Little Eyes Are Watching You

Little Eyes Are Watching You

You may think that your drinking doesn’t affect anyone. Or, if you do realize your drinking affects others, you may not care. Alcoholism makes you selfish, self-centered and all you can think about is getting the next drink. However, as you drink alcohol and pass out in your living room, you may not realize that you have an audience. Your children are watching you drink yourself into a drunken stupor. This has a major impact on your children.

A Look at the Damage

Everyone around you deals with the consequences of your drinking;. However, your children are the worst off. Growing up with an alcoholic shapes their personalities and has an impact on their future. This experience changes their view on things and their way of thinking and feeling (or lack thereof). Listed below are ways that your children are negatively affected by your drinking.

Negative Effects of Alcoholism on Your Children:

• Your children have to pick up your slack around the house. They take on the role of caregiver as they care for siblings and you. They grow up quickly and miss out on a normal childhood.
• Your children have a greater chance of struggling in school, scoring low on exams and dropping out of school.
• Your children may have trouble with interpersonal relationships. The mistrust, fear and lack of bonding that they have with their parent(s) is transferred to other relationships in their lives.
• Your children learn to repress their feelings and eventually lose the ability to express their feelings. They learn this as a way to help them cope with the trauma that they experience.
• Your children have a greater risk of experiencing mental illness such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder.
• Your children have a greater risk of witnessing or being victims of domestic violence and experience physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect.

Despite these trials for children of alcoholics, many grow up to marry other alcoholics. Children of alcoholics commonly confuse pity with love. They take on the role of caregiver and take the job of “saving” the other person. They repeat the cycle and even become alcoholics.

Looking Toward a Resolution

Alcoholism is not just destroying you, but it’s destroying your family and particularly your children. If you think you’re unhappy, think about how unhappy your children are. Give your children a chance at a better life. Seeking treatment in alcohol rehab can change your life and your children’s lives. As you begin to heal, so will your family and children. Be the person your children want to look up to: Healthy and sober.