How alcoholism affects a child

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• SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

  Also visit the online treatment locator.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 (HELP4U) to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.

The service is open 24/7, 365 days a year.

English and Spanish are available if you select the option to speak with a national representative. Currently, the 435748 (HELP4U) text messaging service is only available in English.

In 2020, the Helpline received 833,598 calls. This is a 27 percent increase from 2019, when the Helpline received a total of 656,953 calls for the year.

The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.

The service is confidential. We will not ask you for any personal information. We may ask for your zip code or other pertinent geographic information in order to track calls being routed to other offices or to accurately identify the local resources appropriate to your needs.

No, we do not provide counseling. Trained information specialists answer calls, transfer callers to state services or other appropriate intake centers in their states, and connect them with local assistance and support.

• Suggested Resources

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  It's Not Your Fault (NACoA) (PDF | 12 KB)
  Assures teens with parents who abuse alcohol or drugs that, "It's not your fault!" and that they are not alone. Encourages teens to seek emotional support from other adults, school counselors, and youth support groups such as Alateen, and provides a resource list.

  After an Attempt: A Guide for Taking Care of Your Family Member After Treatment in the Emergency Department
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Last Updated: 08/30/2022

How Growing Up With Alcoholic Parents Affects Children

An alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects not only the user but can also affect the people in the user’s life. Because addiction is a family disorder, spouses, siblings, parents, and children also experience the consequences of an AUD. Drinking alcohol has very little stigma and is often synonymous with social activities. The social acceptability of alcohol makes it easy for some to develop dependencies on or addictions to alcohol. This inability to control alcohol use can cause individuals to not meet their obligations at work, home, and school. When a parent has an AUD and can’t meet their responsibilities, there can be negative effects for the child that can last into adulthood. Having an alcoholic parent can impact any and all aspects of a child’s life. 

Children with alcoholic parents are 4 times as likely to engage in excessive drinking at some point in their life. This can be attributed to genetic factors related to addiction or the normalization of unhealthy drinking habits in their family. They can experience loneliness, depression, anxiety, guilt, anger issues, and an inability to trust. Exploring typical environments and associated trauma can help adult children of addiction treat the wounds caused by their parent’s AUD. 

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Living With Alcoholic Parents

In the US, there are 11 million children under the age of 18 living with at least 1 alcoholic parent. When a parent is preoccupied with maintaining their dependency on alcohol, they often do not meet their child’s basic needs. These needs include nutrition, safety, education, structure, consistency, affection, and healthcare. If these basic needs are not met, households (many of them fraught with alcohol abuse) could be filled with chaos and uncertainty. Children may be exposed to arguments and violence or may not know where their next meal is coming from. 

An unpredictable and unreliable environment can cause a child to feel unsafe in their own home. They may feel trapped and unable to escape the pain caused by their parent’s addiction to alcohol. Children may blame themselves for their needs not having been met, which can lead to feelings of shame and unworthiness. In addition, increased difficulties in academic and social settings can be the result of this kind of environment.

Children in households with alcohol addiction may have to mature at an accelerated pace. In these households, children may have to take on a caretaker role for their parents or siblings. Although assuming this type of family role at a young age can be a lot of pressure, some positive character traits can develop. These effects include resilience, empathy, responsibility, and determination.

Adult Children Of Alcoholics

Growing up with an alcoholic parent fosters adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Studies have shown that 61% of adults have at least 1 ACE, and 1 out of 6 has at least 4. Children affected by AUDs reported having, on average, 2.1 ACEs. Having even 1 ACE can increase the risk of becoming a smoker, obesity, depression, and a substance use disorder (SUD). When an alcohol addiction is the cause of an ACE, there are specific outcomes that are present throughout adulthood. Adult children of alcoholics are 4 times more likely to choose a partner with an SUD. They also have an increased risk of becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol themselves. In adulthood, these children are more likely to have a lower socioeconomic status and problems with forming interpersonal relationships.  

Growing up with 1 or both parents dependent on alcohol can also result in symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adulthood. These symptoms include hypervigilance, need for control, difficulty with emotions, and low self esteem. Even just 1 of these symptoms being present can indicate a history of trauma.

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Hypervigilance

A person who is hypervigilant experiences an increased state of awareness that causes sensitivity to surroundings. This attentiveness can be excessive and may distract in work environments, family life, and other relationships. Knowing all the possible dangers is important to a hypervigilant person, even though these dangers may not be real. It is likely that hypervigilance stems from the shame and pain an individual experienced in their childhood with alcoholic parents. Because of this, children may have had to become aware of all potential dangers at a young age; this can turn into using.

