Children of Alcoholics

Are your parents drinking too much? Do you worry about them? Most children love their parents and want them to be well but many children live in alcoholic homes. They feel they must protect their parents and keep their parents drinking a secret. Yet life is miserable and a childhood lost to worrying, the child must grow up fast. If it’s the father who drinks, sometimes he is kind and loving “But other times he wasn’t that way. Those were the times he was drunk. When he didn’t come home at all, you worried and waited. At home, he passed out, got into big fights with your mother, even came at you, which was really scary. Sometimes you got in the middle, trying to keep the peace. Never knowing what was going to happen, you always felt somewhat desperate” (Adult children of Alcoholics) Janet Geringer Woititz.


When you are a child in an alcoholic home you are never really sure of what you may have to face. Will mum/dad be in good mood or bad? One teenage girl describes a scene in her house.” There was a great atmosphere when her parents were getting ready to go out or mum would be in great form if dad was coming home with beer/wine she would be singing. But the rest of the time she would be grouchy and irritable always fighting with dad. They wouldn’t talk for months. A tense nervous angry feeling in the air all the time”
Remember Alcoholism is a disease. 1. Its not your fault. 2. You are not alone. 3. Its okay to talk. It’s important that children find someone they can talk to like a teacher or counsellor in their school or community worker. Children of alcoholics may be neglected or abused and frequently face economic hardship and social isolation. There performance in school often suffers. They can also experience a lot of anxiety and develop low self-esteem. It’s difficult to deal with the mood swings of a parent who drinks. You are never sure of what you’re getting.
There is help out there! A group called “Alateen” for teenagers of alcoholic parents or a different family member with alcohol problems. You can go along and listen to other teenagers in your situation and maybe share your experience, it’s a safe place.