Alcoholism Effects
It is remarkable to point out something that family members who have been adversely affected by the alcoholism of another family member evidently do not realize.
It seems to be that by protecting the alcoholic with untruths and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in essence created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent individual to persevere and move forward with his or her negative, detrimental existence.
Indeed, rather than helping the alcoholic and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have unintentionally helped deteriorate the alcohol dependent individual's drinking problem even further.
The Probability of a Relapse is Real
Another key alcohol dependency issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol addicted individual has fruitfully gone through alcohol addiction rehabilitation and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this circumstance seems contradictory to commonsensical thinking and seems so implausible that it forces a person to question why anyone who has experienced the awfulness of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after achieving sobriety. There are, for sure, more than a few plausible reasons for this.
It should be explained, nonetheless that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the enduring effects of alcohol dependency has revealed that long after the alcohol dependent individual has halted his or her drinking, key modifications in the way in which the alcoholic s brain works are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent individual has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the alterations that have come about in the brain is to start drinking once again.
The Need for A Radical Lifestyle Transformation
There are other reasons why more than a few recovering alcoholics return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. According to the alcoholism research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more competently with taxing alcohol-related circumstances 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 in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities all of these conditions can bring forth memories that can trigger psychological anxiety or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in irresponsible drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these situations may not only negate ongoing alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent individual but they can also result in relapse and consequently negate one s alcohol recovery.
Conclusion
In an attempt to protect the family alcohol dependent person, family members can actually cause unintended damage by enabling the destructive drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted individual.
The drug abuse research literature highlights the fact that most individuals who successfully complete alcohol counseling go through at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get down in the dumps or overwhelmed when a relapse manifests itself.
Luckily, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and education have resulted in more effective, long lasting alcohol abuse and alcoholism treatment results, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent individuals achieve long standing alcohol recovery.
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Tags: Addiction, addictive, alcohol, alcoholism, dependency, drinking, environment, problem, relapse, treatment
July 31st, 2009 at 4:12 am
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September 3rd, 2009 at 7:02 pm
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