Alcohol Relapse, Enabling, and Alcohol Dependency
It is fascinating to point out something that family members who have been adversely affected by the alcoholism of another family member evidently do not understand. 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 basically created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent person to persist and go forward with his or her harmful, detrimental way of living.
In fact, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have in truth become enablers who have unintentionally helped deteriorate the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking problem even more.
Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcoholic will continue drinking in an excessive and irresponsible manner and go through various “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include diminished mental functioning, deteriorating relationships, serious financial problems, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs), employment difficulties, and ill health.
Relapses Can and Do Happen
According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcoholic has successfully undergone alcohol addiction therapy and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this predicament flies in the face of common sense and sounds so improbable that it forces one to question why anyone who has experienced the horrors of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol therapy and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, for sure, more than a few possible reasons for this.
It should be pointed out, then again that alcohol addiction research that has focused on the enduring outcomes of alcoholism has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcohol addicted individual has quit his or her drinking, significant alterations in the way in which the alcoholic’s brain works are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the modifications that have occurred in the brain is to begin drinking once again.
A Requirement for A Significant Lifestyle Modification
There are additional reasons why numerous recovering alcohol dependent individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol dependent person needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more efficiently with difficult 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 excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can bring about memories that can prompt psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in abusive drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these circumstances may not only get in the way of long standing alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent person but they can also result in relapse and as a result circumvent one’s sobriety.
The Good News: First-Class Help is Available Almost Everywhere
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent person, family members can in point of fact cause unplanned destruction by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent person.
The addiction research literature validates 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 dejected or overwhelmed when a relapse occurs.
Fortunately, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up therapy and education have resulted in more effective, enduring alcohol abuse and alcoholism treatment outcomes, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent individuals reach long lasting alcohol recovery.
Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, alcohol dependency, alcohol rehab, alcohol treatment, alcoholism, drinking problems, enabling, mental health, self improvement, sobriety