In this podcast, we discuss the subtle difference between compassion and enabling.
We learn that:
- The disease is so slick and subtle that we can’t tell that addiction is starting its infiltration into our family - the whole family.
- As parents or spouses of addicts, we will be compelled to be compassionate, but our innocent compassion morphs into enabling, and we can’t tell the difference.
- We cannot stand the thought that our kid is an addict, so we will avoid the issue or cover it up vigorously for fear of what others think.
- Then there is the business of desperate enabling which some people get caught up in. They will sacrifice everything, including their self-respect, to shield their loved ones from any serious consequences.
- Even the savvy recovering person can miss the signs of addiction in a loved one. That said, once one is educated about the disease, and joins a support group like Al-Anon, one can let go in peace.