CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the Issues
2. Understanding Alcohol Abuse
3. Understanding Violence Against Women
4. Alcohol and Domestic Violence
5. Alcohol, Sexual Assault, and Rape
6. Prevention and Early Intervention
7. Screening and Assessment
8. Diagnosis and Treatment
9. Legal and Ethical Issues

Supplements
Fact Sheets
Videos
Resources

Silence Hurts
Alcohol Abuse and Violence Against Women

Defense Mechanisms

As alcohol abuse takes over, a family instinctively is committed to self-preservation and begins to change. Family members often change their behaviors to cope with the stress and uncertainty of living with the alcohol abuser:²⁰

• Covering up: Family members actively work to cover up embarrassing moments for themselves or the addict. Alibis and lies are created to cover up the unpredictable behaviors of the substance abuser.
• Rationalizing: Family members explain away the disease by rationalizing instead of acknowledging the increased disability. "Everyone does it, or "She is that way because of her friends."
• Withdrawing: The family stops seeing extended family and friends. Children stop asking for their needs to be met and stay away from home when the substance abuser is under the influence.
• Blaming: Family members start to blame themselves and feel that their own behavior is somehow causing the problem. "Maybe I haven't been helpful enough."
• Controlling: Family members may try to control the addict to the point of obsession, often treating him or her as a child. This defense mechanism is almost always unsuccessful.
• Checking out: Family members just give up. They may physically leave home or emotionally check out.

The family system relies on these defense mechanisms to protect the person who abuses alcohol. Even when sobriety begins in a family, the defense mechanisms do not disappear immediately as this has become an integral part of the daily family functioning.