Debbie When people suffer from addictions, it’s only natural to feel the urge to help them stop hurting themselves so you can help them get better. But what if we told you that helping an addict out could be doing more harm than good?
Rather than helping to curb addiction, you could be enabling it. When you’re enabling an addiction, you might be making things easier for an addict. However, you’re robbing them of the opportunity to grow up and overcome their disease.
If you’re looking for ways to help addicts, you’re in the right place. This guide will help you know how to stop enabling addiction behavior in your loved ones.
Stop Doing Anything That Allows Them to Feed Their Addiction
To stop enabling an addict, you must cease doing anything that encourages them to continue their addiction. This means no more enabling behaviors, like making excuses for them, helping them financially, or covering for them when they don’t show up for work or school.
It also means setting boundaries and sticking to them. For example, you might tell an addict that they can’t live with you unless they’re in treatment and following your house rules.
Stop Scolding or Arguing With Them
If you want to stop enabling someone’s addiction, you need to stop scolding or arguing with them. It’s important to be supportive and understanding, but you also need to be firm. Explain to them that their addiction is a problem and that you’re not going to enable it any longer.
Let them know that you’re still there for them, but they need to get help for their addiction. If they refuse to get help, then you may need to distance yourself from them. This can be difficult, but it’s sometimes necessary to protect yourself.
Do Not React To Their Behavior
Allow them to experience the consequences of their choices and avoid rescuing them. This may be difficult to do, but it is necessary if they are to learn from their mistakes. Show them patience and support, but do not enable their addiction.
Participate in Family Therapy for Them
This type of therapy can help the addict and their family members to understand the addiction and its effects on their lives. Family therapy can also help to improve communication within the family and provide support for each other.
You might be interested in searching for a family recovery center for the most effective way to aid your loved one in healing.
Understanding How to Stop Enabling Addiction
If you have been supporting an addict, it is important to understand how to stop enabling addiction. This will require making some changes in your own life.
But, it is possible to do this and you can get the support you need to make these changes. Seek out counseling or therapy to help you learn how to stop enabling an addict and take care of yourself.
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