January 01, 2010
Children Of Alcoholic Parents
Children who grow up with a parent with a drinking problem have been shown to suffer from depression, anxiety, acting out, and academic and social difficulties.
Some of these problems begin as early as age 2 however, the few prevention programs that exist for children of alcoholic parents are typically aimed at students in middle school or older.
Andrea Hussong, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, hopes to change that.
Along with her colleagues in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences' psychology department, Hussong is developing an early prevention program designed for families of preschool-age children who are living with a parent with a drinking problem.
The preschool years are an ideal developmental period for intervention because risk behaviors such as aggression may become more difficult to change if they are not addressed before children enter elementary school, Hussong said.
"Many of the young children with whom I have worked in community mental health care were struggling to find ways to cope with parent alcoholism and problem drinking before they entered school," Hussong said.
"Our goal is to work with families one on one to address issues common to healthy family development for all of us promoting positive relationships with children, effective discipline practices, and healthy emotional and social development."
"We know that signs of emotional distress in early childhood predict greater risk for substance use in adolescence and young adulthood," Hussong said.
The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) estimates that 11 percent of all children live in families where one or more parents abuse alcohol or drugs.
Often, Children Raised In Alcoholic Families Learn The "Four Ds" Early On:
- Don’t talk about what is really going on
- Don’t trust anyone but yourself
- Don’t feel or have needs because there is no one available to validate or respond to you
- Deny there is a problem
Because they don’t know what "normal" is, they may constantly seek approval or affirmation. What might be considered overachieving by others might seem routine to children of alcoholics who learned to try to be perfect so they wouldn’t disrupt things or incur the wrath of the alcoholic.
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Most families play certain roles during the addiction and recovery process. In "Family Roles In Addiction" you'll discover if YOU or your FAMILY fits into any of these roles...
The Addict: The person with the addiction is at the center.
The Caretaker: This person is the enabler.
The Hero: This is the person who feels they have to make all family members "look good" in the eyes of others.
The Mascot: The Mascot will often try to inject humor into the situation.
The Lost Child: This is the silent person who always seems to be in the way or left out.
The Scapegoat: This person often acts out in front of others.
In "Family Roles In Addiction" you will begin to overcome issues, and what could be classified as the addiction to the role.
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Robert and Shelley
Founders/Recovery Network