Often it’s easier to enable a loved one’s addiction than people think. It’s normal for people to want to help those they love, and challenging to talk about addiction, mental health, and getting help. Unfortunately, it is common for family members to believe they are helping their addicted loved ones when, in reality, they are enabling drug or alcohol use.
To help a family member struggling with addiction is to provide resources and structure and help them enroll in an addiction recovery program. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse, A Better State can help. With a range of outpatient treatment programs for mental health and addiction, we provide Norfolk County with holistic, dual diagnosis treatment. Call us at 781.412.1488 to stop enabling a loved one’s addiction.
Understanding Drug Addiction and Recovery
Understanding addiction is necessary to stop enabling loved ones. Most habit-forming drugs release high dopamine levels when they enter the bloodstream creating a dopamine-reward effect. Addiction occurs when the brain becomes dependent on dopamine from external substances. This is a natural response that mood disorders can heighten. Whether someone is taking medication as prescribed or abusing drugs and alcohol, their brain can become dependent on dopamine and neurotransmitters quickly. Addiction symptoms include:
- Physical signs (track marks, red eyes, damaged nasal passages)
- Manic behavior
- Self-harm
- Changes in weight
- Changes in eating habits
- Confusion
- Paranoia
- Panic attacks
- Changes in social groups
- Lack of interest in favorite activities
- Self-isolation
- Secretive behavior
- Acting intoxicated
- Increased drinking
- Trouble sleeping
- Increased fatigue
- Mood swings
- Erratic behavior
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Changes in work or school performance
Both stimulants and depressants will change a person’s habits and behaviors. Watching your loved one’s behavior and physical appearance are two ways to monitor drug or alcohol use. If they are under extreme stress, have recently suffered a traumatic event, or are struggling with mental health, they are more likely to struggle with substance abuse. It’s important to remember addiction is treatable and requires professional help and structure.
Are You Enabling in Addiction?
Enabling in addiction goes much deeper than simply providing them with financial support or housing. Some of the most common signs of enabling an addict include:
- Providing money to support their habit
- Providing housing
- Downplaying the severity
- Providing emotional support for action
- Lying on their behalf
- Rationalizing their behavior
Ignoring a loved one’s substance abuse or other self-harming behavior is the highest enabling level. While taking action can be difficult for you and a loved one, it’s the first step towards recovery. Taking to a loved one and changing your behavior isn’t easy. An addiction treatment program can help you and your loved one through group therapy, addiction education, and other helpful tools.
Learn More About Enabling Drug Addiction at A Better State
Outpatient treatment can be an excellent approach for families with safe, drug-free homes and those interested in consistent family therapy. If you or someone you love needs addiction treatment and support, our outpatient programs can help. Our Braintree, Massachusetts, holistic, trauma-informed clinic can help you and your family find the right outpatient for your needs. Our programs include:
- Anxiety treatment
- Depression treatment
- PTSD treatment
- Cocaine treatment
- Meth treatment
- Art therapy
- Opioid and opiate treatment
- Trauma therapy
- Benzo treatment
- Prescription drug treatment
With a range of alternative and evidence-based therapy, our group, individual, and family therapy programs can help you and your loved ones recover together at a pace that works for you. At A Better State, we believe we’re all in this together. To better understand if you might be enabling in addiction, reach out to A Better State today. Ready to help your loved one? Contact us today at 781.412.1488 to learn more about the benefits of outpatient addiction treatment in Braintree, MA.
