It is fascinating to point out something that family members who have been unfavorably affected by the alcohol addiction of another family member plainly do not comprehend. It appears that by protecting the alcohol addicted person with untruths and deceitfulness to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have basically created a circumstance that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted person to persevere and proceed with his or her harmful, devastating daily life.

Undeniably, rather than helping the alcohol addicted individual and themselves, these family members have basically become enablers who have mistakenly helped deteriorate the alcohol addicted individual’s drinking problem even more.

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

Relapses Can and Do Occur

According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has effectively undergone alcoholism therapy and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this predicament seems contradictory to logical thinking and sounds so unbelievable that it forces one to wonder why anyone who has experienced the misery of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol therapy and in turn after reaching sobriety. There are, for sure, more than a few conceivable reasons for this.

It should be explained, then again that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the long-term effects of alcohol dependency has revealed that long after the alcohol addicted individual has stopped his or her drinking, key modifications in the way in which the alcohol addicted person’s brain functions are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol addicted individual has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the modifications that have taken place in the brain is to engage in drinking again.

A Requirement for A Fundamental Lifestyle Change

There are additional reasons why many recovering alcohol dependent persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after reaching sobriety. According to the alcoholism research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol dependent individual needs new ways of responding and thinking in order to deal more successfully with taxing alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Situations 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 irresponsibly; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these situations can bring about memories that can set off psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted person to engage in abusive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these circumstances may not only work against long-term sobriety for the alcohol addicted person but they can also lead to relapse and thus go against one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: There's a Lot of Hope for a Lasting Recovery

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent person, family members can essentially cause unintentional harm by enabling the destructive drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent person.

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

Happily, involvement in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up treatment and education have resulted in more successful, long lasting alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency rehab outcomes, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol dependent individuals achieve lasting sobriety.