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Jennifer is a thirty-five-year-old network consultant who has been consuming alcohol in a hazardous and abusive manner since her fiancée and she decided to break off their relationship. In truth, for the past nine months she has been drinking nearly two bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking more than a few mixed drinks throughout the day. In short, Jennifer has been drinking so abusively and hazardously that it’s a miracle that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling discouraged because she was beginning to overlook her health, Jennifer finally told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to quit the self pity party, that it’s time to stop the abusive and irresponsible drinking, and time to move on with her life. So the next Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she came to a decision that she would stop drinking completely and suddenly without planning or preparation.

When She Stopped Drinking She Felt Awful, She Had Utterly No Appetite, She Vomited Several Times, Her Head Was Throbbing, She Started to Perspire Extensively, and She Was Extremely Stressed Out and Moody

When Jennifer stopped drinking, she assumed that she would probably be tempted to sneak a few drinks, but she never imagined that she would feel so sick. More correctly, about two hours after she stopped drinking, her head was pounding, she vomited a number of times, she was extremely moody and anxious, she had utterly no appetite, and she started to sweat extensively.

When she called her best girlfriend and told her that she had quit drinking and that after a couple of hours she all of a sudden began having flu-like symptoms, Heather, her best pal, told Jennifer to call her medical practitioner and discuss what she was feeling.

She Admits to Her Doctor That She Has Been Drinking In an Abusive Manner, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Going Through Ghastly Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her family doctor, informed him that she has been drinking in an abusive and irresponsible manner for a number of months and that when she attempted to totally quit drinking earlier in the day, within a couple of hours she felt as if she had the worst case of the flu that she had ever suffered through.

Her doctor told her that she may be going through symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a friend or neighbor drive her to the emergency room as soon as possible.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a relative to take her to the hospital. Interestingly, as sick as Jennifer was, all she could think about all the way to the hospital was whether or not she might be alcohol dependent.

Obviously her medical practitioner had called ahead and told the emergency room personnel to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by a nurse and a paramedic who promptly asked her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting transferred to the emergency room and undergoing a couple of important tests, it was corroborated that Jennifer was in truth suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detox.

A medical practitioner gave her some meds to diminish her flu-like symptoms and also gave her some medications to help eliminate the alcohol that was still in her circulatory system.

An Alcohol and Drug Addiction Healthcare Practitioner Explains in a Clear Fashion That She is Alcohol Dependent and Then Discusses What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Dependency Stages Are

After a few hours, Jennifer was transferred from the ER and transported to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for just about two-and-a-half hours, Doctor Anderson, an alcohol and drug addiction specialist, came to talk to her. He took quite a bit of time and explained in laymen’s language that Jennifer had suffered through alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she stopped drinking because she had become dependent on alcohol.

He then discussed the fact that with excessive drinking on an everyday basis, the person’s brain steadily becomes accustomed to the alcohol so that it can perform in a “normal” fashion. When the individual then abruptly stops consuming alcohol, it can be pointed out, the brain takes action by generating alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What is more, her doctor also clearly explained the various alcoholism stages that an individual who is alcohol dependent regularly suffers through as the disease progresses.

It is Confirmed that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcohol Addiction and She Receives a Favorable Projection For a Full Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Treatment She Needs

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was determined that she was in the earliest stage of alcohol addiction and, consequently, she obtained a favorable prognosis for a complete recovery if she obtains the alcoholism treatment she needs.

Jennifer told the physician that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to regain her health. She also stated that she has an exceptional hospitalization plan that will almost certainly pay for most of the costs needed for rehabilitation. It was clear to see that Jennifer was extremely happy with her positive medical prognosis and felt at ease knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol rehabilitation she requires so that she can start on the road to recovery.

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How do you know that you have a problem with your drinking? When is it evident that you are involving yourself in alcohol abuse?

If you have ineffectively made an effort to quit drinking or if you have given your word to yourself that your drinking days are gone and then you recognized that you were drinking in an excessive way just a few days later, chances are very good that you have drinking problems. The point to highlight is that if you have made an effort to terminate your drinking and cannot get this accomplished, then your drinking is controlling you, instead of the other way around.

In much the same way, if it takes increasingly more amounts of alcohol to get the same “high,” more likely than not you need to recognize the fact that you have a problem with your drinking.

