According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, over 20 million people suffered from some sort of alcohol use disorder or alcoholism this past year. Adding the people who suffer from drug addiction brings the number to over 40 million people. It is estimated that the number of children exposed to alcoholism and drug addiction in their families is significantly higher than those numbers.
When people become addicted to alcohol and drugs, they often believe that the only ones they are hurting are themselves. That has been proven false beyond a doubt. Studies show that exposure to parents with alcoholism and addiction has many detrimental effects on children.
How Are Children Impacted?
Children of alcoholics and addicts can develop cognitive, behavioral, emotional, physical, and academic problems. Being exposed to a chaotic and unstable environment due to an alcoholic parent or adult can increase the risk of children not developing healthy coping strategies and resilience. Studies have found that the children of alcoholics and drug addicts are more likely to develop:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Low Self-Esteem
- Behavioral Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Aggression towards others
- Suicidal thoughts and behaviors
- Delinquent and Anti-Social Behaviors
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
- Lack of Social Skills
Exposure to addiction and alcoholism can also increase the risk of academic and cognitive effects. Children whose parents struggle with alcohol have been shown to have lower GPAs, fail grades, have poor performance in math and reading, and have increased truancy or unexcused absences.
Impact on the Whole Family
Having an alcoholic or addict in the family is stressful enough. But it can be doubly stressful when the alcoholic behavior starts affecting the children closest to the sufferer. Not only does the spouse have to deal with an alcoholic partner, but also with children that may be developing emotional and behavioral problems due to the exposure to the addiction. This can compound the stress in the family and furthers the cycle of addiction.
What Can I Do?
Encourage Recovery
Recovery can happen for the sufferer of addiction. But recovery may also be needed for the other members of the family as well. Recovery should be encouraged for all family members. If the alcoholic or addict is not receptive, the rest of the family can still gain a semblance of peace and growth in spite of them.
Seek Professional Help
While professional treatment is encouraged for the alcoholic and addict, seeking counseling or their own therapist may be necessary for the family members and children of those with the illness of alcoholism. There may be a lot of pain and hurt to process for the family members. Professional help to encourage healing and growth for the family is vital whether the alcoholic seeks help or not.
Helping Kids
Children have little choice or control in the environments they are brought up in. Oftentimes, children of alcoholics and addicts can grow up to become sufferers of the same illness, carrying the same problems into their adult relationships.
Maintaining as stable an environment as possible is important for the child’s development. Keep open and honest communication with your children based on their development level. Children are highly adaptable and resilient. They can see and hear what is going on. If the illness or problems of the adult are hidden, diminished, or never addressed honestly, they may learn not to trust their own awareness. This can lead to trust and behavioral issues. Talking with your children about their feelings in a supportive way is a great first step to their own recovery and health.
Resources
There are many resources out there to help the alcoholic, and family members of the alcoholic, including children. Established professional treatment centers like Bay Area Recovery Center are a good first step for both the person suffering from substance use disorders and the families.
There are many social support groups out there as well. Where Al-Anon is a support group for family and friends of alcoholics and addicts, Alateen is specifically for children of those addicted. There is also ACA or ACoA for the adult children of alcoholics.
There are many qualified counselors and therapists who specialize in helping families and children of alcoholics and addicts. Search for any in your area or network. In any situation, Bay Area Recovery Center has resources for you and your family.