Watching your loved one struggle with addiction can be extremely difficult. All you may want to do is provide help and support for your loved one as they suffer from their addiction. However, oftentimes many fail to realize that the “help” they are providing to their loved one suffering from addiction is actually enabling their behavior. This is because enabling behaviors are like a “safety net” where the addict won’t have to come to terms with their addiction because they know you’ll always be able to pick up the pieces.
At Spirit Mountain Recovery, we are a men’s drug and alcohol addiction treatment center committed to providing the support and resources essential to break free of addiction. We understand that not all addiction is the same, and that’s why we provide various treatment services from detox programs to dual diagnosis treatment, to receive the exact care to end your addiction once and for all. In this article, you’ll learn more about the signs of enabling a drug addict and how you can stop enabling addiction and help get the treatment your loved one needs.
Contact us today so we can help you or your loved one receive treatment essential to living a long-term life of sobriety.
What Does it Mean to Enable an Addict?
Enabling an addict refers to doing things for an addict that they could/would have done if they were living a life of sobriety. The difficult thing about enabling an addict’s behavior is enabling and helping an addict look very similar. However, it’s important to understand the distinction between the two.
Enabling addiction is doing things that support their addiction, while helping an addict refers to doing things that the addict won’t be able to do, even if sober. Therefore, helping does not attempt to hide, mask, or give addicts a “free pass” when it comes to the consequences of their addiction.
Family members and friends can often feel like they are at a crossroads in terms of how to provide help and support to their loved ones battling addiction. However, enabling the addict’s behaviors only worsens their substance abuse.
Often, by putting an end to the enabling, the addict is forced to come face-to-face with their addiction and all the destruction it has done in their life. While this can be extremely difficult, this can also be a pivotal time for an addict to come to the realization they need professional treatment to live a long-term life of sobriety.
What are the Signs of Enabling a Drug Addict?
There are many signs of enabling a drug addict. Again, it’s critical to understand the difference between helping and enabling.
Here are some common signs of enabling a drug addict:
- Providing money to pay bills, food, and also support their drug habit
- Giving them a place to live, especially without paying any rent
- Making excuses or downplaying their addiction
- Taking over the addict’s responsibilities
- Saving an addict from any legal issues they may have
Setting boundaries is a critical step toward putting an end to enabling an addict. Just because you set boundaries doesn’t mean you don’t love and support your loved one battling addiction. In fact, setting up boundaries can help addicts come to terms with their problem and increase their chances of seeking treatment as they’ll quickly realize their safety net (you) is no longer there to support their addiction and its consequences.
How to Get a Loved One to Seek Addiction Treatment
One of the best ways you can help your loved one suffering from addiction is by working towards getting your loved one to seek addiction treatment. Putting an end to all enabling behaviors is a great way to start. By removing the “safety net” (your enabling tendencies) from the addict, you are essentially forcing the addict to come to terms with their addiction and its consequences.
Another great way to get your loved one the help they need is by contacting a local addiction treatment center in your area. By contacting an addiction treatment center, you can ask questions and gain valuable guidance from professionals on how to best guide your loved one to seek treatment.
Spirit Mountain Recovery is a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center where men can receive the treatment they need to live a long life of sobriety. Our rehab center provides a non-judgmental, supportive approach so clients can receive the exact care they need every step of the way to put an end to their addiction. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, contact us to learn more about how you can take the first steps toward recovery.
