Are You Enabling a Loved One’s Addiction?
It goes without saying that we all want the best for the people we love. When we genuinely care for our family members or friends, we celebrate their successes and strive to support them when they’re at their lowest. However, it can be challenging to know how to help someone who is struggling with addiction. Though your intentions may be good, your actions may actually be causing harm.
Standing by and allowing your loved one to sink further into their addiction is not helpful, but many people don’t realize they’re doing it. Below are some warning signs to help determine whether you’re enabling someone’s addiction to drugs or alcohol.
1. Making Excuses for Them
When people become addicted to alcohol or drugs, their responsibilities begin to slip. Their work performance declines, household chores go undone, and they may neglect social commitments. Family members and friends often try to cover for them—calling in sick to work on their behalf or picking up their slack at home.
Now is the time to stop. Your loved one doesn’t need “time to get their act together”—they need an intervention.
2. Financially Supporting Their Addiction
Addiction is expensive. When someone is struggling with substance abuse, they will do whatever it takes to replenish their supply. They may ask for money under false pretenses or manipulate loved ones into helping them. If you suspect your loved one is using money to support their addiction, do not provide financial assistance.
3. Keeping Alcohol or Drugs Around
If you live with someone battling addiction, keeping alcohol or drugs in the house makes their recovery even harder. Similarly, if you have ever gone out of your way to buy alcohol for someone struggling with alcoholism—perhaps to prevent them from driving under the influence—you may have inadvertently enabled their addiction.
While you may be helping them avoid immediate danger, the long-term harm outweighs the short-term solution.
4. Believing They Can Quit Anytime
When your loved one insists they can stop using whenever they want, believing them isn’t optimism—it’s denial. Overcoming addiction without professional treatment is incredibly difficult. If they are serious about recovery, they need structured support.
How to Help Instead
If you’re feeling helpless, you’re not alone. According to a Pew survey of U.S. adults, 46 percent of Americans have a friend or family member with a current or past drug addiction.
The next step is having an honest conversation with your loved one. They must want help and be willing to take the necessary steps toward recovery. If they’re ready, we’re here for you both.
Recovery is a Phone Call Away
Recovering from addiction can be extremely challenging, especially when done alone. There is no shame in asking for help. At our facility, patients are treated with compassion and patience throughout their recovery journey. Through alternative therapies, outpatient treatment programs, counseling, and more, we help individuals understand their addiction and equip them with the tools to overcome it.
If you or a loved one is ready to face addiction head-on, contact our team online or call (470) 613-8167. At The Carter Treatment Center, we will meet you where you are and create a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.
