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Codependency Scale

Do you put others' needs first at the expense of your own? Take this test to find out if you struggle with 'codependency.'

Mark Travers, Ph.D.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D.

July 8, 2025

Mark Travers, Ph.D., is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, responsible for new client intake and placement. Mark received his B.A. in psychology, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder. His academic research has been published in leading psychology journals and has been featured in The New York Times and The New Yorker, among other popular publications. He is a regular contributor for Forbes and Psychology Today, where he writes about psycho-educational topics such as happiness, relationships, personality, and life meaning. Click here to schedule an initial consultation with Mark or another member of the Awake Therapy team. Or, you can drop him a note here.

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Codependency extends beyond being overly helpful or selfless. It's a pattern of behavior where an individual's self-worth becomes tied to how much they do for others. This can often be rooted in early relational or emotional wounds, and often manifests as ignoring your own needs, avoiding conflict at all costs and constantly seeking external validation.

Understanding where you fall on the spectrum of codependency is an important step toward healing. Because many of these patterns are so deeply ingrained, they can feel like personality traits rather than red flags. Measuring codependency allows you to bring unconscious habits into your conscious awareness — especially those that may be impacting your relationships, self-esteem and emotional well-being.

The Spann–Fischer Codependency Scale is a validated psychological assessment that measures the extent to which an individual exhibits codependent traits, such as excessive emotional reliance on others, difficulty setting boundaries, fear of rejection and a tendency to derive self-worth from caretaking or external approval. Once identified, these patterns can be gently unlearned and replaced with healthier ways of relating to both yourself and others.

You can take this test here. Please follow all of the steps to receive your results.

References: Fischer, J. L., & Spann, L. (1991). Measuring Codependency. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 8(1), 87–100. https://doi.org/10.1300/J020V08N01_06

Step 1: Rate the following statements based on how much you agree with them on a scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree.

1. It is hard for me to make decisions.

2. It is hard for me to say "no."

3. It is hard for me to accept compliments graciously.

4. Sometimes I almost feel bored or empty if I don't have problems to focus on.

5. I often do things for other people, even when they're capable of doing it themselves.

6. When I do something nice for myself, I usually feel guilty.

7. I often worry very much.

8. I tell myself that things will get better when the people in my life change what they are doing.

9. I seem to have relationships where I am always there for them, but they are rarely there for me.

10. Sometimes I get focused on one person to the extent of neglecting other relationships and responsibilities.

11. I seem to get into relationships that are painful for me.

12. I don't usually let others see the "real" me.

13. When someone upsets me, I will hold it in for a long time, but once in a while, I explode.

14. I will usually go to any lengths to avoid open conflict.

15. I often have a sense of dread or impending doom.

16. I often put the needs of others ahead of my own.

0 of 0 questions answered

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores with people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.