It is fascinating to point out something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member evidently do not comprehend. It appears that by protecting the alcohol addicted person with falsehoods and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in actual fact created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent person to carry on and go forward with his or her hurtful, detrimental style of life.
In fact, rather than helping the alcohol dependent person and themselves, these family members have in fact become enablers who have mistakenly helped negatively affect the alcoholic’s drinking problem even more.
Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol addicted person will continue drinking in an excessive and abusive manner and experience a variety of “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include deteriorating relationships, considerable financial problems, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DUIs), employment difficulties, diminished mental functioning, and poor health.
Relapses Can and Do Transpire
According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcoholism issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcoholic has effectively gone through alcohol dependency therapy and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this circumstance flies in the face of rational thinking and looks so improbable that it forces an individual to wonder why anyone who has gone through the dreadfulness of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol therapy and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, to be sure, more than a few plausible reasons for this.
It should be mentioned, nevertheless that alcoholism research that has centered on the long-term consequences of alcohol dependency has shown that long after the alcohol addicted individual has halted his or her drinking, significant transformations in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain functions are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the changes that have taken place in the brain is to start drinking again.
The Need for A Far Reaching Lifestyle Modification
There are even more reasons why several recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. According to the alcohol dependency research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more competently with challenging alcohol-related situations that will take place.
Situations 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 person was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can prompt psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted individual to engage in abusive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only contradict enduring alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted individual but they can also result in relapse and therefore circumvent one’s alcohol recovery.
The Good News: Quality Help is Readily Available
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent person, family members can actually cause unplanned harm by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcoholic.
The alcoholism research literature confirms the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol rehabilitation go through at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get dejected or beleaguered when a relapse manifests itself.
Luckily, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and training have resulted in more successful, long standing alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction therapeutic outcomes, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent persons attain enduring alcohol recovery.