It is remarkable to articulate something that family members who have been harmfully affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member clearly do not understand. It appears that by shielding the alcohol addicted person with untruths and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in actual fact created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to persist and move forward with his or her damaging, devastating existence.

Undeniably, instead of helping the alcohol dependent individual and themselves, these family members have in truth become enablers who have mistakenly helped negatively affect the alcohol dependent person’s drinking problem even more.

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

Relapses Can and Do Occur

According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcoholism issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted individual has effectively gone through alcohol dependency treatment and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this predicament seems contradictory to common sense and seems so unbelievable that it forces one to wonder why anyone who has experienced the dreadfulness of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol therapy and in turn after attaining recovery. There are, without a doubt, more than a few plausible reasons for this.

It should be highlighted, nonetheless that alcohol addiction research that has focused on the long standing effects of alcohol dependency has shown that long after the alcohol addicted individual has terminated his or her drinking, fundamental alterations in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain functions are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcoholic 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 again.

The Necessity for A Far Reaching Lifestyle Change

There are even more reasons why several recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. According to the alcoholism research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more effectively with challenging alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Issues such as returning to the same alcohol addictive environment or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the time when the alcohol dependent individual was drinking abusively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can set off psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent person to engage in abusive drinking once again. Sadly, all of these circumstances may not only contradict ongoing sobriety for the alcohol dependent individual but they can also lead to relapse and therefore go against one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: Quality Help is Readily Available

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can essentially cause unintended damage by enabling the destructive drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.

The alcohol abuse research literature confirms the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol rehab go through at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get down in the dumps or stressed out when a relapse manifests itself.

Luckily, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and training have resulted in more productive, ongoing alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction therapeutic outcomes, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent individuals achieve long-term alcohol recovery.