Indeed, instead of helping the alcoholic and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have involuntarily helped worsen the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking problem even further.

Relapses Can and Do Occur From Time to Time

Another key alcohol dependency issue has to do with alcohol relapses.  Relapses take place when an alcoholic has effectively undergone alcohol addiction rehabilitation and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later.  At first thought, this circumstance seems contradictory to commonsensical thinking and appears to be so unbelievable that it forces a person to wonder why anyone who has gone through the horrors of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after reaching sobriety.  There are, for sure, more than a few feasible reasons for this.

It should be pointed out, then again that alcoholism research that has focused on the lasting effects of alcohol dependency has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcohol dependent individual has stopped 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 addicted person has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the alterations that have taken place in the brain is to engage in drinking again.

The Necessity for A Far Reaching Lifestyle Modification

There are even more reasons why several recovering alcohol addicted persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcoholism research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more effectively with taxing alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Issues such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the days when the alcohol addicted person was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can bring forth memories that can prompt psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in abusive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only counteract long-term alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent person but they can also lead to relapse and as a result cancel out one’s sobriety.

Summary

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted person, family members can in fact cause inadvertent damage by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent person.

The addiction research literature confirms the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol treatment experience at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get depressed or stressed out when a relapse occurs.

Happily, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and education have resulted in more effective, long-term alcohol abuse and alcoholism therapeutic outcomes, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcoholics attain long-term alcohol recovery.

Some of the harmful consequences correlated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class unquestionably alarmed me. The ruined lives and many problems experienced by most alcohol addicted individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. More to the point, I did not want to face the disaster and destruction that alcohol dependent individuals almost always encounter.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What teenager wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that consuming alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teenager wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related difficulties before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What young person wants to deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause serious issues in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a teenager want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around abusive drinking?

These issues were so significant that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was absolutely unbelievable to me was the number of students who essentially didn’t care about the injurious results of abusive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about the truth and how these results can wreck their lives. For the first time in my life I started to grasp a saying that my grandfather used to articulate throughout my youth: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

Some of the negative results linked to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class definitely alarmed me. The ruined lives and countless serious issues experienced by most alcohol addicted individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. More to the point, I did not want to face the damage and destruction that alcohol dependent individuals almost always go through.

Reflect on this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old person wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What teenager wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What adolescent wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related difficulties before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What youth wants to experience alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that focuses on abusive drinking?

These issues were so meaningful that I talked about some of them in class throughout the school year. What was downright incredible to me was the number of students who basically didn’t care about the detrimental outcomes of irresponsible drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with the truth and how these outcomes can destroy their lives. For the first time in my life I started to grasp something that my grandfather used to tell me all through my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.

Some of the harmful results correlated with alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class without a doubt startled me. The ruined lives and countless problems experienced by most alcohol dependent individuals made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In a word, I did not want to face the wreckage and ruination that alcohol dependent individuals almost always experience.

Let this sink in for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that ingesting alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What young person wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related problems before he or she becomes an adult?

What youth wants to go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that focuses on abusive drinking?

These issues were so noteworthy that I talked about some of them in class throughout the school year. What was absolutely astonishing to me was the number of students who simply didn’t care about the negative consequences of hazardous drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be troubled with reality and how these results can shatter their lives. For the first time in my life I started to understand something that my grandfather used to say to me all through my adolesence: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.