Josh Bressette
Commit to Save a Life, Inc.

For Family and Loved Ones

Learn how to use Narcan:
youtu.be/tGdUFMrCRh4

How Naloxone (Narcan) Saves Lives
youtu.be/zWe_lPniEq4

National Institute on Drug Abuse
​ www.drugabuse.gov/publications/opioids-facts-parents-need-to-know/letter-to-parents

HealthAffairs-Saving a Life from Opioid Addiction 
www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20190903.467772/full/

Learn to Cope
www.learn2cope.org/

Enabling 101

Addiction and enabling often go hand in hand:
www.aspenridgerecoverycenters.com/recovery-blog/how-to-stop-being-an-enabler/

Recognize Enabling

Some of the most common ways that family members enable loved ones with drug addiction are:

• Cover up about the addict’s behavior.
• Make excuses for their behavior.
• Bail the addict out of jail, or pay their legal fees.
• Blame other people or circumstances for their behavior.
• Recognize the problem, but attribute it to something other than drug or alcohol addiction.

• Avoid the addicted family member to avoid conflict or stress.
• Give the addict, money.
• Attempt to control the addict by choosing their friends, what job they take, or where they live.
• Make threats to change, but never follow through with them or only change enabling behaviors inconsistently.
• Engage in excessive caretaking.

Setting Boundaries

I have stopped enabling now what:
vertavahealth.com/blog/ive-stopped-enabling-now-what/