Addiction can affect anyone, regardless of who the individual is. So, if you are suffering from it, you’re not alone. Not only can addiction create rippling effects in the body but it also impacts those around you as well. One of the most dangerous and common patterns in an addict’s home life is codependency. There is actually a strong connection between codependency and addiction. It’s important to be aware of these habits and act on changing them quickly.
While the act of using drugs can wreak havoc on the body, a poor relationship with those in your life (specifically home life) only worsens the situation. The person dealing with a drug addiction may unwillingly or unknowingly take advantage of others. This is where codependency begins. There are certain signs and habits that can be big red flags for codependent behavior. People dealing with codependency have a deep fear of being abandoned
It’s important to understand the situation and find out what is best for a loved one struggling with drug addiction. It can be a stressful situation trying to deal with addiction and enabling households. While it may seem like a hopeless situation there is always help just around the corner with Coastal Detox’s trusted detox and treatment program.
What is Codependency and Enabling Behavior?
While it is important to be supportive and open to helping a loved one with addiction, the unfortunate truth is that it’s easy to cross some boundaries. While a person may have every intention of helping a loved one, this may do more harm than good in the future. Enabling occurs when you unintentionally encourage an addict to continue using substances. This can come in many different forms, from hiding the person’s addiction from neighbors or taking up their responsibilities.
Codependency and enabling are very similar and cause the same issues in the case of addiction. When codependency and addiction intercept, the person will only continue to use drugs or alcohol. ‘Codependency’ is a term that defines a relationship where one person enables another person’s addiction (or negative behavior). It typically has someone putting their own desires and thoughts aside for the other person or they may have strong feelings towards approval.
Codependency becomes a detrimental issue when one person begins to enable the other person (who’s dealing with addiction). It’s important to have a healthy relationship with boundaries and consequences. When enabling occurs, consequences are completely disregarded and give the person more of an excuse to continue using.
The Signs Codependent Behavior
Codependent behavior comes in many different forms. Some people fall into an intense level of codependency and need to be dependent on someone to function. Many people who struggle with codependency will most likely let the other person make all the decisions. This kind of behavior can lead to enabling. Codependency and addiction also create a vicious cycle of use while not having to take care of other responsibilities or face consequences.
Codependent behaviors may look different depending on the situation and relationship at hand. Common signs and behaviors of codependency and addiction include the following:
- Chronic anger
- Intimacy issues
- Difficulties with change
- Trouble making decisions
- Dishonest or constant lying
- Intense fear of abandonment
- A strong urge to control others
- An unhealthy dependence on others
- Sense of guilt when asserting themselves
- Problems with boundaries in a relationship
- Difficulty discussing and identifying feelings
- Lowered trust in themselves and other people
- Always doing more than they have to for the other person
- An over-the-top sense of responsibilities for others and their actions
- Becoming hurt if the other person does no recognize their work/efforts
There are a number of factors that may contribute to someone being codependent on others. This can stem from early childhood as beyond. Codependency is considered a behavioral condition and only worsens the situation with a person struggling with addiction.
Signs of Enabling Behavior
It is completely normal to want to help someone through tough times but when this devolves into codependency and addiction, the situation only worsens. One of the worst aspects of enabling is that it completely avoids the main issue at hand—the person’s addiction. It’s important to be realistic about your effects on a person’s addiction and turn the attention towards treatment help and change. Some of the most common forms of enabling behavior include:
- Cleaning up after the person
- Taking up the responsibilities of the other person
- Making up excuses on behalf of the person using
- Fixing issues or covering up on behalf of the person
- Providing financial help related to the person’s addiction
A person will never be able to get the help they need if a change isn’t made. It can be stressful and painful to face the truth but it is necessary for a better, cleaner life that is free of addiction. It’s best to be realistic and start by talking with the person one-on-one. You can also consider an intervention to get the person and your family on the right track. Changing your behavior and setting boundaries can make a big difference in your life and theirs.
