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.

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.

• In 2005 according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) there were 21,634 Alcohol related fatalities which were not related to accidents or homocide with the liver disease related fatalities at almost 13,000.
• Around one third of the US population has reported binge drinking at least once a year
• In 2007 almost 13,000 deaths occurred as a result of drinking and driving related accidents

• It is estimated that around 3% of the American population over the age of 13 have tried Crack-Cocaine at least once.
• Many of the long term addicted users of Crack-Cocaine have gone off to perform acts of prostitution in order to get money to support their habit.
• Stimulants account for around 16,000 or more deaths each year in the US

• The average heroin addict spends $200.00 a day to support their addiction
• It has been estimated that almost one third of all HIV cases are caused by sharing needles, mostly for drugs such as heroin
• According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in the late 90s, the annual number of new heroin users rose to a level not seen in over 20 years. In the mid 70s, there were nearly 250,000 new heroin users. There was a slower period between the mid 80s until the mid 90s. From 1995-2001, the number of new heroin users was consistently greater than 100,000.
• It is estimated that almost 60% of heroin users are dependent on the drug. Most people who use the drug do so with a partner but are found alone at the time of death.

• People ages 18-26 are known to use the most cocaine
• 1 in 5 people aged 25-32 have tried cocaine at least once
• Cocaine rivals amphetamines as the most commonly abused illegal drug after marijuana
• Cocaine is the most psychologically addictive drug, although physical withdrawal symptoms are less likely to occur but may include excessive nervousness, anxiety, hot and cold sweats, and more.Tests on lab animals have shown they will work harder for cocaine than any other drug. The same goes for human cocaine users who in many cases destroy their lives in order to get to the next high.

There is no better time than now to get help for yourself or someone you care about, please fill out this simple form or call our toll free number 1-866-481-9223.

This drug class can be taken by:
smoking, mixing it in a drink, snorting it, or by injecting. Sharing needle often puts
users at a very high risk for life threatening blood transmitted diseases such as HIV, and Hepatitis B, and C.

• Meth labs have been found in every US state and over 10,000 were seized between 2002-2006
• Meth increases blood pressure, sometimes to critical levels which put the body at risk for heart attacks, long term kidney damage, and brain aneurisms.
• Over 13 million Americans have tried methamphetamines and over 10% of those are currently addicted.
• Smoking or snorting methamphetamines will eventually lead to a condition known as “Meth Mouth” which causes the teeth to corrode all the way to the gum line. This is caused by the acids and other corrosive ingredients that are used to make street meth in labs for people to smoke or injest nasally.

There is no better time than now to get help for yourself or someone you care about, please fill out this simple form or call our toll free number 1-866-481-9223.