Alcohol Relapse and When Helping the Alcoholic Becomes Harmful
It is interesting to point out something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcoholism of another family member apparently do not understand. It appears that by protecting the alcohol addicted person with falsehoods and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have actually created a situation that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent individual to persevere and proceed with his or her unsafe, destructive style of life.
In fact, instead of helping the alcohol dependent individual and themselves, these family members have in truth become enablers who have involuntarily helped deteriorate the drinking problems of the problem drinker even more.
Relapses Can and Do Occur
Another key alcohol dependency issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has fruitfully undergone alcoholism rehabilitation and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this circumstance seems contradictory to logical thinking and appears to be so far-fetched that it forces an individual to question why anyone who has experienced the dreadfulness of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after achieving recovery. There are, of course, more than a few feasible reasons for this.
It should be noted, nonetheless that alcohol addiction research that has centered on the lasting consequences of alcoholism has demonstrated-proven that long after the alcoholic has stopped 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 addicted individual has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the transformations that have taken place in the brain is to start drinking again.
A Requirement for An Important Lifestyle Transformation
There are even more reasons why quite a lot of recovering alcohol addicted individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. In accordance to the alcoholism research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more effectively with taxing alcohol-related situations that will take place.
Circumstances such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the days when the alcohol dependent individual was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these circumstances can bring forth memories that can set off psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in irresponsible drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these circumstances may not only counteract long-term sobriety for the alcohol addicted person but they can also lead to relapse and as a result circumvent one’s alcohol recovery.
Summary
In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent individual, family members can actually cause unintentional harm by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.
The alcoholism research literature confirms the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol counseling go through at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get crestfallen 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 successful, long lasting alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency therapeutic outcomes, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcoholics attain long lasting sobriety.