Alcohol Relapse, Enabling, and Alcohol Dependency

September 5th, 2009 by author

It is worthy of note to bring up something that family members who have been negatively affected by the alcoholism of another family member evidently do not realize. It seems to be that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with lies and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in essence created a situation that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent individual to carry on and advance with his or her negative, destructive style of life.

Without a doubt, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have basically become enablers who have unintentionally helped deteriorate the alcoholicâ€™s drinking problem even further.

Relapses Can and Do Happen

Another key alcohol addiction issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted person has fruitfully undergone alcohol addiction treatment and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this predicament seems contradictory to sound thinking and sounds so unbelievable that it forces one to wonder why anyone who has gone through the awfulness of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, of course, more than a few plausible reasons for this.

It should be noted, on the other hand that alcohol addiction research that has focused on the long standing outcomes of alcohol addiction has shown that long after the alcohol addicted person has terminated his or her drinking, critical changes in the way in which the alcohol dependent individualâ€™s brain works are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcoholic has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the transformations that have occurred in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.

A Requirement for A Far Reaching Lifestyle Transformation

There are other reasons why quite a lot of recovering alcohol dependent persons 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 alcohol addicted person needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more efficiently with tough alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Issues such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcoholic was drinking irresponsibly; or familiar songs, smells, or activitiesâ€”all of these conditions can elicit memories that can trigger psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted person to engage in hazardous drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these circumstances may not only contradict ongoing alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent person but they can also result in relapse and as a result cancel out oneâ€™s sobriety.

Conclusion

In an attempt to â€œprotectâ€ the family alcohol addicted individual, family members can essentially cause unintended destruction by enabling the negative drinking behavior of the alcoholic.

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

Happily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and education have resulted in more productive, enduring alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction therapeutic outcomes, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent individuals attain ongoing sobriety.