A Need For Control

Because of the instability in households with alcoholic parents, children often feel vulnerable and helpless. This lack of control frequently results in an unhealthy focus on having control over one’s life, situations, or the behaviors of those around them. An intense need for control can lead to problems with forming and maintaining intimate relationships. 

Difficulty With Emotions

Children with alcoholic parents learn to hide their emotions as a defense mechanism. Negative emotions, such as sadness, anger, embarrassment, shame, and frustration, are concealed to create a sense of denial. Being in denial allows children to feel safe. Hiding one’s negative emotions for an extended period of time can cause a shutdown of all emotions in adulthood. Positive emotions can become just as difficult to express as the negative ones.

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Low Self Esteem

A negative self-image can also be the result of having alcoholic parents. Because children are dependent on caregivers, their self-perception develops as a reflection of how they are viewed by caregivers and authority figures. An absent parent with an AUD may not provide their child with an accurate perception of themselves, which can cause life-long issues with self-image. Children of alcoholic households, even well after they’re grown, may struggle with confidence, social comparison, positive and/or negative feedback, boundaries, self-doubt, and accepting help. None of that is their fault.

Addressing Trauma

The National Association For Children Of Addiction, which works to support families struggling with addiction, lists 4 primary steps adult children of addiction can take to work through trauma:

1. Explore past history to be able to let go of denial and grieve trauma. This is done to acknowledge and discover one’s reality, not to blame others. Being honest with oneself during this step is essential.
2. Connect the past with the present to establish a sense of direction. This is achieved by identifying how past pain and loss influence who an individual is today. 
3. Challenge internalized beliefs that get in the way of how one lives one’s life. The hurtful beliefs learned during childhood must be let go to make way for new ones. 
4. Learn new skills that were not acquired during childhood. This step also includes gaining more confidence in the skills learned at a premature age.

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Learn To Cope Healthily

Even though the effects of growing up with alcoholic parents can last through adulthood, it’s important to remember that children in these situations have to do the best they can to cope and survive. Guilt, distrust, denial, inability to express emotions, shame, need for control, low-self esteem, reliance, empathy, maturity, and responsibility are all developed in response to their chaotic and unstable environment. By being honest with oneself and acknowledging the effect pain has had, children of alcoholic parents can let go and move forward. For more information on how children are affected by alcohol use disorders or how to find treatment, contact a treatment provider today.

What happens to the child if the mother drinks alcohol?

03.12.2019

Alcohol and pregnancy are incompatible - doctors do not get tired of talking about this to expectant mothers. But pregnant women sometimes allow themselves to skip a glass of wine, thinking that nothing bad will come of such an amount. However, alcohol can interfere with fetal development at any stage of pregnancy, even very early.

Studies show that excessive (four or more drinks at a time) and/or regular drinking by an expectant mother puts the fetus at the greatest risk of serious problems. But even a smaller amount of alcohol can be harmful, since there is no safe dose. nine0003

Alcohol easily passes from the mother's bloodstream into the child's bloodstream, which can affect the development of the brain and other vital organs, structures and physiological systems of the baby's body, leading to malformations that can begin in a child in early childhood and last a lifetime. The most profound effects of prenatal alcohol exposure are brain damage and associated behavioral and cognitive impairment.

Scientists define a wide range of effects and symptoms caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, termed "fetal alcohol spectrum disorders". These include conditions such as intrauterine alcohol syndrome, alcohol-related nervous system disorder, and alcohol-associated birth defects. All these cases have one common feature - damage to the central nervous system (CNS) as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure to the fetus. nine0003

The effect of alcohol on the CNS may be structural (eg, reduction in brain size, changes in certain areas of the brain) or functional (eg, cognitive and behavioral deficits, motor and coordination problems). Extended studies using modern imaging techniques (MRI, CT, etc.) have revealed differences in the structure and activity of the brain that are consistent with neuropsychological testing data, including a disorder in processing information from the senses, changes in cognitive processes and behavior in adults with the disorder alcohol spectrum of the fetus compared to healthy people. nine0003

The most profound effects of prenatal alcohol exposure are brain damage and associated impairments in behavioral and cognitive functioning.

How are the disorders different?

