Alcohol Relapse and When Helping the Alcoholic Becomes Hurtful

It is remarkable to bring up something that family members who have been adversely affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member plainly do not realize. It appears that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with untruths and deceitfulness 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 persist and go forward with his or her hurtful, destructive lifestyle.

In fact, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have inadvertently helped deteriorate the alcoholic’s drinking problem even more.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcoholic will continue drinking in a hazardous and abusive manner and suffer from diverse "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 Happen

According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol dependency, another key alcoholism issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent person has effectively gone through alcohol dependency therapy and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this circumstance flies in the face of logical thinking and seems so implausible that it forces one to question why anyone who has experienced the dejection of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after achieving recovery. There are, for sure, numerous plausible reasons for this.

It should be highlighted, however that alcoholism research that has focused on the long standing effects of alcohol addiction has revealed that long after the alcoholic has stopped his or her drinking, key modifications in the way in which the alcohol addicted individual’s brain works are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol addicted individual has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the alterations that have occurred in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.

The Need for A Fundamental Lifestyle Change

There are additional reasons why numerous recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. In accordance to the alcoholism research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more competently with tough alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Issues 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 alcohol addicted person was drinking abusively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can bring forth memories that can prompt psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in excessive drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these situations may not only negate enduring sobriety for the alcohol addicted individual but they can also result in relapse and as a result work against one’s sobriety.

The Good News: First-Class Help is Available Almost Everywhere

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

The drug abuse research literature validates the fact that most individuals who effectively 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 depressed or overwhelmed when a relapse takes place.

Fortunately, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and education have resulted in more effective, long lasting alcohol abuse and alcoholism rehab results, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent persons attain lasting sobriety.