The Signs of Enabling a Drug Addict

Once an addiction forms, an individual will need to rely on others to get what they want. They will often find themselves low on money. They may even lose their jobs and homes. They will need other people to provide them with funds and possibly shelter to continue to survive and get high. 

Loved ones often get caught up in an addict’s web and may end up inadvertently supporting them. While the friend or relative may think they are helping out, they actually enable the person and keep their drug habit. It’s important that they stop what they are doing and let the addict bottom out, so they have no choice but to go to rehab. 

If you are dealing with a loved one with dependency issues, here are some signs of enabling a drug addict to look out for. 

What Does it Mean to Enable Someone?

Enabling someone doesn’t have to be a bad thing. You may help someone to get better grades in school by assisting them to study. You may help someone win a competition by giving them the money and training they need to win. 

But the type of enabling involved with addiction is never a positive thing. Families and friends may not even realize the extent to which they will support a loved one’s addiction until it’s too late. 

Signs of Enabling a Drug Addict

Here are some signs that will tell you that you may be enabling a drug addict. 

• Ignoring the addict’s dangerous and harmful behavior and simply letting it happen. 
• Not expressing emotions regarding how the addict’s behavior is affecting you for fear of negative repercussions.
• Giving the addict money. They may be claiming to need money for food, clothes, or rent, but if they are low on funds because they are supporting a drug addiction, ultimately, the money will be used to score. 
• Lying to others to cover up the addict’s behavior. 
• Prioritizing the addict’s needs over your own. 
• Blaming people other than the addict for their negative behavior. 
• Resenting the addict because they are making you feel put upon. 

How to Get an Addict Help with Their Addiction

The first step in trying to get an addict help is to talk to them. In doing so, use a non-judgmental manner. Explain to them how much you care about them and how it hurts you to see them throwing their lives away. 

If talking doesn’t work, you may try staging an intervention. During an intervention, friends and family will let the person know that there will be repercussions if they don’t get help. They may tell them they will refuse to give them money and shelter. They may even refuse to socialize with them. 

The hope is that without the support of loved ones, they will hit rock bottom and have nowhere else to turn other than rehab. 

During an intervention, it’s essential to have a recovery center set up so the person can check in directly without thinking twice. If you are looking for a facility that’s right for your loved one, Prevail Recovery is recommended. 

Prevail Recovery offers a variety of outpatient programs so patients can recover while continuing with everyday life. We provide a range of evidence-based therapies that help people achieve long-term recovery. All treatment takes place in our facility in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, FL. It’s easy to fall into an addict’s trap and end up enabling them. Call Prevail Recovery to break the cycle today. We will get you and your loved one on a path for improved quality of life.