Enabling Behaviors and How They Harm Addiction Recovery
It is difficult to watch someone you love in any kind of pain, especially the pain associated with addiction. Most of us would do anything to help our loved ones, but we feel a sense of helplessness. Sometimes our desire to help turns into enabling behavior, which does more harm than good. Enabling prevents the addicted person from feeling the consequences of their addiction. When we continue to offer our addicted loved one money for food, gas, bills, or even substances, we are essentially expediting their demise.
Most parents will go to desperate lengths to save their child who is suffering from addiction. Their desperation can actually impede their child’s addiction recovery, even though they have the best of intentions. Here’s an example: A hardworking father of limited means continuously bails his child out of jail after multiple DWI’s and arrests. The child begs and pleads and swears that they will never drink again, and the father thinks the problem has been solved.
But as soon as the person is free, they are already searching for the next high.
The father, though disappointed and distraught, continues to bail his adult child out of the problems they bring on themselves. The father’s enabling behaviors give his child the freedom to chase down the next high.
People suffering from addiction deny that their drinking or using causes pain and misery. They hold on to the notion that this one time will be different. It’s a vicious cycle, and unfortunately the person’s loved ones get caught in it as well. This is why professional help for parents, spouses, and families is important. A therapist or an interventionist can help families understand and recognize enabling behaviors and learn how to love their addicted family member in a way that will prompt their recovery. Addiction is a family disease, and it is important that everyone gets the help they deserve.
For more information about enabling behaviors and how they harm addiction recovery, contact our team of professional for assistance at (337) 379-7700.
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