The Causes And Effects Of Alcohol Abuse In The Family

706 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Family stress theory alcoholism in family

In America, more and more families are becoming more familiar with alcohol abuse. This addiction can lead to broken families, job loss, and abuse. Many people believe that it only affects the one with the problem, but this addiction almost anyone in the family, including friends and co-workers. Alcohol addiction can be caused be a traumatic experience in the family. Whether it be death or divorce, people are looking for a way to handle the situation. Some members of the family may handle it better than others, while some develop habits to cope with the changes. This addiction affects the family in many ways. One way it affects them is abuse. When someone has been drinking too much, they tend to get more aggressive. If someone gets in their way, or does something they …show more content…

Another problem that may occur is financial issues. When someone spends all of their time and money on alcohol, there will not be any money left for bills of necessities. This could cause a decline in the family 's financial status. This addiction can also affect children in many ways. Children may notice the abusers bad habits and could pick up on them in their future years. If there are teenagers in the house, they may think that what is going is OK and could develop the same problems. If there are younger kids in the house, it could affect their mindset and may lead to loss of interest in school, sports, or could even cause mild depression. Children may also suffer from embarrassment. If their classmates, teachers, or other people in the community know of the family 's problem, it could lead to being made fun of. With family, always comes friends. An abuser 's friends suffer just as much as a family does. It is also the friend´s duty to help the abuser get past this major problem. But, it does not

Show More
Related

  • Dangers Of Drinking And Driving Essay

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    Drinking can have a lot of bad effects. It can go from getting arrested to ruining your life. It has broken many families up form alcohol abuse. I have personally seen it happen to several.

    Read More

  • Family Therapy Involving an Alcoholic Parent

    1636 Words  | 4 Pages

    One in five adults can identify with growing up with an alcoholic relative and Twenty-eight million Americans have one parent abusing or dependent on alcoholic (Walker, & Lee, 1998). There are devastating and ubiquitous effects of alcoholism, which vary from psychological, social, or biological problems for families. Counselor’s treating this problem all agree that the relationships within a family, especially between a parent and a child is one of the most influential within a system, but what are the effects on the family when a parent is an alcoholic? Contemporary research has found there is a higher prevalence of problems in the family when alcohol is the organizing principle. In addition, there is copious research on the roles of individuals within the family becoming defined into specific categories, and evidently, the roles may become reversed between the parent and the child. This topic of functional roles in alcoholic families will be analyzed and investigated further. Family therapy has had substantial results in the treatment of an alcoholic parent. These results will be discussed more along, with the literature examining the existing research related, to specific interventions and treatments in family therapy with an alcoholic parent. Before research on the treatment is illuminated on distinctive therapies, it is crucial for counselors facilitating family therapy to comprehend the literature on the presenting problems commonly, associated with alcoholic parents and the effects this population has on their families. Furthermore, the adverse outcomes an alcoholic parent has on their children and spouses has been researched and reviewed.

    Read More

  • Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Anonimus

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alcohol Abuse is part of disorder that affects many people throughout the world. Many are aware of the issues the disorder can bring not just on the victim, but also to the people that surround the person with the psychological problem. There are different areas that can be discussed in regards to alcoholism. According to Coon & Mitterer (2013), a substance abuse disorder is when there is an abuse or dependence on a psychoactive drug. Alcohol is a substance that can become abusive and bring negative effects on a person’s body. Alcohol is a substance that can bring behavioral effects such as behavioral effects, physical changes, and social changes. A good solution to Alcohol abuse can be Alcohol anonymous, an organization that helps individuals with alcohol addiction.

    Read More

  • Family: Effects Of Substance Abuse On Families

    1592 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since family structures are taking on various forms, families have become more complex and evolving from the traditional nuclear family to single parent families, stepfamilies, foster families, and multigenerational families. When a family member abuses substances, the effects on the family may differ depending on the structure. Extended family members may experience feelings of abandonment, anxiety, fear, anger, concern, embarrassment, or guilt; they may wish to ignore or cut ties with the person abusing substances. Effects on families may continue for generations. Neighbors, friends, and coworkers also experience the effects of substance abuse since the person who abuses substances often is unreliable.

