It is interesting to bring up something that family members who have been adversely affected by the alcoholism of another family member apparently do not understand. It seems to be that by protecting the alcohol addicted person with falsehoods and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have essentially created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted individual to persevere and move forward with his or her harmful, detrimental way of living.

In fact, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have involuntarily helped worsen the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking problem even further.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol dependent person will continue drinking in an irresponsible and hazardous manner and suffer from various “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include diminished mental functioning, employment difficulties, poor health, deteriorating relationships, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DUIs), and considerable financial problems.

Relapses Can and Do Transpire

According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has successfully gone through alcohol addiction treatment and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this predicament seems contradictory to logical thinking and seems so unbelievable that it forces one to question why anyone who has experienced the terror of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol counseling and in turn after reaching recovery. There are, of course, many possible reasons for this.

It should be explained, nonetheless that alcohol addiction research that has focused on the long-term consequences of alcohol addiction has shown that long after the alcohol dependent individual has quit his or her drinking, significant alterations in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’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 alterations that have come about in the brain is to begin drinking again.

A Requirement for An Essential Lifestyle Modification

There are additional reasons why many recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. According to the alcoholism research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol addicted individual needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more effectively with challenging alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Conditions such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the days when the alcohol dependent person was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can prompt psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in irresponsible drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these circumstances may not only contradict long lasting alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted individual but they can also lead to relapse and consequently circumvent one’s sobriety.

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

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted individual, family members can actually cause unintended harm by enabling the destructive drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted individual.

The addiction research literature validates the fact that most individuals who successfully complete alcohol treatment experience at least one relapse. Alcoholics and their family members need to know this so that they do not get down in the dumps or beleaguered when a relapse happens.

Luckily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and training have resulted in more effective, long standing alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction therapeutic results, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent individuals reach enduring sobriety.

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