Healthy relationships include having interests other than those shared, as well as other meaningful relationships (Beattie, 1992). A couple marries and keeps their previous but not mutual friends. The wife has a “girl’s night out” occasionally with her friends from before the marriage. She makes friends with other women in the neighborhood. The husband meets with friends from before the marriage. He also has new friends from work to spend time with.
A codependent couple is more likely to spend the majority of their time together. One may resist when the other partner begins building a relationship with outside individual. A codependent couple is likely to not have a lively social life. Both partners will neglect their previous relationships and avoid creating new relationships (Beattie, 1992).
Each individual is left to deal with the consequences of repeated mistakes in a healthy relationship. A man notices his girlfriend arriving home late one night after going out with friends. She passes out on the couch immediately after entering the house. He is happy she was able to enjoy herself. He helps her get into pajamas and into bed, wakes her the next morning, offers her coffee, and helps her get to work on time. The second night when a similar scene occurs he is concerned, and the third night he does not help her. The next morning she is late and loses her job.