Fetal alcohol syndrome was the first form of alcohol spectrum disorder and is still the most well-known syndrome. It manifests itself with excessive alcohol consumption by the expectant mother during the first trimester of pregnancy. The impact of harmful substances on the fetus can disrupt the normal development of not only the brain, but also the face. Thus, in addition to CNS developmental anomalies, the child will have a specific pattern of three facial anomalies: narrow eye openings, a smooth area between the lip and nose (compared to a normal ridge), and a thin upper lip. Also, the baby may experience growth deficiency in utero and (or) after birth. nine0003

Partial fetal alcohol syndrome includes only some of the characteristics listed above.

An alcohol-related disorder of the nervous system is characterized by disorders of the central nervous system, which may be structural or functional. Functional impairments include a complex pattern of cognitive (mental) or behavioral problems that do not correspond to the standard level of development at any given age in a child. At the same time, the reasons for this discrepancy cannot be explained by factors other than prenatal alcohol exposure. Facial abnormalities and growth retardation should not be present. nine0003

Alcohol-related birth defects include heart, kidney, bone, and other malformations; difficulties with vision and hearing; decreased function of the immune system. They are rarely considered separately, but rather are a secondary disorder that accompanies other fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

What will happen to the baby in the future?

Every person whose mother may have abused alcohol during pregnancy experiences a combination of everyday turmoil that includes medical, behavioral, educational, or social problems in the following areas: nine0003

• learning and memorization;
• understanding and following directions;
• ability to keep attention;
• the ability to control emotions;
• communication and socialization;
• performing daily life skills (eg, eating, bathing, counting money, taking care of personal safety).

People with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder are more likely than others to make bad decisions, repeat the same mistakes, trust the wrong people, and have difficulty understanding the consequences of their actions. They are also more prone to disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, impulse control problems, alcoholism and drug addiction. nine0003

People with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder are more likely than others to make bad decisions, repeat the same mistakes, trust the wrong people, and have difficulty understanding the consequences of their actions.

Risk factors

Of course, it is impossible to argue that just one sip of champagne during pregnancy can provoke many anomalies in the development of the fetus and affect the psyche of the unborn child. But the medical community recommends completely avoiding any dose of alcohol during pregnancy. nine0003

There are risk factors that contribute to the development of undesirable consequences:

• the amount of alcohol a pregnant woman drinks at a time;
• frequency of drinking by a pregnant woman;
• the stage of pregnancy at which a woman drinks alcohol, and how much she drinks during the formation of one or another body system in the fetus.

Prenatal alcohol exposure to children can be exacerbated if their mothers are malnourished, overweight, underweight, or smoke…
In addition, studies show that prenatal alcohol exposure affects children more if their mothers live in unfavorable conditions and experience high levels of stress. These may include, for example, social isolation, living in a society where excessive drinking is common and acceptable, and living in a society where resources for prenatal care are limited.

The prenatal effects of alcohol on children can be exacerbated if their mothers are malnourished, overweight, underweight, smoke… nine0003

How to help a child?

First aid for a child is the refusal of the expectant mother from alcohol. But if during pregnancy a woman allowed herself to drink alcohol and the child has symptoms of a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, special tactics of education and training should be applied. For example, a school may want to use specialized learning strategies that provide a consistent routine and allow children to continually practice learning skills. This will allow students to study better, remember lessons faster and keep up with the class. nine0003

First aid for a child is the refusal of the expectant mother from alcohol.

Other ways to help include family support groups and classes to help parents take better care of their baby, prenatal and postpartum supplements for their babies, mental health interventions for children that include social skills training, problem solving, and personal safety.

Of course, all these measures can be taken by specialists. You should not take dietary supplements and medications unless prescribed by a doctor. nine0003

A child whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy may develop both physiological and mental disorders, which will affect his life. A woman's refusal to drink alcohol will help her child grow up healthy and happy.

Mother's alcoholism and its impact on the health of the child

Alcohol is one of the most widespread and most accessible psychoactive substances (surfactants) in the countries of European culture.

Alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse and its adverse effects, or, according to modern scientific terminology recommended by WHO, alcohol-related disorders, are among the leading contributors to the global burden of disease (burden of disease) and the main causes of risk premature deaths [1]. nine0003

Excessive drinking in the family, including female alcoholism, has a negative impact on children and hinders their normal development. In our opinion, the adverse effect of mother's alcoholism on the health of the child is carried out in three main ways: hereditary transmission of susceptibility to alcohol abuse; drinking alcohol during pregnancy; unfavorable family environment.