The Effects Of Parental Alcoholism On Children

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Effects of Parental Alcoholism
Alcoholism is defined as a disease or disorder where an individual is physically and mentally dependent on alcohol (Aziz, Naz, 2016, p.680). This disorder affects not only behavior by preventing the fulfillment of basic social and occupational tasks, but it also harms aspects of the brain such as memory (Aziz, Naz, 2016, p.680). According to Aziz (2016), alcohol abuse is also linked to depression and anxiety. However, it is important to recognize that these effects of alcoholism go beyond the individual and also impact people around them (Park, Schepp, 2014, p. 1222). In a family setting, having an alcoholic parent can greatly impact children since they are the most vulnerable (Park, Schepp, 2014, p. 1222).
Because children are in the stage of development, they are considered to be the most susceptible to parental alcoholism (Park, Schepp, 2014, p. 1222). However, research showed that these children are very aware of the dangers of alcoholism (Hill, 2013, p.345). Although many of these children, studied by Hill (2013), preferred to purposefully limit any mention of alcohol abuse in their families, they showed great understanding of this problem. Children are actually troubled more about the effects parental alcoholism has on their family, for example they can associate alcoholism with the increase of disharmony between parents, and neglect from parent(s) (Hill, 2013, p.345). In a lot of these studies children were very selective of when to share their personal experiences, they were more likely to talk about their parents drinking problem if it was not present anymore or had decreased (Hill, 2013, p.347). These children shared their unwavering defense of their alcoholic parent, never really admitti...

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...the dangers of alcohol are emphasized, not only to the individual but to the family. However often alcoholics don’t consider the negative influence they are having on their children. Although there still contradictions about the causes of alcoholism: some argue that it is a disease while others say it’s a choice. Whatever the reasons, parental drinking affects children negatively. It is dreadful that most children of alcoholics, the younger ones at least, have no control over the negative effects that their parent’s drinking problems give them. Many of these consequences of parental drinking can persist for a great part of the children’ s lives, so it is important to make alcoholics aware of the undesired effects of alcohol. It is definitely not the children’s choice to grow up with alcoholic parent(s), yet they still are largely impacted for their parent’s choices.

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