Top 4 Ways to Help Drug Addicts Without Enabling
Beating Addiction - Top 4 Ways to Help Drug Addicts Without Enabling
When someone you love becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, your first response may be to do everything to help them. However, not everything that someone close to an addict does is always helping the goal of recovery. It often just serves to enable to addict's behavior, even though the person helping may have the best intentions. Recognizing enabling behaviors is important in order for people to put themselves in situations where they can actually help drug addicts.
In this article, we will look at how to recognize enabling and tips on how to help drug addicts without being an enabler.
Enabling Behavior to Avoid
If left to their own devices, an addict's condition often worsens over time. Addiction is a progressive disease that alters the way a person behaves, promoting drug-seeking behavior regardless of the side effects. An addict's goal is to continue with their substance abuse, even if they don't really want to.
There are several things that a person can do that ultimately enables the addictive behavior. They are as follows:
- In order to avoid negative responses and actions, a person may not express how they truly feel about what's happening.
- Oftentimes, an enabler will do whatever they can to cover up the behaviors of the addict so that other people are not aware of the problems present. • An enabler will ignore the negative consequences of the addiction and act as if it isn't a problem.
- Enablers mean well, so they often put the addict's needs before their own.
- Turning the blame for the addiction onto others and not the addict, further solidifying the addict's victim role.
The help that enablers give comes from a genuine concern for their well-being. However, because the enabler loves the person, they often do things that do not help drug addicts - clouded by their love for them and trying to maintain a relationship.
How to Talk to a Drug Addict - Drug Addiction Help for Family Members and Loved Ones
The way to help without playing the role of enabler is about recognizing enabling behavior and replacing it with helpful ways to help drug addicts beat their addiction.
Tips on your actions and how to talk to a drug addict are as follows:
- Follow through on your plans - Addicts often neglect responsibilities. If you make plans to do something with the addict and they don't follow through, go without them. They behavior shouldn't stop you from following through on your plans.
- Let them deal with the consequences - It may be hard to do, but you must let the addict deal with the consequences of their actions without you cleaning up after them. It should be clear to them that you are not going to clean up after their devastation anymore.
- Stand firm - Addicts become adept at manipulating loved ones for their own end. As such, you must make a decision to stand firm on your decision to assist only if it means they will get profession help. Do not allow the addict to bully or guilt you into enabling their behavior.
- Take care of yourself - One cannot help another if you yourself need help. Attend to your needs first so that you can be in the right position and frame of mind to offer your support in recovery. Since addiction can cause havoc in the life of those around the addict, self-care becomes about being emotionally stable in order to be the pillar of true support your loved one needs.
It is important to remember that you are not alone. Drug addiction help for family members and loved ones can be found at Drug Treatment Centers Miami Allow them to help you discover the best rehab near you.
Sources:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/treatment
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/media-guide/science-drug-abuse-addiction-basics