Alcohol Dependency, Enabling, and Alcohol Relapse
It is remarkable to bring up something that family members who have been adversely affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member obviously do not understand. It appears that by protecting the alcoholic with lies and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have basically created a condition that makes it easier for the alcoholic to continue and press forward with his or her negative, destructive way of living.
In fact, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have in reality 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 alcohol addicted person will continue drinking in an excessive and hazardous manner and experience a variety of “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 findings and statistics on alcohol dependency, another key alcohol addiction issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent person has effectively undergone alcohol addiction therapy and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this situation flies in the face of common sense and sounds so unbelievable that it forces an individual to question why anyone who has gone through the wretchedness of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol rehabilitation and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, for sure, many feasible reasons for this.
It should be mentioned, nonetheless that alcohol dependency research that has centered on the enduring outcomes of alcohol addiction has shown that long after the alcohol addicted person has stopped his or her drinking, fundamental transformations in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain operates are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcoholic has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the alterations that have occurred in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.
A Requirement for A Fundamental Lifestyle Modification
There are other reasons why more than a few recovering alcohol addicted individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. In accordance to the alcoholism research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more efficiently with taxing alcohol-related situations that will take place.
Circumstances 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 individual was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring about memories that can prompt psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in abusive drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these situations may not only work against long lasting alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted person but they can also lead to relapse and as a result work against one’s sobriety.
The Good News: There’s a Lot of Hope for a Lasting Recovery
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted individual, family members can in point of fact cause unplanned damage by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted individual.
The addiction research literature confirms the fact that most people who effectively complete alcohol rehab go through at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get crestfallen or stressed out when a relapse happens.
Fortunately, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and education have resulted in more effective, enduring alcohol abuse and alcoholism rehab outcomes, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals accomplish lasting alcohol recovery.
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