It is fascinating to point out something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcoholism of another family member obviously do not grasp. It appears that by shielding the alcohol addicted person with untruths and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in essence created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent individual to continue and proceed with his or her harmful, detrimental existence.
Undeniably, instead of helping the alcohol dependent person and themselves, these family members have in truty become enablers who have involuntarily helped negatively affect the alcohol dependent person’s drinking problems even more.
The Possibility of a Relapse is Real
Another key alcohol addiction issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has fruitfully gone through alcoholism rehabilitation and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this predicament flies in the face of commonsensical thinking and seems so doubtful that it forces an individual to wonder why anyone who has gone through the dejection of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after attaining sobriety. There are, of course, numerous plausible reasons for this.
It should be mentioned, then again that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the enduring effects of alcohol addiction has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcoholic has quit his or her drinking, fundamental alterations in the way in which the alcohol dependent individual’s brain operates are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcoholic has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the modifications that have occurred in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.
The Necessity for A Significant Lifestyle Change
There are additional reasons why quite a lot of recovering alcohol addicted individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. In accordance to the alcohol dependency research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol addicted individual needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more successfully with difficult alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.
Conditions such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcohol addicted individual was drinking irresponsibly; 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 alcoholic to engage in excessive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these circumstances may not only work against long lasting sobriety for the alcoholic but they can also result in relapse and consequently work against one’s sobriety.
Summary
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can essentially cause unplanned harm by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent person.
The drug abuse research literature validates the fact that most individuals who effectively 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 beleaguered when a relapse happens.
Luckily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and training have resulted in more productive, long-term alcohol abuse and alcoholism therapeutic results, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted persons accomplish ongoing alcohol recovery.
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