Alcoholism can affect children not only during their childhood, but also into their adult lives. They are forced to structure daily routines and activities around their alcoholic parents to avoid humiliating episodes, conflict or violent encounters. A child's character, education and mental state can be significantly disrupted because of alcoholism in the family.
Parental Guidance
Communication problems, arguments and domestic violence often result when the wife or husband is an alcoholic, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). This has a direct impact on children whether one or both parents suffer from alcoholism. Proper guidance, even by a sober parent when the other parent has a problem with alcoholism, is difficult or absent. Normal rules and limits can become inconsistent and unpredictable, the NIAAA says. Children suffer developmental problems because of the chaotic environment of the home. The child may feel a lack of warmth or neglect by either parent because of poor parental quality from alcoholism.
Low Self-Esteem
Children of alcoholics develop lower self-esteem than other children during childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, according to the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA). They may suffer from depression, anxiety and symptoms such as bed-wetting and nightmares. They often do not have friends around the house because of their alcoholic parent and become socially withdrawn as they enter adolescence and young adulthood. Fear, guilt, shame and loneliness are often characteristics of children from an alcoholic home.
Family Conflict
The lives of children can become full of constant turmoil when there is an alcoholic in the family, according to Projectknow.com. The children must spend endless hours trying to avoid the conflict alcoholism creates. They may feel isolated or abandoned when both parents drink or because the sober parent focuses too much attention on the alcoholic. At times, the child can become angry at the parents, and then feels guilty about the anger because children still love their parents. The unpredictable behavior of alcoholic parents leaves children with frequent anxiety and concern for the parents' well-being. They fear the drinking will cause violence and lead the parents to harm.
Abuse
Commonly, children of alcoholics often suffer from emotional, physical or even sexual abuse. Alcoholics may unleash verbal abuse at their children, who often grow up believing they are no good. Alcoholism increases the risk of physical abuse to children and among the parents. Alcoholism is often involved in family violence, the NACOA says. The children may feel responsible for the fighting that occurs between the parents, according to the NIAAA. Children of alcoholics have reported sexual abuse, but the extent of this remains unknown because of the unmentionable nature of sexual abuse.
Behavioral Problems
Children from alcoholic families present a risk for disruptive behavioral problems, aggression, impulsiveness and sensation seeking, the NACOA explains. They tend to feel that they will become failures even after succeeding at academics. They also present a risk for alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders. Although genetic factors are often involved in alcoholism, environmental factors can play a role because the child grows up surrounded by drinking. Children from alcoholic homes suffer significantly more from mental disorders and health problems than children from non-alcoholic families, the NACOA notes.