    Read More

  • A Child Called It

    1563 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...nding what is "normal" and what is not because of the unpredictable environment they were raised in. Often times alcoholic have a tendency to abuse their children and their spouse. Many times, alcoholics come from an abusive home and they have a history of alcoholism in the family already. In conclusion, alcohol affects every part of your life. It has irreversible affects on the body, including the liver and the brain. Alcohol also has detrimental affects on the mind, which leads to feeling inferior and unstoppable. Alcohol and alcoholism also affects family as well. There are many treatment programs and support groups that can help. However, most of the time the alcoholics refuse to admit they have a problem with their drinking, so it goes untreated. It is best to seek help, as living with an alcoholic parent is not only traumatizing, but taxing on the body and mind.

    Read More

  • Alcohol and the Family

    1683 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the United States alone, there are 28 million children of alcoholics - seven million of these children are under the age of eighteen.   Every day, these children experience the horrors of living with an alcoholic parent. 40%-50% of children of alcoholics grow up and become alcoholics themselves. Others develop eating disorders or become workaholics. Children of alcoholics receive mixed messages, inconsistency, upredictability, betrayal, and sometimes physical and sexual abuse from their parents. They are made to grow up too fast because they must help keep the family structure together by doing housework and taking care of siblings since the alcoholic is not doing his or her part. Children form roles that they play to help disguise the disease. The roles help distract people from seeing the real problem and serve to protect the family so it can continue to function. There are five roles that the family members will take on-- the enabler, the hero, the scapegoat, the lost child, and the mascot.

    Read More

  • Alcoholism Essay

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alcoholism is a major problem in today’s society it is considered a disease. The effects of this so called disease are a lot more serious than one might think, and can effect your life in a big way. Many of alcohols consumers drink frequently that they will eventually get used to it, and it becomes an everyday thing. That right there is where the problem starts. Some of the effects I found are economical, physiological, and physical, which are some of the negative effects alcohol, can have on someone’s life.

    Read More

  • The Dangers of Alcohol and Alcoholism

    3315 Words  | 7 Pages

    Alcoholism is defined as a destructive addiction to alcohol while alcohol abuse is defined as a destructive abuse of alcohol. Alcoholism is the most severe form of alcohol abuse but there are many different factors that contribute to a person becoming an alcoholic. Alcoholism is genetic but usually influenced by someone’s environment growing up and their present environment. Having a abusive childhood or a hard life in general can trigger feelings that turn into a need to drink. An alcoholic can not control his/her intake of alcohol because he/she does not have control over it. There are many signs and symptoms to determine if someone is in fact an al...

    Read More

  • Alcohol Abuse: Alcoholism as a Disease

    2169 Words  | 5 Pages

    The problem of alcohol abuse has been recognized for thousands of years, but only more recently have we begun to see alcohol addiction as a treatable disorder. According to the Classical Disease Model of `Alcoholism,' habitual use of alcohol can be identified as a disease. Webster's Dictionary defines the concept of `disease' as follows: "Any departure from health presenting marked symptoms; malady; illness; disorder." Therefore, as many occurrences of alcohol excess provoke such symptoms, it is somewhat understandable that `alcoholism' is classified as a disease. The Classical Disease Model appears to offer a hopeful option. Treatment and sobriety can allow people to lead fulfilling lives. Adjacent to the notion of alcoholism as personal failure or moral deterioration, the Classical Disease Model appears to be a more desirable concept as it provides a motive for the alcoholic to seek treatment and gain sympathy, minimizing personal guilt. As alcoholism is seen as a progressive and, to an extent, hereditary illness for which those afflicted are not accountable, victims avoid being ostracized from society (Jellinek, 1960). Labeling the problem as a `disease' allows the medical profession to take responsibility for the treatment of alcoholism, which puts the problem in a more favourable light than if it were in the hands of psychologists or social workers, thus detaching the stigma connected with the problem while it is put on a par with other diseases such as diabetes or cancer. However, critics of the Classical Disease Model believe stigma helps reduce alcohol problems and aids the alcoholic. Any effort to reduce the stigma which is faced by the alcoholic will reduce pressures to moderate consumption and could have the additional ...

