Free · Confidential · Attachment-Informed

Relationship Dynamics Quiz

Answer 13 questions to map your relationship patterns across three dimensions — codependency, counter-dependency, and secure attachment — and receive a personalized relationship map with pattern-specific guidance.

3-cluster attachment pattern screeningVisual Enmeshed–Avoidant relationship mapIOP & family therapy guidance
Attachment-Informed · 13 Questions~3 MinutesConfidential

Ready to Explore Your Relationship Patterns?

This quiz maps how you connect with others across three dimensions: codependency, counter-dependency (avoidance), and secure attachment.

Relationship patterns are often learned survival mechanisms, not character flaws. Understanding yours is the first step toward building healthier connections.

Answer Scale (Phase 1)

0
Never
1
Rarely
2
Sometimes
3
Often
4
Almost Always

Not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Understanding Relationship Patterns

The way we connect with others — how we seek closeness, handle conflict, and navigate vulnerability — is shaped by our earliest experiences with caregivers. These attachment patterns form in childhood and, without conscious intervention, continue to drive our relationship behaviors throughout adulthood.

In a clinical setting — particularly in Intensive Outpatient Programs — understanding relationship dynamics is often the "missing piece" for patients struggling with addiction, BPD, anxiety, or depression. Interpersonal issues are the #1 predictor of relapse in both addiction and mental health recovery, which is why addressing them directly is essential to lasting progress.

The good news: attachment patterns are learned survival mechanisms, not permanent traits. What was learned in one relational environment can be unlearned — and replaced with healthier patterns — in another. This is exactly what structured group therapy, family therapy, and DBT-based IOP programs are designed to do.

Relationship Patterns in the Population

These patterns are not rare or unusual — they affect a significant portion of the adult population, and they are especially prevalent in clinical populations seeking treatment for addiction and mental health conditions.

Relationship PatternPrevalenceKey Characteristic
Secure Attachment~50–55% of PopulationThe baseline for healthy functioning; comfortable with closeness and independence. The target of therapy.
Anxious-Preoccupied~20% of AdultsHigh need for closeness and reassurance; "clinging" to relationships to prevent abandonment.
Dismissive-Avoidant~25% of AdultsDevalues the importance of emotional closeness to avoid the pain of vulnerability.
CodependencyHigh in IOP PopulationsOften found in partners and family members of people with addiction or untreated mental illness.
Disorganized~5–10% of AdultsOscillates between seeking closeness and pushing away; strongly associated with childhood trauma.

Sources: Hazan & Shaver (1987), Bartholomew & Horowitz (1991), Levine & Heller (2010). Clinical codependency prevalence based on SAMHSA and IOP population data.

About This Quiz

This relationship dynamics quiz screens for the three most common maladaptive relationship patterns seen in intensive treatment settings:

  • Cluster A — Codependency: External validation, poor boundaries, enmeshment, and self-neglect
  • Cluster B — Counter-dependency: Hyper-independence, emotional distance, guarded vulnerability, and withdrawal
  • Cluster C — Secure Attachment: Trust and comfort with direct, honest communication

Phase 2 gathers contextual information — your relationship status, family history, and current relational environment — to help you and your provider understand the context behind your patterns.

Medical Disclaimer: This quiz is a screening tool only and is not a clinical diagnosis. Attachment patterns and relationship dynamics are complex and best evaluated by a licensed mental health professional. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is codependency?

Codependency is a relational pattern in which a person's self-worth becomes excessively tied to caretaking, fixing, or managing the emotions of others — often at the expense of their own needs. It is commonly found in the partners and family members of people with addiction or untreated mental illness and is one of the most treatable patterns in a structured therapeutic environment.

What is counter-dependency?

Counter-dependency (also called dismissive avoidance) is the pattern of maintaining emotional distance and hyper-independence in relationships to avoid vulnerability. While independence is healthy, hyper-independence acts as a shield that blocks deep connection and makes it difficult to receive the support that recovery and growth require.

What is disorganized attachment?

Disorganized attachment occurs when a person shows high levels of both codependency and counter-dependency — oscillating between desperately seeking closeness and abruptly pushing people away. It is strongly associated with early childhood experiences where caregivers were both a source of comfort and a source of fear or unpredictability.

Can attachment styles change?

Yes. Attachment styles are learned relational patterns — and what is learned can be unlearned. Research shows that with consistent therapeutic support (particularly DBT, group therapy, and structured IOP programs), people can develop more secure attachment patterns over time. This is one of the core goals of our IOP and family therapy programs.

Does DMHBH treat relationship issues?

Yes. DeSoto Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health offers family therapy, group therapy, and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) in Port Charlotte and Arcadia, FL that directly address codependency, attachment patterns, interpersonal effectiveness, and relationship dynamics using evidence-based DBT and CBT frameworks.

Treatment Available in Port Charlotte & Arcadia, FL

Ready to Build Healthier Relationships?

Interpersonal issues are the #1 predictor of relapse. Our behavioral health specialists can help you understand your patterns and build the communication, boundary, and emotional regulation skills that healthier relationships require.

If you are in crisis, call or text 988 immediately.