Alcoholism devastates families. The emotional trauma linked to this addiction affects spouses, parents, siblings and children. Anxiety, depression and other mental health issues associated with alcoholism can remain long after an alcoholic quits drinking or children leave home as adults. However, effective treatments exist that can help families work toward recovery, both as a unit and as individuals.
Alcoholism
Health care professionals at the University of Maryland Medical Center describe alcoholics as individuals who drink alcohol to the extent that it disrupts job responsibilities, affects physical and mental health, and impairs social and family relationships. Symptoms of alcoholism might include making excuses for your drinking, inability to stop or decrease your alcohol intake and reacting with hostility when confronted about your drinking.
Children of Alcoholics
Children and adolescents often experience extreme levels of tension, stress, anxiety, embarrassment, confusion, depression and anger when one or both parents are alcoholics, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. They may feel guilty or responsible for a parent's behavior, believing they misbehaved or somehow created the need for alcohol. Even when at school or attending social functions, children of alcoholics often worry about happenings at home. They fear the alcoholic parent will injure himself, try to drive or become violent. Because of this, their grades, social activities and relationships often suffer.
Adult Children of Alcoholics
Writing for All Psych Journal, Tetyana Parsons says that adult children of alcoholics might have increased problems with depression, anxiety and obsessive or impulsive behavior. They often find it difficult to trust others or establish healthy intimate relationships. Even as adults others would describe as successful, they might have a low self-image and often feel worthless. They sometimes find it difficult to take responsibility for their actions or manage stress in a healthy way. Adult children of alcoholics, especially women, tend to have higher rates of eating disorders such as bulimia.
Other Family Members
Spouses, siblings and parents of alcoholics often develop anxiety, depression or other mental illness. Social isolation and feelings of hatred or self-pity can cause an alcoholic's spouse to neglect parenting responsibilities. Financial concerns caused by alcohol abuse can greatly increase tension and stress that eventually lead to physical ailments such as hypertension or heart disease. Tetyana Parsons notes that family members often devote much of their life to denying the problem and protecting the image of the alcoholic.
Expert Insight
The experts at University of Maryland Medical Center advise that all family members of an alcoholic typically need emotional support and counseling. Al-Anon and Alateen provide group resources for spouses, children and other family members. Many psychotherapists and other mental health professionals offer group and individual therapy for recovering alcoholics and their families. Your physician can also likely provide you with information on resources in your area.
