It is remarkable to point out something that family members who have been adversely affected by the alcoholism of another family member evidently do not know. It appears that by protecting the alcohol addicted person with untruths and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in essence created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent person to continue and proceed with his or her damaging, devastating existence.

Without a doubt, instead of helping the alcohol dependent individual and themselves, these family members have in reality become enablers who have inadvertently helped negatively affect the alcohol dependent person’s drinking problem even more.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol dependent person will continue drinking in an abusive manner and go through different “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include employment difficulties, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs), ill health, deteriorating relationships, serious financial problems, and diminished mental functioning.

The Probability of a Relapse is Real

According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcoholism issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted person has effectively undergone alcoholism rehab and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this predicament seems contradictory to sound thinking and looks so doubtful that it forces one to speculate why anyone who has lived through the dreadfulness of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after reaching sobriety. There are, without a doubt, numerous plausible reasons for this.

It should be pointed out, however that alcoholism research that has centered on the enduring consequences of alcoholism has revealed that long after the alcohol addicted person has discontinued his or her drinking, major modifications in the way in which the alcohol dependent individual’s brain operates are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the transformations that have occurred in the brain is to start drinking once again.

A Requirement for A Crucial Lifestyle Modification

There are additional reasons why several recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. In accordance to the alcoholism research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol dependent person needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more efficiently with demanding alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Situations 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 individual was drinking abusively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these circumstances can bring forth memories that can set off psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted person to engage in excessive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only negate long lasting alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent person but they can also result in relapse and consequently negate one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: There’s a Lot of Hope for Lasting Sobriety

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted individual, family members can in fact cause unintended destruction by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted person.

The alcohol abuse research literature validates the fact that most people who effectively complete alcohol rehab go through at least one relapse. Alcoholics and their family members need to know this so that they do not get dejected or overwhelmed when a relapse happens.

Happily, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and training have resulted in more successful, ongoing alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction rehab outcomes, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent individuals reach lasting alcohol recovery.

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