It is fascinating to point out something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member plainly do not realize. It appears that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with falsehoods and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in actual fact created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent individual to continue and press forward with his or her hurtful, detrimental way of living.
To be sure, instead of helping the alcoholic and themselves, these family members have in reality become enablers who have involuntarily helped deteriorate the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking problem even further.
Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcoholic will continue drinking in an excessive manner and suffer from a variety of “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include poor health, deteriorating relationships, considerable financial problems, employment difficulties, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DUIs), and diminished mental functioning.
Relapses Can and Do Occur
According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted individual has effectively gone through alcohol addiction rehabilitation and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation flies in the face of sound thinking and looks so improbable that it forces a person to question why anyone who has lived through the dreadfulness of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol rehabilitation and in turn after reaching recovery. There are, to be sure, more than a few credible reasons for this.
It should be noted, however that alcoholism research that has centered on the lasting effects of alcohol dependency has revealed that long after the alcohol dependent individual has halted his or her drinking, significant changes in the way in which the alcohol addicted 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 transformations that have come about in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.
The Need for An Essential Lifestyle Change
There are even more reasons why many recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. According to the alcohol dependency research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more efficiently with challenging 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 days when the alcohol dependent person was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring about memories that can trigger psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted person to engage in excessive drinking once again. Sadly, all of these circumstances may not only negate long standing alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted individual but they can also result in relapse and as a result work against one’s alcohol recovery.
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 unplanned damage by enabling the negative drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.
The alcoholism research literature demonstrates the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol rehab experience at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted 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 happens.
Fortunately, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up therapy and training have resulted in more effective, enduring alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency rehab results, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals reach ongoing sobriety.
Tags: alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, alcohol dependency, alcohol rehab, alcohol side effects, alcohol treatment, alcoholism, drinking problems, enabling, long term effects of alcohol, short term effects of alcohol, sobrietyRelated posts
- short term effects of alcohol
- long term effects of alcohol
- alcohol side effects
- the long term side effects of alcoholism
- side effects of alcohol
- short and long term effects of alcohol
Comments on this entry are closed.