Testimonies

Suet, Hong Kong, April 2007
For me, co-dependency is the lost of myself in a relationship and the failure to see and respect my husband as he is. Before I attended these workshops, the interaction between my husband and I was tense and dramatic. I expected him to respond to my needs in the way I wanted and would be very frustrated when he failed to do so.
My frustration would then lead to a chain of hurtful reactions between the two of us.
The Co-dep workshops help me to find "myself". Through various kinds of exercise and meditation, I become more in touch with my emotions and am more aware of my own fears and holes. In other words, I begin to connect with my "wounded inner child" and realize how this inner child is taking the driver's seat and ruining my marriage. With this awareness, I can then slow down in reacting and remain centered even when my needs are not fulfilled. As a result, I have more space to really see my husband and to respect him as he is.

Jonathan, Hong Kong, July 2007
In my almost 20 years of marriage, I have been encountering different kinds of difficulties at different times in my relationship with my wife. Therefore, I had tried different methods to improve my communication skill with her. However, the situation did not improve that much. Only until last year, I have the chance to know ‘co-dependency’.
Attending co-dependency workshops has allowed me to improve my self-understanding and self-acceptance. The direction towards recovery is clearer to me.
I learnt the dynamics of co-dependency and furthermore, through the interactions and sharing with other group members and the teachers, I learnt more about myself and my behaviours.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Amana and Bhakta for their dedication, love, patience and compassion. They are a perfect complementary work partner and soul companion to each other.

Anna, Taiwan, May 2007
I came to the Co-dependency was because of my husband’s affair. It’s a painful experience and difficult to speak about for most women. For a half year I was suffering in the feelings of betrayal, anger, losing self-value and losing trust. I was luckier than other women because I looked for help resources.
In the Co-dep. workshop, I saw the big anger in me for the first time. But I wasn’t able to express it. The anger stuck in my throat. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t put it out. In those few days, all the participants showed their most fragile parts. Only then I realized what’s inside every one is the same. Behind layers of masks is the vulnerable heart, which is afraid of not being loved and not being validated. Because of fear of being hurt we cover up the real and delicate heart with anger and all kinds of defensive strategies.
What surprised me was that my husband changed his altitude towards me. He didn’t get angry so much anymore and showed respect to me. He started wondering why instead of fighting, arguing with him and crying everyday, I began to understand and support him from his standpoint.
While I was going through the various stages of Co-dependency process, deeper and deeper, the relationship between my husband and I has had an even obvious difference. I guess he’s touched by me. I used to have a hot temper, was not willing to lose and fail and was asking to be treated fairly, but because of that I had a hard life as well. I thought happiness and blessedness would only come by one’s efforts and requests. But life itself proves to me that what I thought in the past is completely wrong. So I am learning to receive, to bring easiness to my life, to surrender to the bigger force of life, the Existence itself. My love to my husband was conditional. Now my love is enlarged. I’ve regained the trust and courage of life so I can accept everything life brings to me and trust that I am safe.
Giving up is the easiest way, but by giving up one would lose the opportunity for learning. Be aware of the problem, go into it, go through it, only then one can gain the true wisdom of life.

Leela, Taiwan, May 2007
I had been married to my husband for more than twenty years. This April or May (2006) I proposed we divorce. Actually this idea had been in me for years but I had no courage to put it out, although love in this relationship was no more. When I thought about living by myself and facing the aloneness, all the fear and uncertainty rushed out. So even words for divorce came to my mouth was swallowed again.
Even though I had been married for twenty-some years, I’ve been puzzled about what love is and what a real intimate relationship looks like. So while proposing for divorce, I participated in the Co-dependency workshop looking to get clear with myself.
In the Co-dep., I got in contact with my inner little girl for the first time. That little girl is often disappointed, scared and hurt. Because she expects the love of parents so much that she’s willing to give up her own innocence and give up her own position to meet parents’ needs and their expectations. I was also doing the same in the relationship with my husband, continually losing myself, losing my voice and position…
It’s a long journey of learning to take care of the needs of the little girl, to accept all her good and bad emotions. In this process I slowly realized: love is never outside, never in someone else. Acceptance is love itself and accompanying oneself is love itself. This understanding went on cultivating and transforming while I was taking care of the inner child. One day I found there is a clear and stable quality of the adult in me!
In the past I always tried to meet others’ needs, I neglected myself until I couldn’t give anymore. While taking care of the inner child, gradually I was able to be aware of my inner feelings, get close to myself and able to distinguish when I want and when I don’t want. I’ve found I had more strength and assertion when I interacted with others. I started being capable to respond to many things in the outside world.
This strength got clearer when I was negotiating the divorce with my husband. I realized divorce was what I truly want. Even though there was no love between us since five, six years ago, I had no capacity and courage to make this risky decision. Right now I am different, I have strength to be myself, I am ready to face my own aloneness!
During my change, I’ve seen my connection with him went into a deeper level. When I can take more care of my inner child I can give more support to the other’s inner child, the same wounded inner child. Although we’ve divorced, and by supporting each other’s inner child, there is a new and different quality of relationship happening.