You may have heard about codependency and addiction. Yet, this topic is rather complex and can be hard to understand unless you are living in this experience. If you are finding it hard to manage your mental health, your addiction, or your loved one’s addiction, now is the time to find help and guidance. At Ethan Crossing Recovery, your alcohol addiction treatment program in Ohio, we can help you and your family through these difficult and challenging times.
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What Is Codependency and Addiction?
A codependent relationship is a possible problem when it comes to addiction. It happens when the person with an addiction takes advantage of the person that is trying to help them. Generally, this does not happen as a result of intention but rather a need to feed their addiction.
It’s so hard to watch a loved one struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. You want them to just put down the substances and walk away from them. You don’t understand why they do not do this. Yet, they still have the ability to manipulate you, and that can lead to complex outcomes. If your loved one with an addiction is taking advantage of you, it’s possible to put an end to this behavior.
What Can You Do About Codependency and Addiction?
At the heart of the process is saying no. You’ll need to set boundaries that limit your loved one’s ability to interact with you unless they are sober and clean. Cut off any money you are giving them. Create a strong presence in your loved one’s life that eliminates any tolerance for use at all.
Then, find them help. Call Ethan Crossing and talk to us about what’s happening. Learn about our addiction treatment programs so that you can then reach out to your loved one and tell them there is help available to them. Our programs include:
- Medication-assisted detox program
- Residential treatment programs
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
- Intensive outpatient programs (IOP)
- Outpatient treatment programs
Why Is Codependency a Bad Thing?
A lot of harm can come from codependency and addiction. You may be protecting your loved one from the consequences of their actions, which only fuels their desire and ability to continue to use drugs and alcohol to accomplish their goals. This is a type of enabling.
Enabling happens when the codependent individual allows, helps, or even encourages the other person to continue in the same behavior. This is often done indirectly in many situations. Here are some examples of how this happens:
- You lie for your spouse about being sick even though they are hungover so that he or she doesn’t lose their job.
- You provide your son with addiction with money to pay the mortgage knowing they are using it for drugs.
- A daughter comes home drunk and, even though you told her you would not, you allow her to live on the property.
These are just a few examples of what you may be doing – and often for what you believe is the best outcome – to help your loved one.
What you have to remember is that when this occurs, it is going to continue to occur until you stop it. As long as it keeps happening, your loved one will never make the decision to get help because they see that they don’t need to do so. They can continue to carry on because they are not facing consequences and are not learning from them.
Addiction Treatment at Ethan Crossing
Codependency and addiction may happen quite often, but your path towards living a drug-free path does not have to be limiting your future. When you are ready to find substance abuse treatment in Ohio, reach out to a location dedicated to your best outcome. Call Ethan Crossing today to learn more about the solutions we can offer at 833.691.0736.