Dangers of Alcoholism In Families
Alcoholism is a dangerous thing. It can hide in plain sight while slowly destroying the alcoholic and the family around them. Kids are in particular danger living with alcoholics. They are vulnerable and need adults to keep them safe and healthy – and an alcoholic is anything but healthy. We’ll take a look at how an alcoholic makes growing up a dangerous time for a child.
Risk of Sexual Abuse
A child living with an active alcoholic (not in recovery) is at a greater risk for sexual abuse for various reasons. First, an alcoholic uses faulty logic and reasoning that excuses them from their extreme behaviors. Their judgment is likely to be impaired much of the time. Second, they are more likely to have troubled marriages or relationships with the other parent (or parents) of their children.
These two factors mean that a child’s welfare isn’t going to be valued above all else. The alcoholic parent may be a sexual abuser, perhaps still struggling from sexual abuse in their past. Or, the alcoholic parent may not discriminate who is around their children – family members who have sexually abused in the past, a boyfriend or girlfriend who has abused children, another alcoholic or drug user who has sexually assaulted someone before.
Risk of Danger in the Home
An alcoholic drinks because they attempt to escape reality. Along with reality, they also take their judgment and inhibition. A person’s sense of inhibition protects them from doing risky things like punching someone who disagrees with them, crossing the street without looking, or emptying their bank account on a shopping spree. Unfortunately, those are the very types of things that can happen when an alcoholic is in a family household.
All sorts of careless activities could be happening in the presence of children as well. They could be woken up by a fire because their alcoholic dad fell asleep with a cigarette burning. They could cut themselves on sharp objects left out by the alcoholic parent. And if the parent drives them anywhere while intoxicated, they could be injured or killed.
Risk of Children Using Drugs and Alcohol
Take a look at the sections above and imagine yourself as a child living with an alcoholic parent. Can you see how many children of alcoholics often become alcoholic themselves? Not everyone who grows up with alcoholism chooses to drink. Some don’t drink but pick partners who have addictive tendencies. And others get support and help to choose a much healthier lifestyle.
The children that do drink alcohol have both the socialization of alcoholism from their growing up years and a genetic disposition for addictive tendencies. If they aren’t guided towards healthy choices and educated about their risks, they are likely to repeat the whole sad story of their childhood. Alcohol rehab is a likely destination if this happens.
Alcohol Rehab Gives Families Hope
If left unchecked, alcoholism can destroy a family from the inside out. But if an alcoholic takes a courageous step and goes to alcohol rehab, all hope is not lost. Of course, alcohol rehab is not a cure – there is no such thing. But alcohol rehab can benefit each and every member of the family live a healthier more emotionally stable life. If alcoholism is festering in your family, get more information about alcohol rehab today.
Tags: Alcohol Rehab, alcohol-treatment, Dangers of Alcoholism in Families
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