Children of Alcoholics

"By far the largest group afflicted by alcoholism are the children" (Al-Anon Family Group, 1988, p. 51). In North America, it is estimated that as many as 25 million persons are "either children presently living with one or more alcoholic parents, or adults who . . . grew up in such a home" (Kokin, & Walker, 1989, p. 127).

It was long assumed that "children . . . were somehow immune to the drinker's dependency on alcohol, or that if they disappear once the alcoholic stopped drinking" (Kokin, & Walker, 1989, p. 127). In the 1960s, however, a deeper understanding of the problem developed (Cook, 1969). This understanding revealed that "offspring can be . . . profoundly affected by the various experiences of living with an alcoholic parent" (Kokin, & Walker, 1989, p. 127). It is now known that, in addition to the direct effects of alcoholic parents on these children, "many . . . are in danger of becoming alcoholics themselves without counseling and appropriate help" (Al-Anon Family Group, 1988, p.

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belief that alcoholism is a moral issue rather than a disease has prevented many black families from seeking professional help" (Gravitz, & Bowden, 1985, p. 61). These examples illustrate the need to understand the cultural values embraced by a family as a basis for understanding how to provide services for the family. Criteria based on the cultural values of a single population group are not effective for all families. Characteristics of Children of Alcoholics Children of alcoholics are not like other children. Having spent "years living under the same roof with an alcoholic parent," they "have suffered from the illness in their own way" (Al-Anon Family Group, 1988, p. 52). Most young children of alcoholics "learn that it is not safe (psychologically and often physically) to talk honestly about what is occurring in their lives" (p. 64). There are several characteristics which are prevalent in children of alcoholics. These characteristics are (1) a sense of helplessness and powerlessness, (2) a feeling of humiliation, (3) a feeling of dependence on the alcoholic parent, (4) a feeling of dehumanization, valuelessness, and insignificance, (5) a state of bewilderment and confusion, and (6) a tendency to cope simply to s
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Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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