Getting Codependency and Addiction Treatment
Codependency and addiction can create a toxic and dangerous relationship with substances involved. Drugs and alcohol on their own can create several problematic psychological and physical effects on a person. Don’t stand by and allow a loved one to fall victim to drugs and addiction. There are a number of individualized and family therapy options so you can truly tackle codependency under professional guidance. After, you can move onto treating the person’s addiction.
There are many different types of addiction treatment. At Coastal Detox, we understand that each person’s case is different and should be treated with care. In most cases of addiction treatment, a person will undergo a combination of detoxification, therapy, and medication assistance. Regardless of which form of treatment works best for you, the important thing is to get comprehensive help for an addiction. Let’s take a look at some of Coastal Detox’s effective and commonly used treatment methods.
What is Detoxification?
Detoxification is a commonly used addiction treatment method that rids the body of all drugs and alcohol. We ensure this procedure is safe and effective from start to finish. Coastal Detox provides supervision and help throughout the whole process. When drugs are removed from a person’s body, they will often experience withdrawals. These symptoms are very uncomfortable and can be jarring for the person. This is why our medical staff is always there by the person’s side.
Detox is usually the first step in every case of addiction treatment. It is necessary for successful and effective recovery in the future. Coastal Detox specializes in quality detox treatment for you and your family. We understand how important the first step towards a better life can be. While it may seem like a long process, we’ll be by your side the whole way to make it smooth and comfortable.
The Steps to a Successful Detox
Detox follows a number of steps and is specified from person to person. From regular addiction to more severe cases like co-occurring disorders (where a person is suffering from both an addiction and mental health disorder). The entire detox process can be broken down into three efficient and trusted steps.
- Evaluation
In the evaluation stage, a person opens up to our medical professionals about their medical history. During this phase, a few assessments are used to determine how much drugs a person has in their body as well as their medical records. We take extra precautions to make sure there are no complications during the process. This evaluation lets our team know exactly what medication to use during your detox procedure. Our team is also here to answer any and all your questions.
- Stabilization
The stabilization process helps a person achieve a stable place before starting treatment. This is to avoid any complications and make sure that your recovery goes smoothly. Throughout detox, different therapeutic methods are used to ensure stability. During stabilization, you will also receive any medicine for your detox (under medical supervision).
- Entry into Treatment (Preparation)
After detox, you and a member of our medical staff speak about the next steps towards your recovery. Detox is only the first step, after that, you are able to move on to more specialized treatment options like therapy and support groups. In many cases, inpatient treatment is recommended after detox.
Holistic Detox vs. Medical Detox
What many people may not know is that there are actually multiple styles of detox. These include holistic detox and medical detox. Holistic detox uses healthy dieting, exercising, and naturally-based ideals to clear substances and alcohol from the person’s body. Medical detox uses medication for the detox process.
One of the biggest differences between holistic and medical detox is that holistic detox includes a special facility outside of the hospital. In this facility, the person is able to focus on their health and recovery with several resources at their disposal. Medical detox, on the other hand, takes place in a hospital setting. One of the advantages of this is the advanced and scientific technology.
What Comes After Detox?
After detox, many people typically enroll in an inpatient or outpatient treatment program. There you can receive comprehensive treatment from professional staff. Therapy like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical-behavior therapy (DBT), and other common addiction treatment methods are used.
Depending on the person’s circumstance, they may want the freedom to live their life while only attending weekly sessions. This is where outpatient treatment may be preferable. In other more intense cases like co-occurring disorders, inpatient treatment may be needed. Regardless of what works best for you, doing nothing is not an option.
Start Treatment Right Now
Codependency and addiction are a common and very destructive combination. It is important to think realistically about your situation and figure out if you might be co-dependent in a relationship. If this is the case, it’s important to put your foot down and get help from experienced professionals. Let us help you or a loved one get to a better place. Our trusted and safe detox program can change your life today. Contact us to learn more about our treatment options and detox process.
