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 in a different manner, rather than honestly helping the alcohol dependent person and helping themselves face and manage the alcoholic's disease, these family members have basically become enablers who have learned how to reinforce the negative and unhealthy behaviors of the problem drinker.
Relapses Can and Do Happen
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 characteristic of relapse, nonetheless, requires extraordinary deliberation, namely, when an alcohol dependent person has completed alcohol rehabilitation in a productive and successful manner and then starts drinking quite a few weeks, months, or maybe years down-the-road.
"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 many if not most of the people-on-the-street know, addiction research has verified that many weeks or months after alcohol dependent individuals have become sober, major modifications in the way in which the their brain functions are still present. Sadly, all recovering alcoholics have to do to engage in actions that are linked to the changes that have taken place in their brain is to involve themselves once again in drinking.
A Requirement for A Fundamental Lifestyle Modification
Brain modifications aside, there are more than a few reasons why numerous recovering alcohol addicted individuals begin drinking more than a few weeks or months after successful alcohol treatment. For example and in concurrence with the drug and alcohol addiction research literature, alcohol dependent people require new and varied ways of thinking and responding so that they can more effectively negotiate and manage problematic alcohol-related circumstances that will surely happen.
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.
Enabling and the Support of Hazardous and Careless Drinking
Stated in a different manner, rather than honestly helping the alcohol dependent person and helping themselves face and manage the alcoholic's disease, these family members have basically become enablers who have learned how to reinforce the negative and unhealthy behaviors of the problem drinker.
Relapses Can and Do Happen
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 characteristic of relapse, nonetheless, requires extraordinary deliberation, namely, when an alcohol dependent person has completed alcohol rehabilitation in a productive and successful manner and then starts drinking quite a few weeks, months, or maybe years down-the-road.
"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 many if not most of the people-on-the-street know, addiction research has verified that many weeks or months after alcohol dependent individuals have become sober, major modifications in the way in which the their brain functions are still present. Sadly, all recovering alcoholics have to do to engage in actions that are linked to the changes that have taken place in their brain is to involve themselves once again in drinking.
A Requirement for A Fundamental Lifestyle Modification
Brain modifications aside, there are more than a few reasons why numerous recovering alcohol addicted individuals begin drinking more than a few weeks or months after successful alcohol treatment. For example and in concurrence with the drug and alcohol addiction research literature, alcohol dependent people require new and varied ways of thinking and responding so that they can more effectively negotiate and manage problematic alcohol-related circumstances that will surely happen.
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.
About the Author:
Denny Mitchell writes about drunk driving, fetal alcohol effects, alcohol effects, alcohol detox, and symptoms of alcoholism. For more info please visit alcohol short term effects.
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