One in five adult Americans have lived with an alcoholic relative while growing up. In general, these children are at greater risk for having emotional problems than children whose parents are not alcoholics. Alcoholism runs in families, and alcohol use disorder are four times more likely than other children to become alcoholics themselves. Compounding the psychological impact of being raised by a parent who is suffering from alcohol abuse is the fact that most children of alcoholics have experienced some form of neglect or abuse. Growing up with a parent living with alcohol use disorder can have negative effects on children, including mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, and behavioral problems, such as aggression.
Risks & Dangers of Children of Alcoholics
“I’m really curious to see if the factors we found when they were 12 and 13, such as those related to peers and family, still hold when they’re ages 17 and 18, because there’s going to be a huge amount of brain development that’s happening throughout this phase.” Alcohol was the substance most commonly initiated (365 individuals), followed by nicotine (94 individuals) and cannabis (40 individuals), with few or no children initiating other substances. “The steps we are recommending should not only help to align clinical practice with sound language guidelines, but also foster a more empathetic and supportive healthcare environment for patients,” he said.
Mental Health Disorders
- It might be prudent to allocate resources to collecting data related to self-, peer-, and familial-related factors, “which were more informative in predicting substance use initiation during late childhood and early adolescence in the present study,” they wrote.
- You might also end up spending a lot of time addressing the consequences of these actions.
- As an adult, though, you can learn to manage and change specific behaviors that no longer help you, which can improve your overall well-being, quality of life, and relationships with others.
- For example, studies indicate that daughters with fathers suffering from alcohol use disorder tend to create more insecure attachment behaviors in comparison with those with non-alcoholic fathers.
You can talk with them, cope with them, beg them and cry, but until they want to stop drinking, they won’t. The goal is to get your parents to understand what their alcoholism is doing to the family. Your parent(s) may get angry a lot, may threaten you, may forget lots of things, and may even abuse you. The important thing to know is that there is help, and that you are not alone.
Personality Characteristics of COA’s: The Clinical Literature
A second constituency studying COA’s is the research community, which is seeking to understand the causes of alcoholism. COA’s are at substantially increased risk for becoming alcoholic themselves, and this elevated risk appears to be a function of both genetic and environmental factors (Heath 1995; see also the article by McGue, alcoholic eyes pp. 210–217). By identifying characteristics that distinguish COA’s from children of non-alcoholics (non-COA’s), researchers hope to identify variables that might be important in the etiology of alcoholism. Most of these descriptions are based on data obtained relatively systematically from nonclinical and clinical populations.
Where can adult children find support?
Thus, even if relatively homogeneous classes of alcoholics (and their spouses) could be identified, considerable variability would be expected in their offsprings’ characteristics. Since young children believe their thoughts and feelings are all-powerful, they imagine that they cause bad things and may assume their parents drink because of them. A parent may even encourage this belief with remarks like, “Who wouldn’t drink with a family like this! ” So, leaving the bicycle in the driveway, getting bad grades, or thinking bad thoughts can lead, in the child’s mind, to a parent drinking. One of the most important messages children can hear is that the alcoholism is not their fault. Many children have great strength, resilience and coping skills, which can help them adapt in order to function as normally as possible.
A 2014 review found that children of parents who misuse alcohol often have trouble developing emotional regulation abilities. According to White, this may happen partly because children often learn to mirror the characteristics of their parents. “Adult children of parents with AUD may find closeness with others somewhat uncomfortable given a deep-rooted fear that becoming connected to someone else means a significant risk of emotional pain,” says Peifer.
Children of alcoholics are more anxious and insecure because of the lack of parental attachment. The lack of emotional support at home can lead to mental health problems later in life. Children whose parents use alcohol may not have had a good example to follow from their childhood, and may never have experienced traditional or harmonious family relationships.
This study illustrates why it should not be too surprising that many COA’s (and ACOA’s) find the portrayals in the media to be accurate descriptions of themselves. These characteristics are viewed as descriptive by most people, COA and non-COA alike. It is vital, then, not to confuse this perceived descriptiveness with scientifically valid descriptions.
Published “The Laundry List,” which describes common characteristics shared by most adult children with a parent with alcohol use disorder. As a child, adult understanding the dangers of alcohol experience symptoms of distress due to the atmosphere. These children may go through nocturnal enuresis (bed-wetting), nightmares, or even separation anxiety. Adult children of alcoholics tend not to expect recognition of important life milestones.