If you’re unsure where to start, you can check out Psych Central’s hub on finding mental health support. Studies show that children affected by parental drinking may develop serious problems in adulthood. One of the most common issues reported was a lack of trust in adults (more than 1 in 5). Most importantly, the person with the AUD should consider treatment, as rehab can prednisone can you drink alcohol aid not only the individual but also the family as a whole. However, the way you speak and interact with children also may lessen the impact of a parent with a SUD.

Maybe your parent was irritable, easily aggravated, or verbally or emotionally abusive while drinking or in withdrawal. Experiencing these behaviors from a parent can also wear down your self-worth over time. Consequently, you might become more sensitive to criticism and rejection and have a harder time standing up for yourself. Children who grow up with at least one parent with alcohol use disorder can have an increased chance of experiencing negative health and behavioral outcomes. Sadly, a parent in the throes of addiction is simply unable to provide the consistent nurturing, support and guidance their child needs and deserves.

What are the characteristics of adult children?

AUD is a mental health condition that can prove very difficult to manage and overcome. A parent’s alcohol use disorder (AUD) can have a major impact on your mental and emotional well-being — not just in your childhood, but also well into your adulthood. Although people with AUD aren’t “bad” people (or “bad” parents), their alcohol use can create a home environment not suited for a child.

Interpersonal Effects

Difficulty expressing and regulating emotions can affect your overall well-being and contribute to challenges in your personal relationships. According to White, this may happen partly because children often learn to mirror the characteristics of their parents. Conversely, Peifer notes that some children who grow up in these environments may become more attention-seeking in order to fulfill the needs their parents couldn’t meet. They might eventually form unstable or unhealthy attachments to others, partially because these bonds feel familiar.

Poor School Performance

1. However, other adults can certainly step in to encourage the parent to seek treatment.
2. Studies show that children with alcoholic parents tend to perform worse on tests and are more likely to repeat a grade.
3. If you grew up in an alcoholic or addicted family, chances are it had a profound impact on you.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic health condition that can have a serious impact on a person’s life. If you or the parent have additional questions—or you simply need someone to walk you through the treatment process—American Addiction Centers can help. While AAC offers several treatment facilities across the U.S., our admissions navigators at can provide a host of information and options for your unique situation. They can not only answer questions for those seeking treatment but also provide information and options for those attempting to assist the person with the AUD. Children of alcoholics may benefit from educational programs and group programs such as Al-Anon and Alateen. Children of alcoholics can also benefit from skill building that teaches them a “variety of coping and self-care strategies to stay safe,” according to the NACoA.

The adult child of an emotionally or physically unavailable parent can develop a debilitating fear of abandonment and hold on to toxic relationships because they fear being alone. Growing up with a parent who has an alcohol use disorder can change how an adult child interacts with others. It can cause problems in their relationships with friends, family members, and romantic partners. These effects can last long into adulthood and make it difficult for adult children to have healthy relationships. At the most severe end of the spectrum, fetal alcohol syndrome can include a constellation of physical defects and symptoms and fun substance abuse group activities for adults behavioral issues. Children with FAS often have small heads and distinctive facial features, including a thin upper lip, small eyes and a short, upturned nose.

People-pleasing

Even those with a higher genetic risk for AUD can often take a harm reduction approach when they learn to better understand their triggers, risk factors, and engagement with substances, Peifer says. There are steps you can take as an adult to address the lasting impact your parent’s alcohol use left on you. If one or more parents continue drinking heavily as the child is growing up, this can also have negative consequences. When a woman drinks alcohol while pregnant, her baby has a chance of developing fetal alcohol syndrome disorders (FASDs).

But a parent with AUD may not have been able to offer the support you needed here, perhaps in part because they experienced emotional dysregulation themselves. What’s more, children who had to act as parents to their own parents may go on to believe it’s their responsibility to take care of others, which can lead to codependent relationships. For example, if you couldn’t depend on your parent to feed you breakfast or take you to school in the morning, you may have become self-reliant early on. As a result, Peifer says you could have difficulty accepting love, nurturing, and care from partners, friends, or others later in life. Below, you’ll find seven potential ways a parent’s AUD can affect you as an adult, along with some guidance on seeking support.

Eventually and with the help of others, adult children will come to view alcoholism and other drug addiction as a disease and family dysfunction as the inevitable result. Research suggests that about one in 10 children lives with a parent who has an alcohol use disorder, and about one in 5 adults lived with a person who used alcohol when they were growing up. Parents with an AUD may have difficulty providing children with a safe, loving environment, which can lead to long-term emotional and behavioral consequences. If your family is affected by alcohol use, it is important to seek help.

Studies show that children with alcoholic parents tend to perform worse on tests and are more likely to repeat a grade. They’re also more likely to be truant, get suspended and drop out of school. Some studies have shown that children of parents with AUD are what are whippets? more likely to misuse alcohol themselves in adolescence or adulthood.