It is worthy of note to point out something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcoholism of another family member evidently do not grasp. It seems to be that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with untruths and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have actually created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to persist and move forward with his or her negative, detrimental lifestyle.
Clearly, instead of helping the alcohol dependent person and themselves, these family members have basically become enablers who have mistakenly helped deteriorate the alcohol dependent person’s drinking problems even further.
The Chances of a Relapse are Real
Another key alcoholism issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent person has successfully undergone alcoholism rehab and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this predicament flies in the face of commonsensical thinking and appears to be so implausible that it forces an individual to question why anyone who has experienced the wretchedness of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after reaching recovery. There are, to be sure, more than a few credible reasons for this.
It should be mentioned, then again that alcoholism research that has focused on the enduring effects of alcohol addiction has shown that long after the alcohol addicted individual has discontinued his or her drinking, major transformations in the way in which the alcohol dependent person’s brain works are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol addicted individual has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the transformations that have occurred in the brain is to begin drinking again.
A Requirement for A Drastic Lifestyle Change
There are additional reasons why quite a few recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more effectively with tough alcohol-related situations that will take place.
Situations such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcohol addicted person was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can set off psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in irresponsible drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only negate long-term alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted person but they can also lead to relapse and as a result work against one’s sobriety.
Summary
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can actually cause unintentional harm by enabling the destructive drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.
The addiction research literature highlights the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol rehabilitation go through at least one relapse. Alcoholics and their family members need to know this so that they do not get crestfallen or overwhelmed when a relapse happens.
Happily, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up therapy and education have resulted in more successful, long-term alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency treatment outcomes, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent persons achieve long standing sobriety.
Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, alcohol dependency, alcohol rehab, alcohol treatment, alcoholism, drinking problems, enabling, sobriety