Broken Children

Here is yet another generation left broken. Unfortunately, alcoholism is a cycle means the children of people with substance abuse issues will often become addicts themselves, thus, creating another broken generation. Substance abuse is a growing issue in America; therefore, there is a rise in the prevalence of the following symptoms: depression, anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Doctor Sarah William in her article “What Happens to Children of Alcoholic Parents?” explains that approximately 30 million adolescents are decedents of addicts. This becomes 30 million human beings with an increased risk for psychological issues, as well as, many other conditions. Substance Abuse has drastic effects; however, it often does not act alone.

Doctor Sarah Williams, in her article “What Happens to Children of Alcoholic Parents”, explains how maltreatment, feelings of shock, and even abandonment can derive from being raised by an intoxicated parent (Williams, What Happens to Children of Alcoholic Parents”). The child has to try to cope with one’s parent's addiction, as well as, the harm one is facing. Focusing on thoughts they should not have to worry about at this age, the youths also begin to suppress the feelings of neglect and trouble, causing more issues later in their life. Often this can lead to the adolescents beginning to blame themselves for what is occurring. Doctor Williams expresses that the child feels guilty for adding any anxiety onto one’s parents and will feel shameful for needing one’s basic needs. Feelings of neglect combined with dealing with a parent who has substance abuse can take a severe toll on the

In the novel A Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, it is apparent the influence her alcoholic father has on her and her siblings’ lives. Her sister Maureen is the most drastically impacted. Walls explains, “Maureen even stopped reading and slept all day, leaving the apartment only to buy cigarettes” (Walls 274). Because of the childhood Maureen had, she began to rely on cigarettes as a form of escapism and separating herself from her loved ones. The trauma brought onto her by having an alcoholic father who neglected her becomes too much for her to handle. Maureen’s adult life is altered from the normal life of a young adult because she has become too enveloped by her past. Because of the influence of alcoholic parents, sadly many of these children grow up without any knowledge of how to move forward with their