Alcohol Rehab and Families

Alcoholism has a way of sneaking up on you. A few drinks to relax after a tough day turns into happy hour at the bar, then all-nighters with the guys. He says it's no big deal and wonders why you're on his case so much. He provokes easily, and his moods are impossible to keep up with. You're constantly walking on eggshells to keep things from blowing up - and sometimes it's not enough.

Continuous fights, verbal abuse, violent assaults... this is the reality for over 8 million families across the nation struggling with alcoholism. He'll promise it won't happen again, he'll stop drinking and then things will get better. And for a while things are better, at least a little. Then one night it starts all over again in a drunken rage.

Life doesn't have to be this way. Getting help is not all about the addict. Family members can look at the possible consequences of their own actions and take steps to change themselves, rather than relying on the alcoholic to make the first move.

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Alcohol Rehab and Families: Rationalization and Denial

If you're not actively engaged in finding outside, professional help for yourself or the alcoholic in your life, chances are you're enabling the behavior in one way or another. Enabling is the act of providing assistance to someone in order to make something possible. Making excuses, bailing them out of tight situations, supporting their party habits, and believing their lies in spite of evidence that proves otherwise keeps the cycle going.

But rationalizing the addict's behavior only helps the addict; it does nothing to alleviate the feelings of isolation, anger, shame, or guilt lurking among family members. These feelings can't be explained away as easily, so pretending they don't exist is the only way to make everything seem fine.

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Alcohol Rehab and Families: The Cycle of Resentment

There are a number of signs that point to the cycle of resentment when alcoholism is present in the family. These include:

• Personal and family needs are ignored and unfulfilled
• Negative feelings continue to grow
• Communication breaks down
• Relationships become distorted as roles are assumed
• Constant dread over what will happen next terrorizes the family
• Decisions are based on emotions rather than logic
• Fears of abandonment begin to surface and everyone tries "just a little harder" to keep things from getting worse
• Additional personal and family sacrifices are made and the cycle begins again

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Alcohol Rehab and Families: Questioning Your Sanity

Blackouts become more and more common as alcoholism progresses, and the addict will have few memories of events that occur while drunk. When confronted with their actions, the alcoholic will so intensely deny any accusations that family members begin to question if what they remember was what actually happened. Doubts begin to creep in regarding their own grip on reality.

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Alcohol Rehab and Families: Focus On the Family, Not the Alcoholic

While you can't control another person's behavior, you do have power to change your own. Learn everything you can about addiction, alcoholism, and effective ways of managing the chaos. Accept that it's not your fault that your loved one continues to drink. Attend AA or Al-Anon meetings to gain guidance and support from other families just like yours. Focusing on healthy behaviors, boundaries, and responses will erase the shadow of despair that has begun to envelop your life and you will be better prepared to offer your loved one the necessary support that enhances recovery.

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Alcohol Rehab for Families at The Canyon

Professional interventions, physician-supervised detox, first-class rehabilitation programs, family therapy, and extended aftercare counseling are the mainstays of drug and alcohol treatment at The Canyon.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, call us today to set up an alcohol intervention with one of our experienced interventionists. Every detail is meticulously organized, including your loved one's transportation to The Canyon's residential sober living homes in Malibu. Begin the process of reclaiming your family from alcoholism and call The Canyon today at .

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