Enabling, Alcohol Addiction, and Alcohol Relapse
It is worthy of note to point out something that family members who have been adversely affected by the alcoholism of another family member clearly do not understand. It seems to be that by shielding the alcohol addicted individual with untruths and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in effect created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted individual to continue and move forward with his or her negative, devastating lifestyle.
Without a doubt, rather than helping the alcohol dependent individual and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have inadvertently 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 abusive manner and experience different “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.
Relapses Can and Do Occur
According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol dependency, another key alcohol dependency issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted individual has successfully gone through alcohol dependency rehab and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation flies in the face of rational thinking and looks so unbelievable that it forces an individual to question why anyone who has lived through the wretchedness of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol rehab and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, of course, many conceivable reasons for this.
It should be pointed out, on the other hand that alcohol dependency research that has centered on the long standing outcomes of alcoholism has revealed that long after the alcohol dependent individual has discontinued his or her drinking, critical changes in the way in which the alcohol dependent individual’s brain operates are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcoholic has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the changes that have come about in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.
The Necessity for A Far Reaching Lifestyle Change
There are other reasons why many recovering alcohol addicted individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more effectively with difficult alcohol-related situations 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 time when the alcoholic was drinking in a hazardous manner; 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 addicted person to engage in abusive drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these circumstances may not only get in the way of long-term alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted person but they can also lead to relapse and consequently short-circuit one’s alcohol recovery.
The Good News: There’s a Lot of Hope for a Lasting Recovery
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent person, family members can essentially cause unplanned destruction by enabling the destructive drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.
The substance abuse research literature demonstrates the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol rehab experience at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get crestfallen or stressed out when a relapse manifests itself.
Happily, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and training have resulted in more effective, enduring alcohol abuse and alcoholism rehab outcomes, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals attain lasting sobriety.
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