How Does Alcoholism Affect Children

Words: 1446

Pages: 6

Open Document

How Alcoholism Affects Children

Children of alcoholics are three to four times more likely to become alcoholics than their peers. Have you ever heard the phrase ‘history repeats itself’? Well, in a situation in which a child has grown up or is related to an alcoholic, that phrase can terrify. That phrase can cut. Especially if they grew up in an environment that wasn’t exactly ideal for someone, especially a child, to live in. Especially when some are haunted by those memories that follow them through their life like dark shadows, always waiting, always reminding, always tempting. The phrase, so meaningless to some, can mean everything to someone who is struggling not to repeat the mistakes of those around them.

Defined by a number, an estimated twenty million children have at least one alcoholic parent. About eleven million of those children are under the age of eighteen. That means twenty million children suffer under the abuse or neglect of an alcoholic home. Lots of people, especially young children living with an alcoholic parent, may feel guilty for their parents drinking habits, or may feel as if they are responsible for the reason their parents …show more content…
And as much as everyone would like the problem to be solved in a sixty minute production; it isn’t as romantic as that. It can be hard for a child to convince their parents to get help, especially if there parent refuses to accept that they have a problem with drinking. Lots of parents get very angry at the sheer mention that they are drinking too much. The truth of the matter is, is that lots of people believe they are immune or invisible agent’s alcoholism and fool themselves into believing they don’t have a problem even when they do. This can be very confusing to the children, as it lures them into a false sense that their parents drinking is only temporary, when it is instead turning into a disease that can only go

Alcoholism in the Family Essay

April 2013 Alcoholism in the Family Growing up everyone needs someone to look up to. For most, it is their parents. Parents teach their children how the world works and try to guide them in the right direction. Especially through childhood, parents are a child’s world. Kids learn through their parents how to react, talk, socialize, trust, and gain confidence. For most families this is a normal part of the parent- child bond. Some families don’t have it that easy though. For children who live in…

Words 1913 - Pages 8

Alcoholism Research Paper

English 4 Honors Children of Alcoholics (COAS) “Children of alcoholics (COA’s) are considered to be at higher risk because there is a greater like hood that they will develop alcoholism compared with a randomly selected child from the same community.”(Children of substance Abuser: Overview of Research findings). Alcoholism is a serious disease in which people have an overwhelming desire for the mental and physical effects of drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcoholism and drug abuse runs in families…

Words 2122 - Pages 9

Essay on Salem Withch Hysteria

Alcohol Effects on Children Alcoholism is defined as a diseased condition due to the excessive use of alcoholic beverages. Alcoholism is a serious problem in the world today. Alcoholism is not discriminatory it can affect anyone at any time. The statistics and results on children can be mind blowing. Often it affects highly educated people, and studies have even shown that people who lack motivation are less likely to become addicted to alcohol. Alcoholism is responsible for more family…

Words 1556 - Pages 7

Research Paper

thirteen adults are considered to be an alcoholic or to suffer from drinking problems. Alcoholism is a developmental disease that progresses slowly over a number of years and is based on both the physical and emotional dependency on alcohol. In many cases it leads to brain damage or early death. Alcoholism is a chronic disease, which means that it will last a person’s lifetime. The risk for developing alcoholism is influenced by both a person’s genes and their lifestyle. Alcohol was first brought…

Words 1766 - Pages 8

Research Paper

day and age, we see more and more of one issue: Alcoholism. Whether it is a close member of your family, friend or one who has made the headline news, alcohol has become as addictive as a drug of choice and just as uncontrollably detrimental. More frightening, we see the amount of broken homes that surround us torn apart further increasing dramatically by those addicted to drinking. Family studies have consistently demonstrated that “most children of alcoholics (COA’s) exhibit a wide range of characteristics…

Words 1019 - Pages 5

Alcohol Stigma 6pg Essay

Why is alcohol dependence more stigmatized than other physical and mental health condition? And how does this stigmatization affect alcoholics over the course of their recovery, specifically? And Over the course of their lives, generally? Fabian Belgrave Course: CJ 368L Professor Helburn Date Submitted: October 23, 2014 There are many mental and physical conditions that affect people, however alcohol dependence is more stigmatized than then others. Over the course of recovery…

Words 1641 - Pages 7

My Papa's Waltz Essay

The poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” by Theodore Roethke, gives insight into the relationship between a young boy and his drunk father. There are reports that “an estimated 6.6 million children under 18 live in households with at least one alcoholic parent” (“Family Alcoholism Statistics”). Unfortunately, as a child is exposed to this type of behavior he or she can learn from it and continue it later in life. The poem begins with the father coming home and reeking of alcohol but the son dances and plays…

Words 829 - Pages 4

Alcoholic Parent Research Paper

Alcoholic Parent” informs your audience about the various effects alcoholism of a parent can influence on a child. Alcoholism does not only affect the victim, but their surroundings as well. The introduction grabbed my attention and made me want to read more to learn of the long lasting effects the behaviors of an alcoholic parent have on their child. Throughout the research paper, you magnify your focus on the psychosocial effects children of alcoholics experience compared to those of their peers of…

Words 605 - Pages 3

Essay on Alcoholism Nature vs Nurture Argument

Alcoholism and the Nature vs. Nurture Argument Does the environment that one grows up in contribute to alcoholism or is alcoholism determined by genetics? It wasn’t until 1991 that alcoholism was considered both a medical and psychiatric disease by the American Medical Association. Alcoholism is defined in the dictionary as a chronic disorder characterized by dependence on alcohol, repeated excessive use of alcoholic beverages, the development of withdrawal symptoms on reducing…

Words 2767 - Pages 12

Alocoholism In The Family Isu Essay

I am doing my isu on alcoholism and addiction in families. I have a little quiz on alcoholism. ( give out quiz ) correct quiz I found this very interesting video on how alcohol impacts your brain and what damage it can do.- 7 mins In this video you saw how alcohol affects many different parts of the brain. Alcohol travels very quick to your brain, causing you to feel different. Alcohol can have different effect of people, it can cause someone to be very aggressive and angry or it can cause to…

Words 1955 - Pages 8