People turn to alcohol for many reasons, including (but not limited to) stress, anxiety, trouble coping with traumatic events, outside pressures, depression and genetics. You find that drinking helps for a little while, and as you drink more and more, addiction and the issues you’re trying to cope with by drinking feed off one another.
One of the most common excuses for avoiding treatment is, “I’m only hurting myself.”
But the truth is, alcoholism negatively impacts everyone around you. Family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors often pay the price for your struggles with addiction. But the group that is arguably most affected by alcoholism is your kids. Let’s take a look at how alcohol addiction impacts your children’s lives.
What Are the Effects of Living with an Alcoholic Parent?
Millions of children in America live with an alcoholic parent. As a direct result of their parents’ struggles with addiction, these children often experience both physical and emotional neglect. What’s worse, these kids oftentimes end up struggling with addiction, themselves.
Other effects of living with an alcoholic parent may include:
- Struggles in school
- Developmental issues
- Social isolation
- Behavioral issues
- Emotional instability
- Depression
- Nightmares and difficulty sleeping
Alcoholic Parent Effects Later in Life
As these children grow older, even if they avoid issues with substance abuse, they can experience other difficulties. Trust issues are common in an alcoholic home. Your child can carry those issues into other relationships, making it a struggle to develop close bonds with others.
- A number of other challenges can manifest in adult children of alcoholics, including:
- Impulse control
- Difficulty expressing emotions
- Lower levels of empathy
- Problems relaxing or enjoying themselves
- Low self-esteem
- Conflict avoidance
Repairing Relationships with Children in Alcohol Treatment
Children are oftentimes caught in the crossfire caused by alcohol addiction. Luckily, there are ways to help them recover from the trauma caused by alcoholism and help you rebuild your relationship with them.
At Footprints Beachside Recovery, our alcohol addiction treatment program includes family therapy to help address the damage children and other family members struggle with because of addiction. Alcoholism causes communication breakdowns, and therapy can reestablish those lines of communication in a safe, neutral environment.
Children of alcoholics may benefit from these resources, as well:
Begin Healing Your Family from Alcoholism at Footprints Beachside Recovery
Addiction is a disease that affects the entire family and not just the individual. Footprints Beachside Recovery can help you and your family begin healing.
Our holistic approach to rehab includes traditional, evidence-based components, as well as, a variety of other supplemental therapy techniques to treat all aspects of addiction. If you have questions about treatment or how insurance can help pay for recovery, our team is standing by.
Take the first step towards rebuilding your life and contact us now.