You may be telling yourself that the justification for your drinking is so that you can lessen your apprehension or get rid of the hurt that you feel. Similarly, you may be trying to avoid a negative circumstance and may be looking for something better, more constructive, or less sorrowful.

As you continue to drink, however, you will become aware that drinking does not produce the same high and you will also realize that drinking doesn’t help eradicate whatever brought about your misery in the first place.

As you continue to drink, sadly, you may become an alcoholic and, as a result, you may add another fundamental issue to deal with rather than uncovering more efficient and healthy ways of managing your alcohol-related issues.

An Alcohol Evaluation is Probably Required

If you have figured out that you have a drinking problem, possibly the best thing you can do for yourself is to call your medical doctor or healthcare professional and schedule an appointment for a thorough physical and for an assessment of your drinking circumstances.

If you in fact feel that you have a serious problem with your drinking, it may be a good idea to get prepared to find out that you need to get alcohol rehab.

At this point, what are your alternatives? You can surely refuse to see your doctor and persevere with your pattern of hazardous drinking.

It truly doesn’t take a genius, nonetheless, to comprehend that continuous, hazardous drinking, if left untreated, will deteriorate over time and quite probably result an early death. As a result, your most positive alternative is to confront your drinking problem and get the alcohol treatment you require.

The Pretense of the Functioning Alcohol Addicted Individual

It is ironic to note the fact that several individuals who are alcohol dependent lead busy and active lives and have jobs, vehicles, pets, families, houses, and any number of material possessions just like individuals who are not alcohol dependent.

Many of these “functional” alcohol addicted people may have never been cited for drunk driving and may have been fortunate enough to avoid all alcohol generated legal predicaments. Despite this fortunate situation, conversely, these alcohol addicted individuals need to drink in order to function on a daily basis while keeping their facade as they associate with the outside world.

Ask anyone who has seen them when they are out on a drunken binge or in a drunken stupor or ask a family member about the problem drinker’s alcoholism, on the other hand, and they will be quick to affirm the truth of the drinker’s situation and the essentials about the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking condition and about his or her alcohol-related difficulties.

Why Do Alcohol Addicted Individuals Fail to Focus On Their Drinking Difficulties?

As alcohol addiction research and statistics on alcohol abuse have emphasized, no matter how evident the alcohol-related issues seem to those who interact with the alcohol dependent person, alcoholic people usually deny that drinking is the basis of their alcohol-related difficulties. Not only this, but alcohol addicted individuals commonly blame their alcohol induced difficulties on other people or upon other situations around them rather than seeing their part in the problem.

The source of the predicament is that alcohol dependency is a disease of the brain. Once the drinker has become addicted to alcohol, he or she characteristically resorts to denial, manipulation, and lying as a way of coping with the fact that his or her drinking is out of control. And to make things worse, the experience of alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually circumvents the alcohol dependent individual’s rare attempts to suddenly refrain from drinking. As grim as the alcohol addicted person’s way of life is, nevertheless, the encouraging news is that quality help is typically available – if the alcoholic reaches out and tries to get alcohol rehab.

Summary

Owning up to the fact that drinking is triggering issues in your daily functioning is probably the most trouble-free way to find out if you have a drinking problem. Stated differently, if your drinking is causing problems with your health, with your employment, in your relationships, with your finances, at school, or with the law, then you have a drinking problem that needs to be resolved.

If you have a drinking problem, furthermore, this means that you are involving yourself in hazardous drinking.

While some people may be able to come to grips with their “alcohol signs,” pinpoint their problems, and substantially decrease the amount and incidence of their drinking, others, then again, need to deal with their drinking problems by getting quality alcohol rehabilitation. Furthermore, due to their penchant to deny the facts and warp the truth, alcohol dependent people unquestionably need proficient alcoholism rehabilitation for their irresponsible drinking.

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It is worthy of note to articulate something that family members who have been negatively affected by the alcoholism of another family member plainly do not realize. It appears that by shielding the alcohol addicted individual with falsehoods and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have actually created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted individual to persevere and press forward with his or her injurious, detrimental daily life.

To be sure, instead of helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have in fact become enablers who have inadvertently helped negatively affect the alcohol dependent individual’s drinking problem even more.

