How Does Alcoholism Affect The Family

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Alcoholism affects people in a variety of ways; emotionally, physically and even socially. According to the article, “Physical and Emotional Effects of Alcoholism”, alcoholism is one of the most common forms of addiction. So many people depend on alcohol so much that they end up losing control over themselves. When drinking alcohol, the user can develop many health problems that can lead to death. Alcohol usage leads to many social problems. Family is a really big problem when it comes to alcoholism. The user may not know it, but they are hurting their family members physically, emotionally and even socially. According to the article The Social Effects of Alcoholism, " alcoholism is attributable to verbal and physical abuse of the spouse and the children". Mostly men that are alcohol users …show more content…

The children of alcoholics "have other symptoms such as low self-esteem, loneliness, guilt, feelings of helplessness, and fears of abandonment" (Parsons, p.1). Because of the children’s parents’ addiction, they cannot live a normal life, nor have a normal childhood. The children will isolate themselves from everybody else and have fewer friends. Also while at school they will end up having low grades due to the bad environment at their house that leads them to a lack of study. According to the article, Alcoholism and Its Effect on the Family, “children of alcoholics tend more often to have to repeat the academic year and more often drop out of school”. In a United States government survey, “ 'Exposure to Alcoholism in the Family', shows that 30 percent of young women who didn’t complete high school had grown up in families with alcoholic parents" (Parsons, p.1). Children and teenagers suffer in different ways, not only physically by the alcoholic parent but also socially and