Tip Sheet

Alcoholics and Their Enablers: Discover the Science Behind Lasting Sobriety

Alcoholics and Their Enablers breaks through decades of myths and misconceptions with groundbreaking scientific insights into alcohol addiction. Drawing from cutting-edge genetic research and 36 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, this comprehensive guide reveals the ten “troublemaker genes” that predispose individuals to alcohol use disorder while exposing the devastating physical toll ethanol takes on human reproduction, hormones, and vital organs.

Unlike traditional recovery books, this work addresses both sides of the addiction equation—the alcoholic and their enablers—with equal scientific rigor. Readers discover how specific genetic markers (GABRA2, DRD2, CHRNA5, and seven others) create biological vulnerabilities that make moderate drinking impossible for some individuals, while learning practical carefronting techniques that break destructive enabling patterns.

The book systematically debunks dangerous cultural myths, from “liquid courage” enhancing sexuality to the false belief that beer is less harmful than wine or spirits. Medical evidence reveals how ethanol disrupts testosterone production, accelerates osteoporosis, and increases cancer risk—with women facing disproportionate dangers due to lower levels of the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme.

Written for families struggling with alcohol’s impact, this science-based approach combines personal recovery narratives with clinical expertise. Chapters cover everything from fetal alcohol syndrome prevention to liver disease progression, while providing concrete tools like the alcohol AUDIT assessment and twelve-step program integration.

As Millennials and Gen Z lead an unprecedented sobriety movement, this timely work offers hope through education. By understanding addiction as a genetic disease rather than a moral failing, families can replace shame-based approaches with evidence-based recovery strategies that actually work.

An essential resource for anyone seeking lasting freedom from alcohol’s vice-like grip.

About the Author

For almost five decades, I spent tens of thousands of hours working one-on-one with men in my role as their “sponsor” in the 12-step program called Al-Anon. When I began attending Al-Anon meetings in the mid-1970s, I was among the very few men in the program located in Texas. Today, there are an estimated 24,000 Al-Anon Groups with meetings held in 118 countries. Al-Anon’s 2024 Membership Survey results indicate that 11.9% of its members identify as male and 87.1% as female.

The men started with a deep love and respect for the women in their lives. But they had to watch that all slowly erode through the years of bad behavior that was the typical result of addiction. Often their loved one’s self-destructive behavior was so intense and obvious that these men could not see how addiction had eroded their lives. Most men do not realize that they can recover their losses. First, we need to grow past our learned stereotypes.

I spent more than three decades in the pharmaceutical industry, working in sales and marketing. I also served as a Clinical Research Associate after annual training sessions in Washington, D.C., on loan to the research department. These were small Phase III pilot studies in which I collaborated with the company’s research department, the FDA, and a principal investigator.

Despite today’s focus on illegal drug addiction, the most harmful addiction is to ethanol, a substance found in nearly every home and social event.

On a personal note, I am one of you. I was an enabler. I learned enabling behavior as I grew up in a dysfunctional family where three of my four biological grandparents, including both grandmothers, were addicted to ethanol.

Title: Alcoholics and Their Enablers: Discover the Science Behind Lasting Sobriety

Author: Jonathan Harrison

Publisher: Inspired Authors Press LLC

Copyright: Mel Cohen

Language: English

ISBN Print Softback: 978-0-9840462-1-8

ISBN eBook: 978-0-9840462-2-5

ISBN Print Hardback: 978-0-9840462-5-6

Library of Congress Control Number: 2025948024

Pages: 212

Size: 6 X 9

SB Retail: $17.99