Before I copy and paste the below comment, I want to start by saying that this particular topic about addicts and enablers may or may not have been precipitated by my Dad's recent contact. I don't know. I do know that I'm not happy that he contacted me. I do know that I think I have made some valid points though. I would post this in another relevant thread but at this time don't have the energy to take the heat from those - at this point in their recovery - still feel like they are being victimized by the addict and haven't taken their power back (kind of like me). Maybe I'll post it elsewhere in the future.
After giving it some more thought, I decided that it is appropriate - and important - to stand ground regarding my opinion on addicts needing a place to go to deal with entanglements related to enablement issues. Feel free to agree to disagree. Or not.
There are certain words in the English language we use for emphasis. The titles of the forums here that are geared toward codependency are welcoming of friends and family, not the other way around. They aren't even neutral. And there's no need to pussyfoot around the term "codependent"; active enablers are what they are, just as active addicts are what they are. I doubt there's a "recovered" codependent on the planet who would go to the grave strapped with the label "enabler", but yet you see a lot of previous addicts dependent on inaccurately labeling themselves addicts and alcoholics for the rest of their lives ("recovered" in quotes due to the implication of illness or disease). Ironically, one doesn't see a whole lot of recovered codependents dissuading the dependent behavior of previous addicts who continue to inaccurately label themselves. How can an active addict shake codependency to people when they enter a program that encourages them to be dependent on a label for the rest of their lives? I bet those double winners are very, very far and few in between. Seems kind of paradoxical with all that contradictory labeling and whatnot, actually. Maybe they actually chose not to continue to label themselves as addicts.
There is a lot of misuse and / or disuse of the English language in the recovery community - pivotal terms at that. . . .and people who want to get clean need THEIR OWN specific place to go to learn how to break the chains that bind them to the people who fuel their addictions and continue to believe those people are keeping them safe. Even if it didn't turn out to be a very active place, at least the door would still be open (one would hope). It could be a prime place to offer another jumping-off point for additional resources as well. I don't think that's too much to ask of an addiction recovery community.