sandrawg

I saw this definition of "helping" vs "enabling" in this article, and liked it:

Helping is doing something for someone that they are not capable of doing themselves. Enabling is doing for someone things that they could, and should be doing themselves.

Heres' the full article:

Enabling - Enabling and Alcoholism in the Family

sandrawg

Here's a good quiz- are you enabling an alcoholic or addict?

Enabling - Are You Enabling an Alcoholic or Addict?

HoopNinja

Would have had to answer yes before I left-now I answered no to every single one.

timeheals

Thanks for the links.

Had wondered what all this enabling stuff was about. Now I know. What a wake up call that is. My gosh I have been guilty of it all! Must say though, for the most part, I've spent most of the time ignoring it all, pretending that incidences never happened and that they had no affect on me. That's gotten me nowhere!
Interesting reading though.

sandrawg

Don't feel bad! We've all done it. This is why in AA, they say alcoholism is a "cunning, baffling disease" and denial is "not just a river in Egypt"...