Alcohol Addiction, Enabling, And Alcohol Relapse: When Friendships And Relationships Become Harmful

It is remarkable to mention something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member plainly do not grasp. It seems that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with lies and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in effect created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent individual to carry on and proceed with his or her negative, detrimental daily life.

Indeed, rather than helping the alcohol dependent individual and themselves, these family members have in reality become enablers who have inadvertently helped deteriorate the alcoholic’s drinking problem even more.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcohol dependent individual will continue drinking in an abusive and irresponsible manner and suffer from a variety of “alcohol side effects.” Some of these side effects include serious financial problems, legal issues (such as getting arrested for one or more DWIs), ill health, deteriorating relationships, diminished mental functioning, and employment difficulties.

Relapses Can and Do Occur From Time to Time

According to the research findings and statistics on alcohol dependency, another key alcoholism issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted person has fruitfully gone through alcohol dependency rehabilitation and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this situation seems contradictory to common sense and appears to be so far-fetched that it forces one to wonder why anyone who has lived through the awfulness of alcohol dependency can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol rehabilitation and in turn after achieving recovery. There are, to be sure, many likely reasons for this.

It should be pointed out, then again that alcohol addiction research that has centered on the enduring effects of alcohol addiction has shown that long after the alcohol addicted person has stopped his or her drinking, key changes in the way in which the alcoholic’s brain functions are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcohol addicted person has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the alterations that have come about in the brain is to begin drinking again.

The Need for A Far Reaching Lifestyle Modification

There are even more reasons why many recovering alcohol addicted persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol addicted person needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more effectively with tough alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Conditions 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 dependent person was drinking irresponsibly; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring forth memories that can prompt psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in hazardous drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these circumstances may not only counteract long standing alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent person but they can also result in relapse and therefore go against one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: Quality Help is Readily Available

In an attempt to “protect” the family’s alcohol dependent individual, family members can in fact cause unintentional damage by enabling the negative drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted individual.

The substance abuse research literature confirms the fact that most individuals who successfully complete alcohol treatment go through at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get crestfallen or beleaguered when a relapse takes place.

Fortunately, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and training have resulted in more productive, lasting alcohol abuse and alcoholism rehab outcomes, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals accomplish lasting sobriety.