    Read More

  • Adult Children of Alcoholics

    1600 Words  | 4 Pages

    As the result of being raised in a home where one or both parents were addicted, children of alcoholics generally have certain common characteristics that continue to affect them as adults. Members of a dysfunctional family tend to build up defenses to deal with the problems of the addicted family member. Common problems include lack of communication, mistrust, and low self-esteem. Adult children of alcoholics often become isolated, are afraid of authority figures, have difficulty distinguishing between normal and abnormal behavior, and judge themselves harshly. This often leads to enduring feelings of guilt and problems with intimate relationships. In many cases, adult children of alcoholics develop an over-developed sense of responsibility, and respond poorly to criticism. They may feel different from other people, fear failure but tend to sabotage success, and fall in love with people they can pity and rescue. Fortunately, there are a number of support groups designed to help adult children of alcoholics identify their problems, and start resolving them.

    Read More

  • Alcoholism is a Disease

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    To understand alcoholism, it must first be understood what this affliction is dependent on. Alcohol is a substance that is made by the fermentation of fruits, grains, or miscellaneous other organic materials. The chemical, alcohol, is a depressant and acts on every cell in the human body. Due to this, the central nervous system, along with the pleasure centers of the brain, are affected resulting in a feeling of euphoria and a sense of well being. After repeated exposure, the brain becomes dependent on this drug to unburden itself whenever it feels the compulsion. Several factors that contribute to alcoholism are the individual’s psychology, genetics, culture, and the individual’s response to physical pain.

    Read More

  • Alcoholism

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...s such as identification with or imitation of the alcoholic parent. It may also happen because of the social and family conditions that are thought to be associated with the development of alcoholism. These include family conflict, job insecurity, divorce, and social stigma. Being diagnosed with alcoholism has a major effect on the person personally. It cause them to change there way of thinking collectively. It changes their view of life and the things going on around them. In the alcoholics personal obstacles they usually have history and a pattern of use. They probably have gone through relapse and other associated problems. If the alcoholic started drinking in there secondary education(college) they may obtain deficits in their education. They may even obtain a learning disability or something of that nature. Because of this persons deficit they may not have the proper education or skills to obtain a high paying job. If the alcoholic is already in the workforce they tend to be in high paying positions that cause them to be over worked and highly stressed. They also they may choose to ignore the problem, do nothing, and hope it will either rectify itself or at least not worsen.

    Read More

  • The Tragedy of Alcoholism

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many causes that may lead to alcoholism. Psychological, social, and genetic factors have been linked to alcoholism. The psychological argument is that many alcoholics feel a feeling of inferiority and inadequacy. Alcohol is thought to give them false courage needed to face life. They are not capable of feeling self-assured to function in real life. Another cause may be a social factor. Many alcoholics start and begin moderately due to social or peer encouragement. They build up craving and demand leading to increasing consumption. Eventually, the drinking progresses beyond control. There is another factor: genetics. According to studies, children of alcoholics tend to abuse alcohol themselves. Physiologically alcoholics are though to be weak, and predisposed and more likely to become alcoholics themselves. Children of alcoholic parents tend to be more likely to be alcoholics.

    Read More

  • Sociological Perspectives on Alcohol Use, Problems, and Policy

    2339 Words  | 5 Pages

    Latham, P.K., & Napier, T.L. (1992). Psychosocial consequences of alcohol misuse in the family of origin. The International Journal of the Addictions, 27, 1137-1158.

    Read More

  • Symptoms, Causes, and Effects of Alcoholism

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Because time and amount of drinking are uncontrollable, the alcoholics is likely to engage in such behaviors as [1] breaking family commitments, both major and minor; [2] spending more money than planned; [3] drinking while intoxicated and getting arrested; [4] making inappropriate remarks to friends, family, and co-workers; [5] arguing, fighting and other anti-social actions. The alcoholic would probably neither do such things, nor approve of them in others unless he was drinking" (Johnson 203).

    Read More

More about The Causes And Effects Of Alcohol Abuse In The Family

Open Document