Defining Enabling
Enabling is any behavior that shields a person struggling with addiction from the natural, negative consequences of their actions (e.g. paying their debts, lying to their employer, bailing them out of legal trouble). While done out of love, enabling buffers the crises that often motivate a person to seek treatment.
How to Practice True Help
Helping means supporting their recovery, not their active addiction. Examples include: offering to take them to a therapist, visiting them in treatment, and setting boundaries: "I love you and want to help you get sober, but I will no longer provide financial assistance while you use."