Alcohol Addiction, Alcohol Relapse, and Enabling
It is fascinating to point out something that family members who have been negatively affected by the alcohol addiction of another family member plainly do not realize. It appears that by shielding the alcohol dependent individual with lies and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have actually created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to persist and press forward with his or her harmful, destructive style of life.
Without a doubt, instead of helping the alcoholic and themselves, these family members have in reality become enablers who have mistakenly helped deteriorate the alcohol dependent person’s drinking problem even further.
Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol addicted individual will continue drinking in an excessive and irresponsible manner and go through a variety of “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DUIs), employment difficulties, considerable financial problems, poor health, diminished mental functioning, and deteriorating relationships.
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 addicted individual has effectively undergone alcoholism therapy 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 improbable that it forces a person to question why anyone who has gone through the dejection of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol counseling and in turn after attaining sobriety. There are, without a doubt, more than a few possible reasons for this.
It should be mentioned, then again that alcohol addiction research that has centered on the enduring effects of alcoholism has revealed that long after the alcohol dependent individual has stopped his or her drinking, critical alterations in the way in which the alcohol addicted individual’s brain works are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol addicted person has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the modifications that have come about in the brain is to start drinking again.
The Need for A Radical Lifestyle Modification
There are even more reasons why numerous recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. In accordance to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more successfully with demanding alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.
Conditions 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 addicted person was drinking irresponsibly; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can trigger psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted individual to engage in abusive drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these situations may not only work against long standing alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted individual but they can also result in relapse and therefore cancel out 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 essentially cause unintended harm by enabling the negative drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted person.
The alcoholism research literature confirms the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol rehabilitation experience at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get down in the dumps or beleaguered when a relapse happens.
Fortunately, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and education have resulted in more effective, ongoing alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction therapeutic results, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted persons achieve enduring alcohol recovery.
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