It is interesting to bring up something that family members who have been negatively affected by the alcoholism of another family member clearly do not realize. It appears that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with untruths and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have basically created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcoholic to persevere and advance with his or her damaging, destructive lifestyle.

Indeed, rather than helping the alcoholic and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have involuntarily helped worsen the alcohol addicted individual’s drinking problem even further.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol dependent individual will continue drinking in an irresponsible and hazardous manner and experience a variety of “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include ill health, diminished mental functioning, deteriorating relationships, serious financial problems, employment difficulties, 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 addiction issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent person has fruitfully gone through alcoholism treatment and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation flies in the face of sound thinking and appears to be so unbelievable that it forces an individual to question why anyone who has lived through the wretchedness of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol therapy and in turn after attaining sobriety. There are, without a doubt, more than a few rational reasons for this.

It should be noted, on the other hand that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the enduring outcomes of alcoholism has shown that long after the alcoholic has halted his or her drinking, critical modifications in the way in which the alcohol dependent person’s brain operates are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol dependent 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 once again.

The Necessity for An Important Lifestyle Change

There are even more reasons why more than a few recovering alcohol addicted persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. In accordance to the alcoholism research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more effectively with tough 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 time when the alcoholic was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring about memories that can trigger psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in excessive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only get in the way of enduring sobriety for the alcohol addicted individual but they can also lead to relapse and consequently cancel out one’s sobriety.

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

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted person, family members can actually cause unintentional harm by enabling the unhealthy drinking behavior of the alcoholic.

The drug abuse research literature confirms the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol treatment go through at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get down in the dumps or stressed out when a relapse manifests itself.

Luckily, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up counseling and education have resulted in more effective, long-term alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency treatment outcomes, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent persons reach ongoing alcohol recovery.

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