Alcohol Relapse, Enabling, and Alcohol Dependency
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009It is fascinating to mention something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcoholism of another family member obviously do not grasp. It seems that by protecting the alcohol addicted person with untruths and deceitfulness to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have essentially created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent person to carry on and move forward with his or her injurious, devastating way of living.
Indeed, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have in fact become enablers who have involuntarily helped negatively affect the alcoholic’s drinking problem 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 individual has fruitfully gone through alcoholism rehabilitation and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this situation seems contradictory to rational thinking and seems so unbelievable that it forces one to question why anyone who has lived through the dejection of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after reaching recovery. There are, to be sure, numerous feasible reasons for this.
It should be mentioned, however that alcoholism research that has centered on the long standing outcomes of alcoholism has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcoholic has terminated his or her drinking, fundamental modifications in the way in which the alcohol addicted individual’s brain operates are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the changes that have taken place in the brain is to begin drinking once again.
The Need for An Important Lifestyle Modification
There are additional reasons why more than a few recovering alcohol dependent individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcoholism research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol addicted person needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more efficiently with challenging 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 days when the alcohol addicted individual was drinking irresponsibly; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can bring about memories that can trigger psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in hazardous drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only counteract lasting alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent individual but they can also result in relapse and consequently go against one’s sobriety.
Conclusion
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted person, family members can in point of fact cause unintentional destruction by enabling the negative drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.
The alcohol abuse research literature validates the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol rehab go through at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get defeated or overwhelmed when a relapse manifests itself.
Fortunately, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and training have resulted in more productive, long-term alcohol abuse and alcoholism therapeutic results, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcoholics reach enduring alcohol recovery.