The clinical usefulness of distinguishing between two types of dependency

The authors describe two very different dynamics that have been subsumed under the word, dependency. The good kind of dependency which enhances our self-esteem, is the need we all have for affection, admiration and emotional support. The bad kind is the need to have someone or something help us avoid our responsibility to deal with reality. This kind of dependency lowers our self-esteem. We have given six clinical examples of people who have problems with dependency—three who deny their need for nurture and three who abdicate their responsibility for their lives.