Alcohol Relapse and When Helping the Alcoholic Becomes Hazardous

September 8th, 2009 by author

It is remarkable to mention something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcoholism of another family member plainly do not understand. It seems to be that by shielding the alcoholic with falsehoods and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have actually created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent individual to continue and proceed with his or her harmful, detrimental daily life.

To be sure, rather than helping the alcohol addicted individual and themselves, these family members have in reality become enablers who have unintentionally helped negatively affect the alcoholicâ€™s drinking problem even more.

The Chances of a Relapse are Real

Another key alcohol addiction issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted person has fruitfully gone through alcohol addiction treatment and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this predicament flies in the face of rational thinking and sounds so implausible that it forces a person to wonder why anyone who has gone through the dreadfulness of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after achieving recovery. There are, for sure, more than a few plausible reasons for this.

It should be explained, nevertheless that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the lasting consequences of alcohol dependency has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcoholic has quit his or her drinking, fundamental alterations in the way in which the alcohol dependent personâ€™s brain operates are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol addicted person has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the modifications that have occurred in the brain is to begin drinking again.

The Necessity for A Fundamental Lifestyle Modification

There are additional reasons why numerous recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching 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 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 days when the alcohol dependent individual was drinking abusively; or familiar songs, smells, or activitiesâ€”all of these conditions can bring about memories that can set off psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted person to engage in abusive drinking once again. Sadly, all of these situations may not only counteract long-term alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted individual but they can also result in relapse and thus negate oneâ€™s sobriety.

Summary

In an attempt to â€œprotectâ€ the family alcohol dependent individual, family members can in point of fact cause inadvertent harm by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent person.

The drug abuse research literature validates the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol counseling experience at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get crestfallen or stressed out when a relapse takes place.

Luckily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up therapy and training have resulted in more productive, long-term alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction rehab results, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcoholics reach ongoing alcohol recovery.