.I'm going to give my love to you, one day you gotta give it back.

Group therapy for co-dependents.

Why doesn't this exist?

A group that meets once a week to discuss the aspects of being a classic co-dependent; needing a relationship to complete yourself.
In therapy you'd discuss why you think you need a relationship, where that need stems from.
Why you rush into relationships.
You'd set a single date. Your "ATDAD" (allowed to date again date) and you would have to be single for that long, in this time you would have exercises to help you learn to love yourself, re-discover your goals and have enough time to know yourself.
It seems simple, for some people for others... cough.wink. cough.... The idea of being alone, is ,well ,rather terrifying. There needs to be a support system
"Hello, I haven't been single since grade nine, and I never noticed this, until now, this pattern of relationships that all seem the exact same, however, the only consistent factor in this equation is ...me. I think I'm addicted to jumping into things before I really know who the person I'm dating is, or before I have time to adjust to the loss of a pass relationship. I'm addicted to not being alone"

"Well M'am, welcome to the Co-dependents club, we meet every Saturday , 2-4"

"When you're sleeping with someone who doesn't get you, you're gunna hate yourself in the morning"

Testimonials would go a little something like this:

"I guess I just would get so caught up in the firsts ; the first time I realized I liked him, the first time he touched my face, the first kiss, the first hug,the first time we slept in the same bed and just cuddled,the first 'I love you', ...that I never stopped to watch the bad first's; the first time he made fun of me in front of my friends, the first time he made me cry with his hurtful words, the first time he stayed out with another girl, the first time he took someones side over mine, the first time he called me worthless, the first time he chose the couch over our bed without reason. The first sign he was someone that didn't deserve me."

"When I get dumped[, because it's always me getting the boot] and I'm finally introduced to the person I was dating, I'm crushed.I guess, really, they're all like that. I get so caught up in this magical relationship that I forget to wipe the pixie dust out of my eyes and see the warning signs. Maybe if I took my time getting to know someone before I dated them I wouldn't feel so deceived and naive, because I would be dating someone I knew inside and out. You can't know someone's goods and bads after only 2 months. It doesn't work that way. Sometimes not even 3 months is enough time to really know them."

" I'd always listen to my friends too, 'Oh I started dating him 2 days after my ex,' or 'We moved in after a month of dating' "AND IT WAS FINE"..I need to stop listening to those friends. They're the exception. I am the rule. and the rule needs to be "Time, just take your friggen time" "

Group rule #1: No dating other group member
Group rule #2: Your birthday ,2010 is when you stay single until
Group rule #3:Friend dates and close encounters are allowed.
Group rule #4: Keep things that keep you happy close by, keep a journal and record things that make you overly happy and overly depressed, Avoid all things unpleasant. It will make the lonely times easier to get through if you have an inventory of all things comforting.
Group rule #5: Inform close family & friend's about the group and invite them to participate. The more friends and family you have around the easier it will be to be alone, and eveuntually be okay with that.

"You have to be someone worth sweeping off their feet before someone will sweep you off them"