The Effects of Alcoholism on Family Members
Alcoholism is responsible for more family problems than any other single cause. (1). Each family member is affected by alcoholism. A fetus can be born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome if the pregnant woman uses alcohol while pregnant. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is associated with a baby being born who is shorter, underweight and has a deformed brain, skull and/or face. As the child grows, he/she can have difficulty learning, problem solving, have a short attention span, use poor judgement and are often hyperactive and angry. Children impacted by alcoholism may wet the bed, cry frequently and/or be afraid to go to school. They may have low self-esteem, feel lonely, have feelings of guilt or helplessness, have chronic depression and feelings of abandonment. (1). They may become perfectionists, be excessively self-conscious, develop phobias or engage in hoarding. (2). Often, family members of an alcoholic family “take on” certain roles in the family as a way of dealing with the alcoholism. A child, adolescent or adult can experience different roles in their lifetime.
Common Alcoholic Family Roles
Alcoholic: the one in the family with the addiction.
Enabler: the one in the family who helps the addiction continue (may purchase alcohol and bring it home or call the alcoholic’s boss to make excuses for him/her to miss work.
Hero: usually the oldest child, who often becomes the enabler when the enabler is not available. This person is often performance oriented and an unrealistically high achiever.
Scapegoat: the one who identifies most with the alcoholic. This person often expresses his/her is most likely to repeat the alcoholic parents’ pattern of using.
Clown: this one uses humor as a defense mechanism to lesson conflict. This one will try and
Lost Child: this is sometimes the youngest and quietest child. This one if frequently left alone during conflict and often grows up feeling empty. (3).
Because an alcoholic home environment “is characterized by chaos, unpredictability, hostility, fear and loneliness” 4, children from these homes grow up to be “Adult Children of Alcoholics” who share common traits and symptoms from having grown up in this type of family.
Please see continuing article, “Adult Children of Alcoholics”.
Many persons who grow up in a home where there is addiction, seek mental health treatment from a counselor, therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist to help them overcome the effects of addiction.
REFERENCES
Berger, G. (1993). Alcoholism and the family. New York, Franklin Watts.
Silverstein, H. (1994). Alcoholism. New York, Franklin Watts.
Woititz, J. G. (1983). Adult Children of Alcoholics. The Awareness Center.
https;//www.recoveryconnection.com/bottle-family-alcoholic-families-alcohol-rehav/