Perhaps the real downside of this is that the alcoholic will continue drinking in an excessive and irresponsible manner and experience diverse “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 From Time to Time

According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol addiction, another key alcohol dependency issue has to do with alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent individual has fruitfully undergone alcohol addiction treatment and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this situation flies in the face of commonsensical thinking and sounds so far-fetched that it forces one to question why anyone who has lived through the misery of alcohol addiction can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol rehab and in turn after reaching sobriety. There are, without a doubt, numerous credible reasons for this.

It should be noted, however that alcoholism research that has focused on the long standing effects of alcoholism has revealed that long after the alcoholic has quit his or her drinking, fundamental transformations in the way in which the alcohol dependent person’s brain works are still present. As a consequence, all a recovering alcoholic has to do to involve himself or herself in behaviors that correspond with the modifications that have come about in the brain is to engage in drinking once again.

A Requirement for A Fundamental Lifestyle Change

There are even more reasons why several recovering alcohol dependent individuals return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after achieving sobriety. According to the alcohol addiction research literature, to make an effective recovery, the alcohol dependent person needs new ways of reacting and thinking in order to deal more competently with demanding alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Circumstances 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 alcoholic was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these circumstances can bring forth memories that can trigger psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcoholic to engage in hazardous drinking once again. Unfortunately, all of these circumstances may not only negate long lasting alcohol recovery for the alcohol addicted person but they can also result in relapse and therefore go against one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: There’s a Lot of Hope for Lasting Sobriety

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcoholic, family members can actually cause unintended destruction by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcoholic.

The addiction research literature confirms the fact that most individuals who successfully complete alcohol therapy go through at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get crestfallen or beleaguered when a relapse happens.

Happily, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and education have resulted in more successful, ongoing alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction treatment outcomes, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals reach long lasting sobriety.

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It is remarkable to articulate something that family members who have been negatively affected by the alcohol dependency of another family member apparently do not realize. It seems that by protecting the alcohol addicted individual with untruths and deceit 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 persist and move forward with his or her negative, devastating lifestyle.

To be sure, rather than helping the alcohol addicted person and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have involuntarily 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 manner and suffer from 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 Happen

According to the research literature and statistics on alcohol dependency, another key alcohol addiction issue involves alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcoholic has successfully undergone alcoholism treatment and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first glance, this circumstance flies in the face of rational thinking and seems so unbelievable that it forces an individual to question why anyone who has experienced the dejection of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after reaching sobriety. There are, without a doubt, numerous reasonable reasons for this.

It should be mentioned, however that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the long standing outcomes of alcohol addiction has shown that long after the alcohol addicted individual has stopped his or her drinking, critical alterations in the way in which the alcohol addicted individual’s brain works are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol dependent person has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the transformations that have come about in the brain is to start drinking once again.

The Necessity for A Major Lifestyle Transformation

There are other reasons why numerous recovering alcohol addicted persons return to drinking a few weeks or a few months after attaining sobriety. In accordance to the alcoholism research literature, to make a successful recovery, the alcohol dependent person needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more successfully with challenging alcohol-related circumstances that will take place.

Situations 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 addicted individual was drinking excessively; 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 person to engage in irresponsible drinking once again. Sadly, all of these situations may not only work against long standing sobriety for the alcohol addicted person but they can also result in relapse and as a result counteract one’s alcohol recovery.

The Good News: There’s a Lot of Hope for Lasting Sobriety

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent person, family members can in fact cause inadvertent damage by enabling the negative drinking behavior of the alcoholic.

The alcohol abuse research literature highlights the fact that most people who successfully complete alcohol therapy go through at least one relapse. Alcohol addicted individuals and their family members need to know this so that they do not get dejected or beleaguered when a relapse happens.

Fortunately, taking part in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and training have resulted in more successful, long lasting alcohol abuse and alcoholism treatment results, have helped diminish alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals achieve enduring sobriety.

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Jennifer is a thirty-eight-year-old bank cashier who has been consuming alcohol in an abusive and excessive manner since her fiancée and she broke up their relationship. In truth, for the past eight months she has been drinking very nearly two bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking more than a few cans of beer during the day. In a word, Jennifer has been drinking so hazardously that it’s amazing that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.

After feeling down in the dumps because she was starting to close her eyes to her health, Jennifer at long last told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to quit feeling sorry for herself, that it’s time to quit the hazardous and irresponsible drinking, and time to get on with her life. So the following Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, she made up her mind to stop drinking suddenly and completely without preparation or planning.

