Member-only story
Are You Enabling Your Partner’s Destructive Habits?
Enabling involves helping another person avoid the consequences of their negative behaviors such as addiction or gambling. Enablers inadvertently support their partners by helping the negative behaviors to continue. This can create a crumbling, unhealthy relationship.
Enabling can hurt both you and your partner!
Watch out for these signs that you may be your partner’s enabler:
1. You fix their mistakes. A person who is an addict, gambler or involved in other negative situations and behaviors often gets support from their partner. Fixing your partner’s mistakes is a key sign that you’re enabling them.
Do you clean up their messes, make up excuses for them and help them with every little task?
Enablers will often give money to an addict or cover up their issues. They may also help them with work or lie for them. Enablers go out of their way to fix their partner’s issues and take over the responsibility.
2. You do everything to avoid conflict. Enablers fear conflict and arguments so they do their best to avoid them.
Do you try to stop conflict by ignoring issues?
Are you afraid of arguments with your partner and scared to bring up their addiction, gambling or other issues?
