Enabling

Enabling is a term often used in the context of behavioral health to describe actions that directly or indirectly encourage or support unhealthy behaviors in others. It is a complex and multifaceted concept, often associated with addiction and codependency.

Definition

Enabling is defined as any action by another person that allows or encourages someone to continue self-destructive behavior, such as drug abuse or alcoholism. This can include providing money, shelter, or emotional support that allows the person to continue their unhealthy behavior.

Types of Enabling

There are several types of enabling, including:

• Financial enabling: This involves providing money or financial support to someone, allowing them to continue their unhealthy behavior. This can include paying for drugs or alcohol, or covering up for financial mismanagement related to addiction.

• Emotional enabling: This involves providing emotional support or validation that allows someone to continue their unhealthy behavior. This can include minimizing the severity of the person's problem, or denying that a problem exists at all.

• Practical enabling: This involves providing practical support, such as housing or transportation, that allows someone to continue their unhealthy behavior. This can include allowing the person to live in your home while they are abusing drugs or alcohol, or driving them to places where they can obtain these substances.

Effects of Enabling

Enabling can have serious negative effects on both the person being enabled and the enabler. For the person being enabled, it can prevent them from facing the consequences of their actions, and thus delay or prevent recovery. For the enabler, it can lead to feelings of resentment, frustration, and helplessness, and can also result in financial or emotional hardship.

Treatment and Prevention

The first step in stopping enabling behavior is recognizing it. This can be difficult, as enabling is often driven by love and concern for the person being enabled. However, it is important to understand that enabling is not helpful, and can in fact be harmful.

Once enabling behavior has been recognized, it can be addressed through therapy or support groups. These can provide the enabler with the tools and strategies they need to stop enabling, and to start supporting the person in a healthier way.

See Also

• Addiction
• Codependency
• Behavioral health

Enabling Resources
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