When She Stopped Drinking She Felt Terrible, She Vomited a Number of Times, She Started to Sweat Profusely, Her Head Was Aching, She Had Absolutely No Appetite, and She Was Extremely Moody and Nervous

When Jennifer stopped drinking, she figured that she would probably be tempted to ”steal” a drink or two, but she never believed that she would feel so horrific. More accurately, roughly two-and-a-half hours after she stopped drinking, she was extremely restless and moody, she started to perspire profusely, her head was aching, she vomited numerous times, and she had absolutely no appetite.

When she called her best friend and informed her that she had stopped drinking and that after a few hours she all of a sudden started to experience flu-like symptoms, Lorraine, her best buddy, told Jennifer to call her healthcare practitioner and tell him what she was experiencing.

She Admits to Her Medical Practitioner That She Has Been Drinking Abusively, That She Just Tried to Stop Drinking, and That She is Experiencing Terribly Unpleasant Flu-Like Symptoms

So Jennifer called her family doctor, informed him that she has been drinking in an abusive and hazardous manner for a number of months and that when she honestly tried to suddenly quit drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the most terrible flu-like symptoms that she had ever gone through.

Her medical practitioner told her that she may be going through symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a neighbor or relative drive her to the emergency room as soon as possible.

As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a neighbor to take her to the hospital. Interestingly, all the way to the hospital, as sick as Jennifer felt, the only thing she could think about was whether or not she might be addicted to alcohol.

Evidently her medical practitioner had phoned ahead and informed the emergency room staff to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two emergency room employees who without hesitation told her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting moved to the emergency room and undergoing a couple of important tests, it was substantiated that Jennifer was indeed experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detox.

An emergency room physician administered some medications to lessen the intensity of her flu-like symptoms and also administered some meds to help get rid of the alcohol that was still in her system.

An Alcohol Addiction Doctor Explains in a Clear Manner That She is Dependent on Alcohol and Then Discusses What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Dependency Stages Are

After a few hours, Jennifer was removed from the emergency room and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for just about an hour, Doctor Gardner, an alcoholism and alcohol abuse specialist, came to talk to her. He took plenty of time and explained in plain words that Jennifer had experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking due to the fact that she had become addicted to alcohol.

He then stated that with heavy drinking on a daily basis, the drinker’s brain in a step-by-step fashion adapts to the alcohol in order to process things in a “routine” fashion. When the drinker then all at once abstains from drinking, it can be stressed, the brain responds by producing alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What is more, her healthcare professional also went over the different alcoholism stages that an alcoholic regularly goes through as the disease gets progressively worse as time goes by.

It is Discovered that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcoholism and She Receives a Good Forecast For a Total Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Dependency Rehab She Requires

Fortunately for Jennifer, it was confirmed that she was in the earliest stage of alcoholism and, as a result, she received a favorable diagnosis for a full recovery if she gets the alcohol dependency treatment she requires.

Jennifer told the healthcare practitioner that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to re-establish her health and her life. She also mentioned that she has an exceptional hospitalization insurance policy that will quite possibly pay for most, if not all, of the treatment costs that will be incurred. It was obvious that Jennifer was extremely happy with her encouraging medical forecast and felt free from worry knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol addiction rehabilitation she requires so that she can begin the path to recovery.

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When I was a sophomore in high school, I registered for a substance abuse class. At that age, I did not grasp the fact that alcohol abuse in truth was a sub classification of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and particularly about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for people all through the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehab and the various alcohol rehab facilities that are normally available to abusive drinkers.

Damaging Effects That are Related to Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the damaging end results related to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class certainly frightened me. The ruined lives and frequent serious issues experienced by most alcohol dependent people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. That is, I did not want to face the disaster and destruction that alcohol dependent people almost always encounter.

Let this sink in for a moment. What fifteen-year-old individual wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What teenager wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that consuming alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What young person wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related problems before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What adolescent wants to deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to stop drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause problems in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a young person want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that focuses on hazardous drinking?

These issues were so meaningful that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was entirely unbelievable to me was the number of students who simply didn’t care about the harmful consequences of irresponsible drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered with the truth and how these consequences can shatter their lives. For the first time in my life I started to figure out something that my grandfather used to articulate all through my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink.

