If you have a family member or friend that is dealing with addiction, it can be difficult to know how best to support them. One of the great dangers of wanting to help an addicted person can be enabling their behavior and inadvertently making things worse. It’s important to be aware of the signs that you are supporting addictive behaviors so as not to do more harm than good.
Read on for insight into what these signs may look like and how they could affect your loved one’s recovery journey. The staff at our New Jersey addiction treatment center can help you!
Enablement Behaviors
Enabling a person’s drug addiction can come in many different forms. A common type of enabling involves preventing the consequences of drug use from occurring – for instance, making excuses for them when they act out, covering for their absences at work or school, and bailing them out when arrested due to drug related activities. Additionally, minimizing the severity of the addiction by claiming it isn’t that bad, or insisting that seeking help is not necessary are subtle ways in which someone can enable someone else’s drug problem.
Financial enablement is also a key issue. Having access to money allows addicts to keep up a continuous cycle of substance abuse, which only amplifies the severity of their problem and complicates its treatment. This is why it’s important to never give your loved one money that they can spend on substances.
How Enablement Hurts Recovery
Although enablement behaviors are often done out of love, enablement allows an addict to remain in their current state of addiction without holding them accountable or helping them find long-term solutions. Enablers fail to address the root cause of an addiction and instead may provide superficial band-aid solutions that do not result in lasting changes.
Help Your Loved One Achieve Lasting Change
Seeing a loved one struggle with addiction can be heartbreaking, but it is important to remember that the best way to help is by encouraging them to seek professional help. Encourage your loved one to contact us at our alcohol rehab in New Jersey and learn about our addiction recovery services. We are committed to our patients and their lasting sobriety. Click here to learn more about us and how we can help your loved one!
