When ‘Helping’ is Actually Hurting

Being close to someone who struggles with drug addiction can be very difficult.  Many people who have a loved one battling addiction want nothing more than to help him or her in the worst way. This can be a challenging situation because many people don’t know the best way to do just that. 

Oftentimes, people will do things they think are helping a close addict, but—in reality—they are actually doing more harm or further enable an addiction. According to Psych Central, when someone begins enabling a drug addict more and more frequently, “The family dynamics become skewed, so that the sober partner increasingly over-functions and the addict increasingly under-functions.”

For many, it may be difficult to see where the line is drawn between being helpful and being an enabler. Sometimes people may want to keep their loved one’s addiction somewhat of a secret. A friend or family member may be embarrassed or ashamed of the addict’s behavior. People in a circumstance such as this will sometimes do anything to make sure he or she stays out of trouble with school, work or even the law. 

There are many instances where an addict will go to rehab to seek help in overcoming his or her drug addiction. This has the potential to be very beneficial to not only the addict, but the family and friends of the addict as well. 

Unfortunately, however, there are times when addicts will decide to not attend rehab or counseling. When a friend or family member notices this happening, sometimes he or she will not say anything and will even continue to support the living or financial situation of the addict in question. 

Everyday Health suggests that friends and family members of someone addicted to a substance implement “tough love.” This involves being very straightforward with an addict about the reality of what’s going on. This also involves declining to give any money that could possibly be used to support an addiction.

As mentioned before, one of the best ways to truly help someone struggling with drug or alcohol addition is to suggest rehab. Many people trying to overcome addiction find support and sometimes inspiration or motivation through rehab programs. 

Needless to say, it’s extremely important to encourage an addict going through rehab to continue with the program and stay optimistic. In the end, with the right attitude, determination and level-headedness, long-lasting healing can very much take place.

Jordan Lee is a health writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Odyssey House.