It is fascinating to point out something that family members who have been negatively affected by the alcoholism of another family member clearly do not comprehend. It appears that by shielding the alcohol dependent individual with lies and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in reality created a situation that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to carry on and advance with his or her hurtful, detrimental existence.

Indeed, rather than helping the alcohol dependent person and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have inadvertently helped negatively affect the alcoholic’s problem drinking condition even further.

Relapses Can and Do Occur

Another key alcohol dependency issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has fruitfully undergone alcohol dependency treatment and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation seems contradictory to sound thinking and seems so unrealistic that it forces one to wonder why anyone who has experienced the awfulness of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after attaining sobriety. There are, without a doubt, many reasonable reasons for this.

It should be explained, nevertheless that alcohol addiction research that has focused on the long standing effects of alcohol addiction has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcohol dependent person has terminated his or her drinking, fundamental modifications in the way in which the alcohol dependent individual’s brain operates are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol addicted individual has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the alterations that have occurred in the brain is to start drinking again.

The Need for A Radical Lifestyle Change

There are even more reasons why quite a lot of recovering alcohol dependent persons 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 alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more competently with difficult alcohol-related circumstances 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 time when the alcohol dependent person was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring about memories that can prompt psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in irresponsible drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only contradict long lasting sobriety for the alcoholic but they can also lead to relapse and as a result work against one’s sobriety.

Conclusion

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can actually cause inadvertent destruction by enabling the negative drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted individual.

The alcohol abuse research literature confirms the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol rehab experience at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get dejected or beleaguered when a relapse happens.

Happily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and training have resulted in more productive, ongoing alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency treatment outcomes, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcoholics reach long lasting sobriety.

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