Anyone that is currently connected to someone suffering through an active addiction may want to take time to reflect on the enabling side of addiction. Enabling is a serious problem that can keep someone on the path of addiction and must be addressed.
As a caring human being, the last thing we want to do, is cause someone pain. Well what if we are causing more pain for the struggling addict and not even realizing it? What if we are keeping that person stuck in their pain by giving them the means to continue to use. Believe me, there is nothing harder than denying someone you love the means he or she needs to survive in this world. Everybody has to eat. Everybody needs shelter, a job, and even some of the finer things in life, right? Of course and naturally it feels right to help someone get those necessities of life. But what if we took those things away? What if the addict had to figure out how to balance a life of substance use with the necessities of life? Would the addict survive?
The majority of us aren't willing to take that chance, because it scares us, so instead we continue to help the person with things like food, water, and shelter. However, let's think about this; if the addict or alcoholic had to suddenly fend for himself or herself, they may not be able to survive, but that doesn't mean they will die, it means they may be more likely to seek help. We must stop enabling people, so the person we love can feel how bad their addiction is, then we can work with a mindset that realizes things are beyond their own control.
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