{"id":2649,"date":"2025-01-28T18:01:47","date_gmt":"2025-01-28T22:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thefriendify.com\/blog\/?p=2649"},"modified":"2025-01-28T18:01:50","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T22:01:50","slug":"dark-side-social-support-enabling-vs-supporting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefriendify.com\/blog\/dark-side-social-support-enabling-vs-supporting\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cDark Side\u201d of Social Support – When Friends Enable Harmful Behaviors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Social support is very often viewed superficially and employed as a coping mechanism for mental or emotional issues. In the period of crisis, loved ones offer sympathy<\/a>, help, and encouragement. That statement gives credence to the quote, \u201cNo man is an island.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, there might be other very intricate parts to it such as social support causing enabling behaviors that might pose even greater danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proponents argue that this paper seeks to illustrate the well intended, but misguided actions of friends as harmful supporting behaviors by friends. Drawing from the world and the literature of psychology, we try to demonstrate how social support could stimulate risk seeking behavior and how to provide effective supportive social services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dual Nature of Social Support<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"social
Credits: Canva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even in the context of a society or social circle, support includes emotion, tangible assets, and even informal guidance that a person can get from friends and relatives. Cohen and Wills (1985) <\/a>demonstrated that it helps in mitigating stress, improving coping, and increasing a person’s general level of health. The only dark side is that support is sometimes poorly intended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So called \u2018friends\u2019 who offer support but at the same time prioritize avoiding confrontation might be engaged in toxic support. According to recent studies, these kinds of support hinders people from recovering and growing, which is why it is increasingly viewed as toxic support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enabling vs Supporting – Understanding the Difference<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Within the context of social problems, supporting does require work at times, like offering a listening ear without judgment or encouraging them to seek professional help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the opposite end of the spectrum, enabling is doing nothing when someone engages in self-destructive behavior which could invite bigger problems down the road. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the scenario in which a friend is covering up for a co-worker who has a drinking problem. The friend lies to the employer so that the co-worker continues drinking rather than offering to take them to their first therapy session which would help further the recovery process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key distinctions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n