Enabling, Alcohol Relapse, and Dishonesty

A major alcoholism matter has to do with the enabling behavior exhibited by family members. Indeed, it is noteworthy to discuss something that numerous family members who have been adversely affected by the alcohol addiction of another family member evidently do not understand. Without conscious awareness of their actions, when they “shield” the alcoholic with deceit and untruths to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have more or less created a state of affairs that makes it relatively easy for the alcohol dependent person to keep up with his or her vicious cycle of hazardous, immature, and irresponsible living.

Enabling and the Support of Hazardous and Careless Drinking

Stated more specifically, rather than actually helping the alcohol addicted individual and helping themselves confront and effectively cope with the problem drinker’s illness, these family members have essentially become enablers who have somehow learned how to bolster the destructive and damaging behaviors and actions of the alcoholic.

Relapses Can and Do Transpire

Similar to enabling, alcohol relapse is another important alcoholism concern. Indeed, substance abuse research demonstrates the fact that most alcohol dependent individuals who stop drinking and get alcohol rehab relapse once, twice, or even more times. Not only this, but some chemical dependency experts frankly assert that relapse is a predictable part of alcohol recovery. It almost goes without saying, then, that alcohol addicted people and their family members need to know this so that they do not get beleaguered or dejected when a relapse occurs.

One facet of relapse, nevertheless, demands particular consideration: when an alcohol addicted individual has gone through alcohol rehab in a successful and effective manner and then begins to drink once again many weeks, months, or perhaps years later.

“He had worked through his drinking problems. Why did he lose control and start drinking again”? This is a classic question that many friends or family members have asked about an alcohol addicted individual who has suffered through a relapse after going through alcohol rehabilitation in a successful and effective manner.

Indeed, to the “average” person, an alcohol relapse after many months or years of recovery is so illogical that it compels a person to ponder why any person who has experienced the suffering and pain of alcoholism can return to drinking. To be sure, there are numerous plausible reasons for this.

Contrary to what most “normal” individuals comprehend, chemical dependency research has proven that numerous weeks or months after alcoholics have achieved abstinence, fundamental changes in the way in which their brain “works” are still in operation. Unfortunately, all recovering alcohol addicted people have to do to begin acting in ways that are in concert with the transformations that have taken place in their brain is to begin drinking again.

The Necessity for A Drastic Lifestyle Transformation

Brain changes aside, there are additional reasons why quite a few recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a number of weeks or months after attaining abstinence. For instance, according to the chemical dependency research findings, alcohol addicted individuals need novel and different ways of thinking and reacting so that they can more successfully cope with thorny alcohol-related events that will occur.

Furthermore, conditions such as memorable activities, smells, or songs; hanging around with friends from the time when the alcoholic was still drinking in an abusive and hazardous manner; or returning to the same geographic location or drinking environment–all of these situations can set off various psychological “hot buttons” that “motivate” recovering alcohol addicted individuals to once again involve themselves in irresponsible and damaging drinking.

What is more, all of these factors can not only result in a relapse and work in a counterproductive way toward the goals of sobriety, but they may also interfere with recovery for the short and the long term.

Luckily, long term alcohol addiction therapeutic outcomes, follow-up counseling and education, and involvement in support groups and recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous have not only helped decrease alcohol relapses, but they have also helped recovering alcoholics achieve long lasting alcohol recovery.