The Hidden Codependency Keeping High-Functioning Women & Men Stuck

The Full Frontal Living™ Podcast with Lisa Carpenter

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19d ago 1:03:43

M4A•Episode home

You're not needy. You're not the damsel in distress. You get shit done.

But what if I told you that your excellence, your leadership, your "I've got this" attitude is actually a sophisticated form of codependency that's keeping you emotionally trapped?

In this raw, unfiltered solo episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the high-functioning codependency that disguises itself as strength but leaves you drowning in resentment while everyone else gets to rest.

What You'll Discover:

The Real Face of Codependency

Why it's not about being needy—it's about needing to be needed so badly you abandon yourself
How your "strength" became your prison
The difference between being helpful and being codependent

The Hidden Traits That Don't Look Codependent

You anticipate others' needs before being asked (and call it leadership)
You intellectualize feelings but avoid actually feeling them
You see your value in what you do, not who you are
You never ask for help but resent people who do

How It Shows Up Everywhere:

At Work: You're the emotional air traffic controller managing everyone's moods
In Parenting: You over-function for your kids while under-functioning for yourself
In Love: You choose potential over reality and call it commitment

The Codependent Loop That's Stealing Your Joy:

Obsession (disguised as leadership)
Control (disguised as being proactive)
Resentment (disguised as martyrdom)
Collapse (disguised as "having a lot on your plate")
Hope (disguised as optimism)
Repeat

The Hard Truth:

You've built an empire on "not good enough." You're constantly chasing, constantly proving, constantly giving—but never arriving at that place where you feel genuinely fulfilled.

Your life looks amazing on the outside. But on the inside? You're exhausted, disconnected, and wondering why success doesn't feel the way you thought it would.

The Way Out:

This isn't about becoming selfish or uncaring. It's about coming home to yourself. It's about moving from codependency to sovereignty—knowing who you are without all the masks and coping mechanisms.

The Three A's:

Awareness: Seeing these patterns without judgment
Acceptance: The gateway to transformation
Action: Detachment, boundaries, and reparenting yourself

Real Talk:

How much longer are you going to stay in this loop? How much longer will you pat yourself on the back for being "so strong" while your joy slips through your fingers every single day?

The cost of doing nothing isn't just your well-being—it's your relationships, your health, and the woman you're meant to become.

If This Hit You Like a Freight Train:

This episode might be one to listen to twice. There's a lot here. And if you're sitting there thinking "holy shit, this is me"—that's your nervous system recognizing the truth.

You have a choice right now. You can keep pretending these patterns are just "being responsible," or you can decide that today is the day you stop abandoning yourself for everyone else.

Ready to break the cycle? Visit LisaCarpenter.ca/WWM and fill out the application. Let's have a real conversation about what it looks like to reclaim your life.

If this episode rocked your world, share it with another high-functioning human who needs to hear this. That's how we change lives—one honest conversation at a time.

Resources Mentioned:

Work with Lisa: LisaCarpenter.ca/WWM
Follow Lisa on Instagram: @LisaCarpenterInc

"Codependency isn't about weak people. It's about people who have been conditioned to believe their worth depends on being needed, accepted or approved by others." - Ross Rosenberg

331 episodes

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