Alcoholism

A report of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse

to the United States Congress in 1981 revealed the following:

1. Alcohol related automobile accidents cost

California residents $825 million annually.

2. Health and medical bills for alcohol related

problems cost Californians over $2 billion annually.

3. Of California's 24 million plus population more than 1.5 million have a significant drinking problem, each one affecting seriously the lives and welfare of at least four other people.

4. Approximately one half of all traffic fatalities

in this country are alcohol related.

5. Broken families are a common result of alcoholism.

Concerning the children of alcoholics, they are affected in this manner (Ackerman, 1987, p. 27):

1. May be the victims of birth defects.

2. May be torn between parents; in being loyal to one, they

arouse and feel the anger of the other.

3. May be deprived of emotional and physical rapport.

Avoid peer activities, especially in the home out of

5. Learn destructive and negative ways of dealing with problems and getting attention.

. . .
l, as well as new social alignments for the child (Ackerman, 1987, p. 135). First of all, however, it is important for the therapist to assess the existing relationship that the child has with his parents besides the previous type of relationships the child has had with them. It is extremely important for the therapist to help children of alcoholics to interact more positively with their parents. A child's relationship with his parents is one that is very difficult to avoid in spite of the child's age or even if he leaves home (Ackerman, 1987, p. 136-138). When the therapist treats the child, he should only be concerned with the child's emotional welfare and not the sobriety of the child's parents. Some of the therapist's work should be directed toward how the child can survive with an alcoholic parent. In keeping with this, it is important for the therapist to center on the child's feelings about his situation and himself than to focus particularly on the alcoholic parents. The main idea is to assist the child of an alcoholic to have more satisfying and healthy relationships at home besides having good rapport with people away from the home. It must be emphasized that it is not sufficient for the child to only survive in his h
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Approximate Word count = 1767
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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