Living with an addict is tough. In fact, addiction is even called a family disease because it’s usually those closest to the problem that are affected the worst.
Despite the damage that’s been caused, you still want what’s best for your addicted loved one. But what if I told you that while you’re trying to help them, you’re also allowing their addiction to progress?
Take a step back & think about someone thats addicted to drugs or alcohol. In most cases, there’ll always be that one person that may think they’re helping but actually making the problem worse.
So what exactly is the difference between helping & enabling?
When you’re helping someone, you’re doing something that they can’t do on their own. When you’re enabling, you’re doing something that this person should be doing for themselves.
See the difference?
When you’re enabling an addict or alcoholic, you’re making it easier for them to continue using drugs or drinking alcohol because there’s nothing convincing enough to give them a reason to stop. When this happens, getting into addiction treatment just isn’t an option for them at this moment in time.
Are you an enabler? Here’s how you can find out:
You Do Their Responsibilities
Doing things such as paying your loved one’s accounts, cleaning their room, giving them money for clothes & food are all examples of enabling behaviour.
Telling Lies
You find yourself spinning stories to their lecturers or employers about why they won’t be able to attend class or work today, when in the mean time they’re actually high on drugs or hung over.
Covering Up Their Actions
Whenever your addicted loved one is rude or out of hand in public, you make excuses for them, blaming it on things such as work or study related stress.
You Back Down on Your Ultimatums
You may have told your addicted loved one that unless they stop using drugs or alcohol, they’re going to be kicked out of the house.
However, when push comes to shove, you renege on this threat. This only has to happen once & they’ll know that you not serious about it.
Shouldering Blame
You choose to take the blame for your loved one’s addictive behaviour.
Fear
You avoid bringing up certain issues such as addiction treatment because you’re scared what your loved one’s response will be.
If you can relate to this or know of someone who does, understanding the seriousness of the problem at hand is the first step towards addiction recovery.
Here are some important things that you should know:
- Addiction is an incurable brain disease that will get worse the longer it’s left untreated
- Addiction recovery is a lifelong commitment to remaining clean & sober
Waiting till your loved one wants addiction treatment is the wrong thing to do. You could wait days, months even years & by then it could be too late!
You can force an addict into rehab! It also has no effect on determining whether treatment will be a success or not
One of the best & safest ways to convince an addict to get into rehab is to host an addiction intervention. For more information about it, click here: https://wedorecover.com/intervention/
We can provide you with immediate admission into the best private addiction treatment centres in South Africa, the United Kingdom & Thailand. Call us now & one of our counsellors will gladly assist you.