ENABLING

1
ENABLING
2
Purpose

• To address the issue of alcohol abuse in your
  Unit
• Explore how supervisors sometimes unknowingly
  ENABLE the problem to continue
• Realize how enabling effects mission readiness,
  your unit, your section, your Marine, and your
  Marines family

3
Drinking Culture?

• Alcohol is advertised and associated with fun,
  sex, health, and vigor
• Alcohol is often associated with the Marine
  Corps and its traditions
• However when used irresponsibly, it can cause
  major damage to the mind and body
• Although it is a legal drug, it causes a lot of
  damage to the Marine Corps

4
Why has alcohol endured?

• One reason is because of ENABLING
• Enabling by some segments of our Corps, our
  society, our culture and our way of life

5
Enabling

• 1. Shield abusers from consequences
• 2. Assists in maintaining the delusion that the
  abuse of a substance is NOT a problem
• 3. Its Killing with Kindness

6
Enabling Behaviors

• Making Excuses
• Constant criticism without making the
  abuser responsible for his actions.
• Rescuing
• Looking the other way
• Accepting the behavior as normal
• Participating in the behavior

7
Beliefs and Myths

• Some of us believe things about substance use
  that are not true
• These myths sometimes do not allow us to
  recognize the problem
• Perceptions in our society can possibly set us up
  to unknowingly enable the problem to continue and
  get worse

8
Fact

• Alcohol problems affect many more people than
  the abuser
• Friends, family, co-workers, and everyone else
  who comes in contact with the abuser is affected
• Absent from work, especially for extended periods
  of time
• Involved in accidents both on and off the job
  that result in property damage and or lost work
  time

9
Fact Abusers are more likely to be

• Less productive than their non-abusing co-workers
• More likely to steal from coworkers and employers

10
More Reasons

• Health and safety are put at risk
• Substance abuse creates a negative work
  environment
• Substance abuse decreases mission readiness

11
Myth

• Someone who is intelligent cant have a substance
  abuse problem
• In the position of authority
• No one in our command has a substance abuse
  problem

12
Fact

• Anyone who uses has the potential of abusing and
  developing problems
• Alcohol and illicit drugs are toxic and
  addictive, they do not distinguish between a
  young Marine, SNCOs, and Officers

13
Myth

• If we send him to the Substance Abuse Counseling
  Center for help or evaluation, it will ruin their
  career

14
Effect

• Any supervisor who believes this could be
  reluctant to refer
• Can result in loss of productivity and continuing
  problems to the Marine
• The SACCs mission is to provide services to
  enhance mission readiness- they want you to have
  a productive Marine!

15
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
16
Signals

• Marine has problems with family members,
  neighbors, co-workers, authorities, or their job
• When using, the Marine does or says things they
  normally would not
• Sudden changes concerning the Marines behavior

17
Signals

• The Marine tries to keep people from knowing how
  much he/she drinks
• The Marine becomes angry, antagonistic, or
  defensive, when others confront him/her on their
  use of alcohol

18
Signals

• The Marine only attends parties where alcohol is
  available
• The Marine will drink before going out to a
  drinking occasion

19
Signals

• The Marine brags about using episodes and
  exploits
• The Marine often puts themselves in dangerous
  situations (driving while under the influence
  other risk behaviors)
• The Marine uses to forget problems or express
  feelings

20
WHAT NOT TO DO
21
Dont be taken in!!

• Abusers have an alibi system that may sound
  reasonable
• Dont be taken in by sympathy evoking tactics
• Abusers and addicts protect their substance use

22
Resources

• Chain of Command
• SACO
• Chaplain
• Leaders Guide
• Self-help groups
• Substance Abuse Counseling Centers

23
Questions?