Children of Alcoholics: Facts, Traits, Risks, and Treatment
They learn to bury their feelings and struggle to express themselves in healthy ways. The media’s glamorous portrayal of alcohol encourages many teens to believe that drinking will make them “cool,” popular, attractive, and happy. Research shows that teens who expect such positive effects are more likely to drink at early ages. However, you can help to combat these dangerous myths by watching TV shows and movies with your child and discussing how alcohol is portrayed in them.
Research shows, however, that teens and young adults do believe their parents should have a say in whether they drink alcohol. Parenting styles are important—teens raised with a combination of encouragement, warmth, and appropriate discipline are more likely to respect their parents’ boundaries. Parents can play an important role in helping their children develop healthy attitudes toward drinking while minimizing its risk. These can include everything from emotional trauma and behavioral problems to difficulties in forming healthy relationships.
- Living with a parent who has an alcohol addiction is sure to affect a child.
- Instead, they have a disease that causes them to make bad choices.
- When their parents are unable to do so due to alcohol use disorder (AUD), it results in many difficulties for them.
- Irresponsible parenting often forces grandparents to take over and raise their grandkids as if they were their kids instead.
- By the end of this guide, you’ll feel confident in your ability to have an open and honest conversation with your child about alcohol.
Deciding how to explain alcohol to a child is not as hard as parents may think. Many times, kids who grow up with an addicted parent are told not to tell anyone about what happens in their home. Consequently, they often feel a great deal of shame and embarrassment about their home lives. Many children feel like they are to blame for their parent’s addiction. Even if they realistically know they are not to blame, they can still struggle with guilt and wonder if there is something they can do to keep their parent from using.
Children of alcoholics are more anxious and insecure because of the lack of parental attachment. The lack of emotional support at home can lead to mental health problems later in life. Whether a child’s parent is receiving addiction treatment for alcohol addiction or not, it’s important to offer a safe space for the child. The teen years are a time to be a good listener and keep the lines of communication open. Even if your kids don’t seem to be hearing what you say, studies show that parents really do influence teens’ behaviors.
Your young teen may try to dodge the discussion, and you yourself may feel unsure about how to proceed. To make the most of your conversation, take some time to think about the issues you want to discuss before you talk with your child. Consider too how your child might react and ways you might respond to your youngster’s questions and feelings. Then choose a time to talk when both you and your child have some “down time” and are feeling relaxed. Children tend to feel shame and guilt2 when they have a parent addicted to alcohol because they blame themselves for the parent’s alcohol use.
What has not been described in this description is an understanding of the damage that enabling behavior and codependency can also take. This is something that I would want to carefully review before encouraging people to use this book. No matter how things might seem right now, it’s never too late to reach the symptoms of wet brain from alcoholism out for help. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is here to help you understand treatment options and answer questions if you’re not sure how to help a child with alcohol use disorder. They may rationalize their behavior, make excuses, hide their drinking, or engage in other secretive or harmful behaviors.
Even if a child has inherited genetic factors that predispose them to AUD, environment, lifestyle, and overall mental health all play a role. You might begin by finding out what your child thinks about alcohol and drinking. For example, a relative, counselor, teacher, doctor, or therapist. You may find relief in sharing your experiences, and they may be able to help you.
Helping Children of Adults with Alcohol Use Disorder
Ignoring the issue or trying to pretend that it doesn’t exist is never a good idea and only leaves kids wondering if this is the way everyone’s life is. Learn more about whether alcoholism is genetic, how alcoholism affects children, characteristics of children of alcoholics, risk factors among children of alcoholics and support for children of alcoholics. If you think your child has been drinking and hasn’t told you, don’t ignore it.
Q: Are there any recommended resources for further education on alcohol?
Having a conversation can alleviate some of the confusion and fear children have and help them understand there are trustworthy, supportive adults in their lives who care for them. Thank you for taking the time to learn how to explain being drunk to a child. By having open and honest conversations, we can promote responsible drinking behavior and help keep our children safe. A great way to help children understand the consequences of drinking is by using real-life examples or stories that they can relate to. For example, you could share a story about someone who drank too much and got sick or got into trouble. You could also talk about how alcohol can affect your ability to make good decisions, and share examples of times when you or someone you know made a bad decision while under the influence.
Treatment for Children of Alcoholics (The Silent Victims)
Consider checking out books, online articles, or community programs focused on alcohol education for kids. By utilizing these and other resources, you can help your child develop a responsible and informed approach to alcohol. Finally, you need to let your child know that it is not their fault that you have this disease. Alcoholism is not caused by anything someone does or doesn’t do, and it is not their fault that you are sick. You can tell them that you love them and you will get better with treatment. When kids feel that you’re being real and honest with them, they’ll be more likely to respect your rules and come to you when they have a problem.
If the child is young, it might be helpful to let Sesame Street start the conversation about addiction. In 2019, Sesame Street began offering a story line on a child whose parent was struggling with addiction. Watching this story might help answer your child’s questions and reassure them that they are not the only person whose recovery national institute on drug abuse nida family has experienced this particular hardship. The National Association for Children of Addiction offers training and tool kits for implementing support groups for children. This organization provides free resources for children on their website, and parents can find pointers for learning how to explain alcoholism to a child.
Addiction Is a Disease
You can then invite the kids you feel good about to family get-togethers and outings and find other ways to encourage your child to spend time with those teens. Also, talk directly with your child about the qualities in a friend that really count, such as trustworthiness and kindness, rather than popularity or a “cool” style. Knowing that alcohol addiction is a disease can alleviate some of children’s negative feelings about alcohol misuse. They may believe their parent is a bad person for having an alcohol addiction, so it is important to communicate that a parent’s alcohol addiction is a legitimate health problem. You have now learned how to explain being drunk to a child in a friendly and age-appropriate way. Remember, it’s important to talk to children about alcohol, its effects, and responsible drinking behavior from a young age.
Early adolescence is a time of immense and often confusing changes for your son or daughter, which makes it a challenging time for both your youngster and you. Understanding what it’s like to be a teen can help you stay closer to your child and have more influence on the choices he or she makes—including decisions about using alcohol. In fact, alcohol is used by more young people than tobacco or illicit drugs.
If you or your loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, help is available at The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper. Alcohol addiction treatment can be the first step in doing right by your children and family. Learn more about treatment and contact us today to get how to flush alcohol from your urine started. Explaining coincidence and being drunk may require different approaches, but a friendly guide on explaining coincidence to a child can indeed be useful. Children are curious beings, and providing simple explanations using relatable examples can help them understand.
This can cause harm to both you and your child because you’re only rescuing them from the consequences of their substance use.10,11 If they aren’t able to face these consequences, they may not see the need for change. It can be frustrating to learn that someone can’t control their alcohol use. If you’re wondering “does my daughter have an alcohol problem” or “does my son have an alcohol problem,” keep in mind that only doctors or licensed addiction professionals can diagnose someone with AUD. If you are interested in further education on the topic of alcohol, there are many resources available.