It is interesting to mention something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcoholism of another family member apparently do not realize. It seems that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with falsehoods and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have actually created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcoholic to persist and advance with his or her harmful, destructive existence.
Undeniably, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have in fact become enablers who have involuntarily helped worsen the alcohol addicted individual’s problem drinking situation even further.
The Likelihood of a Relapse is Real
Another key alcohol addiction issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent person has fruitfully gone through alcohol addiction treatment and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this situation seems contradictory to sound thinking and appears to be so doubtful that it forces an individual to wonder why anyone who has experienced the dreadfulness of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, of course, numerous likely reasons for this.
It should be pointed out, conversely that alcoholism research that has focused on the long standing consequences of alcoholism has revealed that long after the alcohol addicted person has stopped his or her drinking, significant alterations in the way in which the alcoholic’s brain operates 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 modifications that have taken place in the brain is to begin drinking once again.
The Need for a Major Lifestyle Change
There are even more reasons why quite a few recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. According to the alcoholism research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more competently with tough alcohol-related situations 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 time when the alcohol dependent individual was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can bring forth memories that can set off psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in abusive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these circumstances may not only contradict ongoing alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent person but they can also lead to relapse and consequently cancel out one’s sobriety.
Conclusion
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted person, family members can in point of fact cause inadvertent damage by enabling the unhealthy drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.
The substance abuse research literature highlights the fact that most individuals who successfully complete alcohol therapy experience at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get depressed or overwhelmed when a relapse takes place.