Sadly, the effects of having an alcoholic parent can be devastating for children. One of the many reasons for this is because once an addiction takes hold, alcohol will become a drinker’s priority. As increasing amounts of time are spent drinking or recovering from drinking, naturally, parental responsibilities suffer.
There are many potential negative outcomes that can occur as a result of having an alcoholic parent including:
Poor psychological health
Evidence suggests that the children of alcoholics are at a significant risk of developing cognitive, emotional and behavioral problems.
It’s not unusual for older children of alcoholics to exhibit symptoms of:
- Depression
- Obsessive behavior – they may have an intense need for perfection, they may isolate or withdrawal themselves or be incredibly self-conscious
- Guilt – children of alcoholics can often feel as though they are responsible for their parents’ problems, they may even believe that they created the problem. As a result, they might assume the role of taking care of their “sick” parent – a role that can sometimes remain intact in later relationships.
- Chronic and extreme stress levels
- Studies have shown that adult children of alcoholics are more likely to exhibit symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, dysthymia and social dysfunction
Childhood trauma
Children of addicted parents are the most likely to suffer from abuse and neglect. Because of this, the rates of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are also higher amongst this group compared to children who did not grow up in an alcoholic home.
The children of alcoholics also exhibit higher rates of antisocial personality traits than what would be expected in the general population. One reason for this could be because their family environment is typically driven by a system of rigidity, overwhelm and confusion. This response is marked by feelings of fear which when remaining unexpressed or unresolved, can lead to the emotional shutting down and detachment from loved ones.
Addiction problems
Adult children of alcoholics are more likely to abuse substances and are at significant risk of developing problems associated with addiction. The propensity to abuse substances is affected by genetic and environmental factors, in addition to the influence of mental health struggles.
What’s more, if a parent never sought alcohol addiction treatment, a child may be less likely to seek help as we tend to copy learned behaviors.
Interpersonal effects
It’s widely acknowledged that the experiences we have in childhood affect the ways in which we interact with others later in life.
Studies have found that adult children of alcoholics have significant difficulty when it comes to recognizing their own needs and therefore often struggle to find an appropriate balance in their relationships with others.
They are more likely to exhibit patterns of an insecure attachment style in their relationships with friends, co-workers, romantic partners, family members and even their own children. They may:
- Avoid intimacy or emotional closeness
- Have difficulty sharing vulnerable thoughts or feelings
- Have a limited or lack of emotional response to others
- Be overly critical
- Be excessively rigid, a perfectionist and/or intolerant of change
- Suffer from anxiety, insecurity, feelings of helplessness or guilt
- Be controlling towards others
- Display erratic, impulsive, and unpredictable behaviors
Fetal alcohol syndrome
If a woman drinks while pregnant, the alcohol goes across the placenta to the fetus via the bloodstream. As the fetus’ liver isn’t fully formed, it can’t metabolize the alcohol quickly enough.
This means that even one drink is enough to give an unborn baby a high alcohol blood concentration. It therefore lacks the oxygen and nutrients needed for their brain to develop in a healthy way which can lead to serious long-term consequences.
Children born with FAS frequently have distinctive facial features including small and narrow eyes, a small head, a smooth area between the nose and lips and a thin upper lip. It doesn’t just affect babies physically however, fetal alcohol syndrome can also lead to devastating and long-term problems including:
- Hearing problems
- Mouth, teeth and facial problems
- A week immune system
- Epilepsy
- Liver damage
- Heart and kidney defects
- Cerebral palsy and other muscular problems
- Height and weight issues
- Hormonal disorders
If you think that your or someone you know could benefit from alcohol addiction treatment, please feel free to contact us in the strictest of confidence and we will be more than happy to advise you about alcohol addiction recovery. We specialize in alcohol addiction Toronto and can help with anything from spotting alcohol addiction signs to devising an effective treatment plan.
