Alcoholism and Family Members

Alcoholism is a terrible addiction to go through, not just for the individuals, but the individual’s family too. Bear in mind that these people come from any background. They are any gender, any age, have any type of job. The possibilities are endless. They may have teenagers or young children that would rather not see you suffering from an alcoholic dependency. The same is true for those teenagers and young adults whom drink frequently and have parents or grandparents.

Families can be torn apart and be put under significant strain if a family member becomes addicted to alcohol. In fact, it is the leading cause for family issues than any other cause in the entire world. It is estimated that near seventy-six million people in America alone have gone through a family crisis involving alcohol at one time or another. In case you are wondering, that is approximately one of every four families.

Different alcoholics affect different families in unique ways. For instance, take a pregnant women whom is about to give birth to a baby. If she drinks an alcoholic beverage or experiences withdrawal and finally gives in, there is a much higher chance that the baby will die or will be born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. This is one of the most common birth defects within North America. The baby born with this condition is usually shorter and underweight. They will also have abnormal eyes, thin lips, and flat faces. Their mental capabilities are also limited as their nervous system is damaged. These are all terrible consequences that a baby can have due to a mother’s inability to quit alcohol. Their entire life will be touched by this horrific act, and will often bring about resentment. Many family members will need a good treatment program for alcohol abuse in Ontario.

For those alcoholics whom already have a child that is not born with any defects, the effects of alcoholism can still put a lot of strain and side effects onto them. It is common for children of alcoholics to experience lower levels of self-esteem, tremendous amount of loneliness, and helplessness. Children of alcoholics often feel these emotions because they feel as though they are the culprit for their parent’s heavy drinking. This will lead to depression in their later teenage years as they feel as sense of helplessness like none other. They cannot help their mother or father effectively quit drinking, and they can only blame themselves for them beginning in the first place.

Furthermore, the problems within the family that stem from an alcoholic continue to worsen as a child grows into their teenage years. Teenagers do not receive support from the parent that is addicted to alcohol. They often quit school or do not go on to make an attempt at post-secondary education. In fact, thirty percent of women in the United States that did not complete high school have a parent within their family that was addicted to alcohol. In addition, these teenagers can not possible predict the actions and mood swings of their parents, and will often portray the image their parents show them. They lose their grasp of what is right and what is wrong and will usually end up stealing, smoking, doing drugs, or becoming addicted to alcoholic themselves.

The effects that any alcoholic scenario has within a family are terrible. It causes strain on unborn babies, children that do not understand alcohol, and teenagers that go on to mimic what the alcoholic does. If there is a loved one within your family that suffers from an alcoholic addiction, you must make the appropriate plans to help them deal with it sand overcome it before it affect the rest of the family for the rest of their lives. Having a simple intervention or having a doctor come to the house and explain the effects that it could have or is already having on the family is a good first step.

Once they admit that they have a problem, the family will need to offer the support and guidance they need to succeed in quitting this terrible and deadly addiction. If you really want your loved one to stop all drinking, you must be ready and willing to provide him or her with the amount of help and love they need.

^{Reference:
http://allpsych.com/journal/alcoholism.html}