Children of Alcoholics
The topic I chose for the research assignment is children of alcoholics. I chose to focus more on the children that are involved in families of alcoholics rather than on the family as a whole, because I felt there would be too much information. Because I grew up in a stable, relatively normal family, I chose to research a topic in which I did not have experience with. The participants that I chose for the interview are people that I know to have problems with parental alcoholism. Both of the interviewees are mature enough to reflect upon their childhood experiences, and are also still dealing with them to a point. The male participant is a friend of my sister, and the female participant is my roommate. I will discuss the research that I have done on children of alcoholics and then I will discuss the interviews. Introduction The National Association for Children of Alcoholics reports that there are an estimated 11 million children of alcoholics under the age of eighteen in the !United States ("Children of Alcoholism: Important facts"). Additionally the association states that "almost one in every five adult Americans lived with an alcoholic while growing up" ("Children of Alcoholism: Important facts"). These statistics are horrif
lcoholics have little chance of creating a normal, nurturing life for themselves and their future families (Seilhamer and Jacob 170). Unfortunately, the emotional impact on being born to an alcoholic family is long lasting, even if a child does not end up being an alcoholic. Many adult children of alcoholics developed "exaggerated coping styles," which "lead to dysfunction in adulthood (Seilhamer and Jacob 168). It is difficult for children of alcoholics to "achieve successful intimate relationships" in adulthood because all they have ever known were negative relationships (Ackerman 10). Adult children of alcoholics often find themselves intimately involved with someone who is an alcoholic, or is in some way abusive. Thus, the suffocating and detrimental cycle of alcoholism continues. Interviews In order to gain a more personalized perspective on being a child of an alcoholic, I conducted two interviews. It is important to understand that not all families that have an alcoholi! r to help the family members that are caught in the web of alcohol abuse. In studying families, it is important to learn more about alcoholic families because they represent a large number of families. Every member of a family is affected by an alcoholic, whether it be in marital problems, child abuse or a host of other problems. Family therapists need to understand the dynamics of a family dealing with alcoholism in order to be successful in aiding the family. More efforts need to be taken to help the innocent victims of alcohol's devastating wrath. The words or former Senator Paula Hawkins are a call for action: "In our mutual effort to create a better world for our children, we must ensure that their freedom to develop and grow, from fetus to maturity, is not destroyed because of the disease of alcoholism" ("Alcohol Abuse and its Implications for Families"). Bibliography Works Cited Ackerman, Robert. Let Go and Grow: Recovery for Adult Children. Pompano Beach, 1987. Boggs, ! ying. Living with an alcoholic is a very dangerous and emotionally stressful experience. Effects of growing up in an alcoholic family include Fetal Alcohol Syndrome for a baby that is exposed to alcoholism in the womb, hyperactivity, alexithymia, low self esteem, child abuse and many others. Teenagers who are children of alcoholics are emotionally neglected and might start drinking earlier than their peers. Adults who have survived living with an alcoholic family often have trouble functioning in relationships. In the 1970's, researchers and other professionals began to look deeply into the "impact of parental alcoholism on children" (Jacob and Seilhamer 168). This began to open America's eyes to the dangers of being a child ! revealed that, "the sons of alcoholic father are four times more likely to become alcoholics, and the daughters of alcoholic mothers are three times as likely to become alcoholics" ("Alcohol Abuse and its Implications for Families"). Because the children of alcoholics "experience a greater number of life stressors than do non children of alcholics", they are more likely to be depressed, have a lowered self esteem, and associate with peers that are involved in deviant behaviors (McGrath et al. 19). These characteristics which develop from being a child of an alcoholic are often the cause of alcohol and other substance abuse (McGrath et al. 18). Alcoholic families often allow this behavior due to the fact that little attention is paid to the child. Children of alcoholics are also prone to resolving conflicts by drinking, because the behavior is reinforce by the parents (Dunn and Goldman 579). Alcohol may serve a variety of functions for the emotionally scarred child. It can redu! mer and Jacob 176). Doctor and hospital bills are a large financial burden on a family, which could create more tension and stress. Because many alcoholics' drinking interferes with employment, unemployment is closely related to alcoholism (Boggs). Without one possible source
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Approximate Word count = 3755
Approximate Pages = 15 (250 words per page double spaced)
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