Dishonesty, Enabling, And Alcohol Relapse And Room For Encouragement And A Successful Recovery
It is interesting to articulate something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcoholism of another family member apparently do not know. It seems that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with untruths and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in essence created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to continue and press forward with his or her harmful, destructive existence.
In fact, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have in reality become enablers who have inadvertently helped negatively affect 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 a hazardous and abusive manner and experience various “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include deteriorating relationships, employment difficulties, ill health, diminished mental functioning, serious financial problems, and legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs).
Relapses Can and Do Occur From Time to Time
According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcoholic has fruitfully gone through alcoholism rehabilitation and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation seems contradictory to logical thinking and looks so improbable that it forces an individual to question why anyone who has gone through the horrors of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol counseling and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, without a doubt, many plausible reasons for this.
It should be pointed out, conversely that alcohol dependency research that has centered on the enduring effects of alcohol dependency has revealed that long after the alcohol dependent person has halted his or her drinking, critical modifications in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain works 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 alterations that have come about in the brain is to start drinking again.
A Requirement for A Fundamental Lifestyle Change
There are even more reasons why several recovering alcohol dependent individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. In accordance to the alcohol dependency 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 situations 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 days when the alcohol addicted person was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can set off psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent person to engage in excessive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these circumstances may not only work against ongoing alcohol recovery for the alcoholic but they can also lead to relapse and thus cancel out one’s alcohol recovery.
The Good News: Quality Help is Readily Available
In an attempt to “protect” the family’s alcohol addicted individual, family members can in fact cause unintended harm by enabling the unhealthy drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted individual.
The alcoholism research literature demonstrates the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol therapy experience at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get dejected or stressed out when a relapse takes place.
Luckily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and education have resulted in more productive, lasting alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction rehab results, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent individuals accomplish enduring alcohol recovery.
