How to Tell If You're Enabling Someone
🚨 Enabling = being the getaway driver in your loved one’s crime spree against sobriety.
That’s the brutal truth we’re unpacking in today’s Sober Psychology episode. Al-Anon nails it: enabling is protecting others from their own messes. And it comes in many flavors: 👉 Paying their rent after they blew it on booze. 👉 Lying to their boss about why they’re “sick.” 👉 Sitting quietly while they rage, instead of setting boundaries.
You think you’re helping. But really? You’re the clown car in their circus of chaos—fueling the addiction, slowing down rock bottom, and riding shotgun while they self-destruct.
I’ve lived it. My own mom bailed me out of jail, slipped me money when I cried “I just need to pay a bill,” and every single time I turned around and spent it on booze. It was gone in an hour. That’s how sneaky and sick this cycle is.
Enabling feels like compassion. But it’s not love—it’s slow-motion destruction.
💬 Have you ever caught yourself enabling without realizing it? Drop a comment and let’s get real about it.
This video is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room.
About Michael
I'm Michael, a mental health creator, recovered alcoholic, future therapist, and the host of Sober Psychology. After realizing how much of the traditional mental health conversation misses the mark, I decided to build a space dedicated to raw, unfiltered self-examination and personal healing. My approach combines psychological principles with brutal honesty and hard truths, cutting through the noise to help people navigate their own growth. No toxic positivity, no hidden shame—just real conversations about what it actually takes to heal.