It is fascinating to point out something that family members who have been adversely affected by the alcoholism of another family member plainly do not know. It seems that by shielding the alcohol dependent individual with lies and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in reality created a condition that makes it easier for the alcoholic to carry on and move forward with his or her hurtful, destructive daily life.
Clearly, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have involuntarily helped negatively affect the alcohol dependent person’s drinking problem even more.
Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol addicted individual will continue drinking in an irresponsible and abusive manner and suffer from a variety of "alcohol side effects." Some of these side effects include diminished mental functioning, employment difficulties, poor health, deteriorating relationships, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DUIs), and considerable financial problems.
The Chances of a Relapse are Real
According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has fruitfully gone through alcoholism treatment and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation flies in the face of commonsensical thinking and seems so implausible that it forces an individual to wonder why anyone who has lived through the horrors of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol therapy and in turn after reaching recovery. There are, without a doubt, numerous likely reasons for this.
It should be highlighted, nevertheless that alcoholism research that has centered on the long standing outcomes of alcohol dependency has revealed that long after the alcohol addicted person has terminated his or her drinking, critical changes in the way in which the alcohol dependent person’s brain operates are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcoholic has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the alterations that have taken place in the brain is to start drinking again.
The Necessity for A Radical Lifestyle Modification
There are even more reasons why quite a few recovering alcohol addicted persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. In accordance to the alcoholism research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more competently with demanding alcohol-related circumstances 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 days when the alcohol dependent person was drinking irresponsibly; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these circumstances can elicit memories that can prompt psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in hazardous drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these circumstances may not only get in the way of ongoing alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent individual but they can also result in relapse and consequently counteract one’s alcohol recovery.
The Good News: There's a Lot of Hope for Lasting Sobriety
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted person, family members can actually cause unintentional destruction by enabling the negative drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted person.
The substance abuse research literature highlights the fact that most individuals who successfully complete alcohol rehab go through at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get defeated or stressed out when a relapse manifests itself.
Fortunately, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and education have resulted in more effective, long standing alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency rehab results, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcoholics achieve long lasting alcohol recovery.