It’s Liberating, Beneficial, and Important to Stay Away From the Unhealthy and Destructive Results of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

And even at my young age, I also started to understand how important, beneficial, and enlivening it is in life to keep away from the destructive and unhealthy results of drug and alcohol abuse.

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When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I enrolled into a drug abuse class. At that time period, I did not realize that alcohol abuse in reality was a sub category of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and especially about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals all through the world. I also learned a lot about alcohol rehab and the diverse alcohol rehab facilities that are commonly available to alcohol abusers.

Injurious End Results That are Correlated With Alcohol Dependency and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the harmful consequences linked to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class absolutely worried me. The ruined lives and frequent problems experienced by most alcohol dependent people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. In a word, I did not want to face the wreckage and devastation that alcohol dependent individuals almost always encounter.

Think about this for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that ingesting alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What teenager wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related issues before he or she becomes an adult?

What teenager wants to deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would a person engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after an individual has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a teenager want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that revolves around hazardous drinking?

These issues were so noteworthy that I talked about some of them in class throughout the school year. What was totally inconceivable to me was the number of students who basically didn’t care about the damaging outcomes of hazardous drinking that I talked about. It was almost as if they couldn’t be troubled with the truth and how these outcomes can ruin their lives. For the first time in my life I started to appreciate a saying that my grandfather used to emphasize throughout my youth: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

It’s Liberating, Important, and Beneficial to Keep Yourself From the Debilitating and Unhealthy Results of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

And even at my young age, I also started to understand how beneficial, liberating, and important it is in life to keep away from the unhealthy and destructive effects of drug and alcohol abuse.

Tweet This Post

When I was in the tenth grade in high school, I enrolled into a drug abuse class. At that time, I did not comprehend that alcohol abuse in reality was a sub category of drug abuse. While taking this class and learning more about drug and alcohol abuse and especially about alcohol side effects, I read a lot about Alcoholic Anonymous, their meetings, how their programs have twelve steps, and how successful the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program has been for individuals throughout the world. I also learned quite a bit about alcohol rehab and the various alcohol rehab clinics that are frequently available to individuals who engage in excessive drinking.

Dangerous Effects That are Correlated With Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Abuse

Some of the negative outcomes related to alcoholism and alcohol abuse that I learned about in this class definitely frightened me. The ruined lives and frequent difficulties experienced by most alcohol dependent people made me feel like I never wanted to drink alcohol when I became old enough. That is, I did not want to face the disaster and devastation that alcohol addicted individuals almost always experience.

Let this sink in for a moment. What fifteen-year-old teenager wants to face premature death due to his or her drinking behavior? What adolescent wants to become so out-of-control regarding his or her drinking that drinking alcohol becomes the object of one’s life? What young person wants to go to one of the local alcoholic rehabilitation centers to deal with alcohol-related problems before he or she becomes twenty-one?

What youth wants to deal with alcohol withdrawals when he or she tries to quit drinking? Why would an individual engage in drinking to such an extent that it would cause difficulties in every area of his or her life? Drinking later in life after a person has a career, a family, and develops personal responsibilities makes sense. But why would a teenager want to sacrifice his or her education, employment, finances, and relationships for a life that focuses on irresponsible drinking?

These issues were so meaningful that I discussed some of them in class throughout the school year. What was downright astonishing to me was the number of students who simply didn’t care about the damaging consequences of excessive drinking that I discussed. It was almost as if they couldn’t care less about the facts and how these effects can demolish their lives. For the first time in my life I started to figure out a saying that my grandfather used to tell me throughout my teen and pre-teen years: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

It’s Liberating, Important, and Beneficial to Keep Yourself From the Unhealthy and Damaging Outcomes of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

And even at my young age, I also began to realize how beneficial, important, and liberating it is in life to stay away from the unhealthy and destructive results of drug and alcohol abuse.

Tweet This Post

It is remarkable to articulate something that family members who have been negatively affected by the alcoholism of another family member clearly do not understand. It seems that by shielding the alcohol dependent person with untruths and dishonesty to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have essentially created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol dependent person to persist and move forward with his or her hurtful, destructive daily life.

Without a doubt, instead of helping the alcohol dependent person and themselves, these family members have in reality become enablers who have mistakenly helped negatively affect the alcohol dependent person’s drinking problem even further.

