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Your parent may have an alcohol addiction if he or she drinks multiple times a week. If your parent drinks multiple cans of beer at a time, he or she may have a problem. For example, if your parent drinks alcohol each day, he or she may have an alcohol addiction. On the other hand, if your parent drinks alcohol on occasion during the holidays, you don’t need to worry about it. Involve your parents’ friends and family members too, tell them what is going on and ask them for help. There is also the option to seek out the services of a professional interventionist or get help from your family doctor or another medical professional or therapist.
Does alcoholism shorten your life?
One study found that people drinking more than 25 drinks a week have a shorter life expectancy by four to five years. Another study in Scandinavia concluded that people hospitalized for an alcohol use disorder had a lifespan that was 24 to 28 years fewer than the general population.
They may begin drinking alcohol at a younger age than other people, and to progress quickly to a problematic level of consumption. In families in which both parents have an AUD, teens may be at higher risk. Children whose parents use alcohol may not have had a good example to follow from their childhood, and may never have experienced traditional or harmonious family relationships. So adult children of alcoholic parents may have to guess at what it means to be “normal.”
Warning Signs of Alcoholism
You are likely already very aware of how alcoholism affects your family. At times, you might fear having your parent’s behavior leave you embarrassed in front of other people. Perhaps you’ve even avoided inviting them to family events out of the fear that they’d drink too much and cause a scene. If you were raised by an alcoholic, you might find that you developed coping mechanisms that affect your life today. You might feel like you need to walk around on eggshells to stop someone from getting mad, or you may have developed a caretaker personality. Guilt, shame and anger are all common emotions to experience as the child of an alcoholic.
There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Maintain a positive attitude and steer clear of labels such as “alcoholic” or “addict” wherever possible. The five major organs that alcohol affects are the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and pancreas.
Get Help for Alcoholism at Genesis Recovery
Children largely rely on their parents for guidance learning how to identify, express, and regulate emotions. But a parent with AUD may not have been able to offer the support you needed here, perhaps in part because they experienced emotional dysregulation themselves. For example, if you couldn’t depend on your parent to feed you breakfast or take you to school in the morning, you may have become self-reliant early on.
If you or a loved one is ready to overcome an alcohol addiction, reach out today. Treatment providers can connect you with programs that provide the tools to help you get and stay sober. Intervention often includes planning, sharing, consequences, and treatment options. Use “I” phrases to explain how your loved one’s drinking affects you.
Provide Your Parent with Options
As a child of an alcoholic, you understand how alcoholism affects the lives and relationships in a myriad of destructive and unhealthy ways. The first step in helping an alcoholic parent is to help yourself better understand the disease by consulting with a medical professional. The professional will help you with resources and help you to acknowledge that you are not to blame for your parent’s alcoholism.
What are 6 effects of alcoholism?
High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum. Weakening of the immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick. Learning and memory problems, including dementia and poor school performance.
After all, your parent may drink alcohol, but doing so doesn’t make him or her an alcoholic. Instead, you need to pay attention to how often your sober house parent drinks alcohol. For your well-being, it’s critical to understand that no one is responsible for someone else’s alcohol or drug problem.
Support for Adults with Alcoholic Parents
Once I rid my thoughts of believing that alcoholism defined who I was, there was a shift in my overall being. When they are ready to begin recovery, you can help them find a rehab program that would be right for them. However, until they reach this stage, it is important to protect yourself from the mental and emotional side effects of their drinking. It may help to start a journal or seek counseling for your own emotions or thoughts.
This invariably leads to withdrawal symptoms and alcohol cravings when alcohol use is reduced or stopped entirely. Alcoholism is progressive, and the early signs are not always noticeable. Most alcoholic parents try their best to hide it until the condition progresses beyond their control.