Alcohol Relapse, Alcohol Addiction, and Enabling
It is remarkable to articulate something that family members who have been adversely affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member obviously do not know. It appears that by protecting the alcohol dependent individual with lies 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 press forward with his or her hurtful, detrimental style of life.
To be sure, rather than helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have in reality become enablers who have involuntarily helped deteriorate the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking problem even more.
Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol dependent person will continue drinking in an irresponsible and abusive manner and go through various “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include poor health, deteriorating relationships, considerable financial problems, employment difficulties, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DUIs), and diminished mental functioning.
The Probability of a Relapse is Real
According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol addiction issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcoholic has effectively undergone alcohol addiction treatment and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this circumstance flies in the face of common sense and looks so implausible that it forces one to wonder why anyone who has gone through the awfulness of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after reaching recovery. There are, to be sure, more than a few plausible reasons for this.
It should be highlighted, then again that alcoholism research that has centered on the long-term effects of alcohol dependency has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcohol dependent individual has halted his or her drinking, critical alterations in the way in which the alcohol dependent person’s brain operates are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent individual has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the alterations that have occurred in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.
The Need for A Drastic Lifestyle Change
There are even more reasons why several recovering alcohol addicted individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more successfully with tough alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.
Situations 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 dependent individual was drinking irresponsibly; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can elicit memories that can trigger psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in irresponsible drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these situations may not only negate long-term sobriety for the alcoholic but they can also result in relapse and as a result short-circuit one’s sobriety.
The Good News: Quality Help is Readily Available
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted person, family members can essentially cause unintended harm by enabling the unsafe drinking behavior of the alcoholic.
The addiction research literature highlights the fact that most people who effectively complete alcohol treatment experience at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get down in the dumps or beleaguered when a relapse happens.
Luckily, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up therapy and education have resulted in more successful, ongoing alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction rehab outcomes, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent individuals achieve enduring alcohol recovery.
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