, looking after yourself and setting time for things you enjoy. Such as reading, watching TV, or listening to music. Or a hot bath! Maybe learning something new too. A new language, a musical instrument, coding. Even just reading about something new on the internet.

Try to reach out to people online or irl who have successfully navigated codependent relationships and/or have gone to therapy for codependency. I can’t express enough how helpful that was for me. Try your favorite social media, The Mighty, or here on 7 cups. At the start of a listener chat you can just type “codependency” or “codependency and depression” so that any available listeners with experience can reach out. You can click Browse Listeners and search for me, curiouscreature, but I might not be online at the same time as you (it’d be cool if there was a different messaging system but for now you’d have to catch me online, but again just type codependency before you start the chat, in the box for what you want to talk about, and someone will message you).

there are some insurance companies out there that can help fund with mental/behavioural services which might come in handy depending on the situation. There are also a bunch of helpful helplines out there that you can find on the online web. If any of those options dont work the best you can do is to try your best to coop with it yourself either by doing yoga going for a jog ect. Knowing when you feel down or having anxiety may also help, knowing when you feel this way can help alot so that you know when to coop with them of course its not going to happen in one day it can take some practice. Lastly if you have a pcp or a doctor that you see they can also be a great help on how to handle this types of situations.

Not being able to receive professional help due to affordability is a very common issue. I struggled with anorexia, anxiety, OCD, and depression but could not afford therapy either. A friend suggested 7 cups of tea for me and it greatly helped me work through my problems. So many people on 7cups are willing to be supportive and listen and I know it can help you through this too. The best part is that it's completely free of cost. It just needs your time and willpower to reach out and ask for help, someone to hear you out. 7cups is perfect for this.

I would recommend you to join 7 Cups. If you can't afford therapy, you can talk to trained listeners to vent about your problems. They can't give you advice, but they can help you, find advice in yourself. Even if life seems hard I am here for you. I hope you feel better soon, because that does sound rough. Talking to listeners always makes me feel a lot better, you don't have to join if you wouldn't like to, I would just recommend it. Thank you for opening up to me about this problem, I'm sure we can find somebody to help.

You should probably reach out for help to your family of friends in that case. Therapy could be probably very useful but as long as you are not able to afford it you should probably at least try to get help from your closest circle. And also, if you feel that you are able to do it, you can try to earn some money to afford the therapy. Of course if you are fine with such activity. And please, do not be harsh on yourself. Try these things and let me know if they are working out for you! :)

The therapists here at 7 cups are a free service, for one thing. Although some people believe that therapists are helpful, I've not had a very good experience with therapy. I have been able to help myself way more than any therapist can claim to have done for me. If you can't afford one, I can almost guarantee that you can do better without one. There are youtube videos that are like mini therapist sessions. I personally watched a course on self-help. It was on Occupational Therapy learning type course, way cheaper than a therapist and way more informative and helpful.

Hi; I'm FrostWire and welcome to 7 Cups where you questions matter. So, your struggling with codependent depression? An you also say you cannot afford therapy and your wanting to know how to really get help? To be honest as the chill outside of my comfort zone; there's a problem we need to address first isn't it? You said you can't afford therapy, and here at 7 cups.com we don't charge you any money to help with your questions.. So is that time that you've used sufficient enough payment to us is the best question, well; I think we can both agree huh? I believe that with time an effort you can manipulate your situation into codependency and out of depression. Our hand book here has key subjects that can help you form a decent follow up as you approach your goal. Depression can be something easy for someone else to say: snap out of it friend, but here we know an better understand the reason for forms of depression. If you still need help with your questions on codependency and depression. I'd be glad to help and even support you during your recovery efforts. We must always; no one said it was going to be easy, but know said it would be so hard either..So when we look at ourselves can we see Different than what some others actually see? Thanks for bringing your question to 7 Cups.com, I'm FrostWire; your friendly supporting listener and I hope that we have served a purpose greater than we know.. rite here at 7 cups.com...

Personally what has helped me a lot is understanding the psychology and science behind these things - how depression is caused biologically, how it changes your brain and how these changes affect you, what chemicals/hormones come into play and how you can alter them with things like your diet, self care, positive habits etc. A very resourceful thing for me has been a YouTube channel called The School of Life. I would also really suggest self help books that explain how depression and codependency works and how we can work around those things. A therapist can only help you help yourself but there are a ton of other resources that can also do that, maybe not to the same extent but it is a start and I know many people who have improved greatly without any form of therapy - just by finding ways to help themselves.

If you are not averse to religion or spirituality, seek help at local place of worship. Almost always you will find someone willing to listen to you at the very least. Oftentimes, visiting a church and talking/praying to God relieves your burden. It may be a stopgap, but it may give you time to see things more clearly, and you might find the answer to your questions. While most do not have actual therapy services, some have groups that cater to certain issues like codependence or addiction. Even if the help is religious in nature, it is still valuable and worth the effort.

If you are in the USA, you can look for your county's community mental health center. They offer low sliding-scale fees (even free) based on your income, and they may be able to help you get on Medicaid or some other insurance. The treatment for depression is usually cognitive behavioral therapy (changing the way you think) and sometimes medication such as SSRIs. Codependency issues may be treated similarly, and may get better as your depression gets better. Your primary care provider (look for free clinics or community health centers if you don't have on) should be able to prescribe you some medication. Chatting with someone may also help you.