Relapses Can and Do Transpire

Another key alcohol dependency issue concerns alcohol relapses. Relapses take place when an alcohol dependent person has effectively undergone alcoholism therapy and then returns to drinking a number of weeks or months later. At first thought, this predicament seems contradictory to sound thinking and appears to be so unbelievable that it forces an individual to speculate why anyone who has gone through the wretchedness of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after effective alcohol treatment and in turn after reaching recovery. There are, to be sure, many conceivable reasons for this.

It should be explained, nonetheless that alcohol dependency research that has focused on the long-term consequences of alcoholism has revealed that long after the alcohol addicted person has quit his or her drinking, significant transformations in the way in which the alcohol addicted individual’s brain works 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 transformations that have come about in the brain is to engage in drinking again.

The Necessity for A Drastic Lifestyle Modification

There are even more reasons why more than a few 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 a successful recovery, the alcoholic needs new ways of acting and thinking in order to deal more efficiently with taxing alcohol-related situations that will take place.

Situations such as returning to the same alcohol addictive atmosphere or to the same geographic location; interacting once again with friends from the days when the alcohol addicted individual was drinking excessively; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these circumstances can bring about memories that can trigger psychological tension or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol dependent individual to engage in excessive drinking once again. Sadly, all of these situations may not only work against long lasting alcohol recovery for the alcohol dependent individual but they can also result in relapse and as a result go against one’s alcohol recovery.

Summary

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol addicted individual, family members can essentially cause unintended destruction by enabling the unhealthy drinking behavior of the alcohol addicted person.

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

Luckily, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and education have resulted in more successful, long standing alcohol abuse and alcoholism rehab outcomes, have helped decrease alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted persons achieve ongoing sobriety.

Tweet This Post

It is worthy of note to point out something that family members who have been negatively affected by the alcoholism of another family member clearly do not comprehend. It appears that by shielding the alcohol addicted individual with lies and deceit to those outside the family, these well-intentioned family members have in essence created a condition that makes it easier for the alcohol addicted individual to carry on and proceed with his or her unsafe, detrimental daily life.

In fact, rather than helping the alcoholic and themselves, these family members have essentially become enablers who have mistakenly helped negatively affect the alcoholic’s drinking problem even further.

The Likelihood of a Relapse is Real

Another key alcohol dependency issue involves alcohol relapses.  Relapses take place when an alcoholic has fruitfully undergone alcohol addiction rehabilitation and then resorts to drinking a number of weeks or months later.  At first glance, this circumstance flies in the face of rational thinking and appears to be so improbable that it forces one to wonder why anyone who has lived through the dejection of alcoholism can return to drinking a short while after successful alcohol treatment and in turn after reaching sobriety.  There are, of course, numerous reasonable reasons for this.

It should be mentioned, nonetheless that alcohol addiction research that has centered on the long standing effects of alcohol addiction has demonstrated-proven 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 operates are still present. As a result, all a recovering alcohol addicted person has to do to involve himself or herself in actions that correspond with the modifications that have come about in the brain is to engage in drinking again.

The Necessity for A Drastic Lifestyle Change

There are even more reasons why several 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 reacting and thinking in order to deal more successfully with tough 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 days when the alcohol addicted individual was drinking in a hazardous manner; or familiar songs, smells, or activities—all of these conditions can elicit memories that can prompt psychological stress or push hot buttons that influence the recovering alcohol addicted person to engage in excessive drinking once again. Regrettably, all of these situations may not only contradict long standing sobriety for the alcohol addicted person but they can also result in relapse and consequently go against one’s alcohol recovery.

Conclusion

In an attempt to “protect” the family alcohol dependent person, family members can in point of fact cause unintentional destruction by enabling the harmful drinking behavior of the alcohol dependent individual.

The substance abuse research literature confirms the fact that most individuals who effectively complete alcohol rehabilitation experience at least one relapse. Alcohol dependent persons and their family members need to know this so that they do not get defeated or stressed out when a relapse manifests itself.

Fortunately, participation in support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and follow-up rehab and training have resulted in more productive, long-term alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency treatment outcomes, have helped reduce alcohol relapses, and have helped recovering alcohol addicted individuals achieve long-term sobriety.

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