Living With Alcoholic Parents
Overview
Many people across the world suffer from alcoholism. Alcoholism in broad terms can be classified to mean a problem with alcohol. When an individual is suffering from alcoholism, he/she is said to have a compulsive and uncontrollable high consumption of alcohol; it is referred to as a family disease. This is because the addiction not only harms the alcoholic but also everyone who has to live with them. Children always suffer when they share a house with an alcoholic parent. There can be a real sense of shame and they can spend a lot of time living in fear. Unfortunately, alcoholism is common and there are many children who find themselves in this situation. Children who grow up in homes where there is active alcoholism can get many …show more content…
They may feel too embarrassed to bring friends back to their home, and may feel the need to lie in to keep the problem secret.
- There can be a great deal of anger against the alcoholic parent. This person is destroying the family but they do not seem to care or try to get help (if that is the case).
- The situation can be so bad that children suffer symptoms of depression. They may be attracted to high-risk behaviours such as drug abuse or even become suicidal. - Living with an alcoholic can cause a lot of stress. An addict can be highly unpredictable and may act irrationally and abusive. This can lead to physical and mental abuse of the child. All this stress can be very damaging to children (Alcohol Rehab,2008).
Children from alcoholic families are no strangers to mental health issues either. Children of alcoholics are at an increased risk for anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders (many have a strong desire to be perfect), isolation, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Lohmann,2016).
Social Effects …show more content…
Adult children of alcoholics have significant difficulty recognizing their own needs and often are not able to have appropriate balance in their relationships with others. They are more likely to exhibit patterns of an insecure attachment style than their peers who were not raised in alcoholic homes. Insecure attachment refers to a maladaptive pattern of relating to others, which stems from fears related to the potential for rejection or abandonment. Individuals with insecure attachment have been found to be at greater risk for developing psychopathology throughout adulthood. Thus, adult children of alcoholics may exhibit the following insecure attachment patterns in their relationships with friends, coworkers, romantic partners, family members, and even their own
Many people across the world suffer from alcoholism. Alcoholism in broad terms can be classified to mean a problem with alcohol. When an individual is suffering from alcoholism, he/she is said to have a compulsive and uncontrollable high consumption of alcohol; it is referred to as a family disease. This is because the addiction not only harms the alcoholic but also everyone who has to live with them. Children always suffer when they share a house with an alcoholic parent. There can be a real sense of shame and they can spend a lot of time living in fear. Unfortunately, alcoholism is common and there are many children who find themselves in this situation. Children who grow up in homes where there is active alcoholism can get many …show more content…
They may feel too embarrassed to bring friends back to their home, and may feel the need to lie in to keep the problem secret.
- There can be a great deal of anger against the alcoholic parent. This person is destroying the family but they do not seem to care or try to get help (if that is the case).
- The situation can be so bad that children suffer symptoms of depression. They may be attracted to high-risk behaviours such as drug abuse or even become suicidal. - Living with an alcoholic can cause a lot of stress. An addict can be highly unpredictable and may act irrationally and abusive. This can lead to physical and mental abuse of the child. All this stress can be very damaging to children (Alcohol Rehab,2008).
Children from alcoholic families are no strangers to mental health issues either. Children of alcoholics are at an increased risk for anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders (many have a strong desire to be perfect), isolation, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Lohmann,2016).
Social Effects …show more content…
Adult children of alcoholics have significant difficulty recognizing their own needs and often are not able to have appropriate balance in their relationships with others. They are more likely to exhibit patterns of an insecure attachment style than their peers who were not raised in alcoholic homes. Insecure attachment refers to a maladaptive pattern of relating to others, which stems from fears related to the potential for rejection or abandonment. Individuals with insecure attachment have been found to be at greater risk for developing psychopathology throughout adulthood. Thus, adult children of alcoholics may exhibit the following insecure attachment patterns in their relationships with friends, coworkers, romantic partners, family members, and even their own