The loving parent, the best friend…
The Enablers…
An Enabler is someone who gives the addict an easy way to access and use their drug of choice
When someone tells a close family member of a drug addiction victim that they are enabling their loved one, it probably deeply upsets them. Drug addictions are terrible things, and they hurt everyone around the drug user. Moreso if you care about the addicted person you might find yourself in a constant state of worry for the well being of the user. What is an Enabler? An Enabler is that person who provides money, drugs, and a consquence free environment that supports the lifestyle of the drug abuser.
My Son never holds down a job and lives at home. My Wife goes out for a week at a time and doesn’t come back. My best friend shows up at my door at 3am every now and then wasted and looking for a place to crash.
These are common themes associated with enabling. Of course in these cases the Enabler genuinely feels as though they are doing good deeds in taking care of their friend or loved one.
The Empty Nest, the trial of the loving Mother
There is no doubt that a loving Mother will do almost anything for her child. It doesn’t really matter what age the son or daughter is. Also there is a need to have the child at home, even if the child has grown. In many cases this is a form of empty nest syndrome where the Mother is co-dependent on the addict for companionship. This Enables the user to have a lifestyle where it is very easy to use the drugs in a consequence free environment. Of course Mom is concerned but deep down she is afraid of losing her baby. Remember that the drug is in control of the addict’s mind and while the addict would never take advantage of Mom under normal circumstances a drug withdrawal can cause the user to take unorthodox means to maintain her or his habits.
The solution may be intervention
Sometimes it comes down to the user and those who are friends or family needing an intervention. It helps everyone involved to come to an understanding that this is a crisis and has to be dealt with accordingly. This is a strong technique to end the enabling cycle and begin the path to healing without sacrificing the trust between friends and family.
Break free from the addiction!
The road to recovery from drug addiction can be a long and tiring one. People who are addicted to drugs often are addicted because they have an emotional gap that needs to be filled. It leave people miserable when the drug is not there to help make their emotions a little more stable for the time being. To some, the idea of being without a drug is a fate that seems worse than death.
People who are addicted live only for the drug!
How do we know this seems like a fate worse than death? Common sense! Addicts risk their lives every day by using their drug of choice over and over again. They risk themselves either by the complications of the drugs themselves or by the risks associated with use of the drugs. Worse yet, people who love them will keep them enabled by allowing them a pathway to continuing this dangerous cycle of use. If you care about someone it is probably best to try and lead them away. The sad truth is these people often think they are helping the person.
There is a simple road to recovery but you have to stay on the path!
How do you recover from these problems? It is very simple! Believe it or not, the road to recovery starts with a decision to make the change from the addict and those who care about the person. Then after that, seeking help is the next step. That is what we offer at help fight addiction! We are a site that helps lead you to the resources you need to get help!
Get the user AWAY! Remaining in the environment the addict is used to is enabling!
Often it is best to get the user far away from the places that they acquire their drugs of choice. Also this gets them away from the people who are often the bad influences on their lives. So we always like to suggest that the addict seeks rehab at a place far from the usual environment. Otherwise time is key! If you send a drug addicted person to a detox for only two weeks it will be of no real value. The user will have the chemicals mostly out of their system but their state of mind will not be ready to accept there is actually a life beyond the drug use. Placing the addict in a facility for a longer period is key! Let their body and mind understand there is more to life and they can be happy without the use of the drugs.
There is more to life to make a person happy than drugs, the addict just needs to know this! The mind takes time to revert to a non drug using state. The mind of the addict has to revert to being self sufficient just like it was before the addiction!
Keep in mind, you don’t want to send a person to a drug rehab that will simply place the addict on another drug. A good example of a bad idea is sending a user to a methadone clinic! Methadone will only serve as a replacement vice and will not solve the problem. Often users find themselves addicted to the drugs that they use to get the users off of the abused drug.
Never forget, addicts are people too!
Okay, so maybe you have never fallen victim to the snares of a drug addiction. Keep in mind, just because that was one area you were strong in does not mean that the person addicted to the drugs is a bad person! Drugs can make people appear to be less than favorable when in fact the person underneath genuinely has a good heart. So even when times get rough and the user lashes out or returns to the previous behavior, that is just another person like you and I and they are simply victims of a bad situation.
