10 Common Personality Traits of Adult Children of Alcoholics

Impaired Driving Program Participants may be required to undergo screening to identify risk factors for a substance use disorder either as part of the DMV Impaired Driver Program (IDP) or a court order. After the screening, individuals found to be at risk for developing a substance use disorder are referred for a comprehensive clinical assessment that must be completed by an OASAS approved provider. Based on the assessment, completion of a substance use disorder treatment program may be required by the DMV. The full list of characteristics can be found in the Laundry List, the 14 common traits of adult children, which was written by the ACA founder Tony A. As such, a wide range of individual and family therapy options are available through American Addiction Centers (AAC). We can help you not only explore family therapy options but also identify tailored treatment programs to meet your unique needs or those of a loved one.

1. These conditions can take a toll on your sense of safety, which may then affect the way you communicate with and relate to others.
2. In 2019, around 14.5 million people ages 12 and older in the United States were living with this condition, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
3. The group literature and meetings are meant to help adult children identify the problems that have arisen as a result of their upbringing and offer up a solution.
4. As an adult, though, you can learn to manage and change specific behaviors that no longer help you, which can improve your overall well-being, quality of life, and relationships with others.

A 2012 study how to wean off 10 mg prozac that considered 359 adult children of parents with AUD found that they tended to fall within five distinct personality subtypes. One of these types, termed Awkward/Inhibited by researchers, was characterized by feelings of inadequacy and powerlessness. 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.

Recognizing the long-term effects of growing up with alcoholic parents.

This impulsivity may stem, in part, from witnessing a parent make decisions in a similar way. Growing up with a parent who has AUD can create an environment of unpredictability, fear, confusion, and distress, says Peifer. These conditions can take a toll on your sense of safety, which may then affect the way you communicate with and relate to others.

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Adolescents are simultaneously experiencing biological, psychological, social, and role changes, meaning that their bodies, brains, emotions, relationships, and everything in-between are in a state of flux and growth. Youth (ages 12-17) and young adults (18-25) who engage in substance misuse or suffer from a substance use disorder (SUD) face additional challenges that impact their ability to successfully navigate their journey into adulthood. According to a study by the National Association of Children of Alcoholics (NACOA), there are over 11 million children in the U.S. under the age of 18 living in families with at least one alcoholic parent. The statistics provided by multiple sources further break this down to about 76 million adults in the country who have lived or are currently living with a family history of alcoholism. The Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) organization was created to help people who grew up with addicted parents or in dysfunctional homes. The group literature and meetings are meant to help adult children identify the problems that have arisen as a result of their upbringing and offer up a solution.

Talk therapy one-on-one or group counseling, somatic experiencing, and EMDR are highly effective in addressing the signs of trauma and developing new, healthy coping mechanisms. When you grow up in a home with one or more alcoholic parents, the impact of the dysfunction reverberates throughout your life. The term ACoA was also extended to include PTSD by Tian Dayton, specifically how to safely taper off alcohol in her book The ACoA Trauma Syndrome. In it she describes how pain from childhood emerges and gets played out in adulthood, for the ACoA, as a post-traumatic stress reaction. Childhood pain that has remained relatively dormant for decades can be re-stimulated or “triggered” by the dynamics of intimacy. A trained mental health professional can offer more support with identifying unhelpful habits and coping mechanisms and exploring alternatives that better serve you.

As painful as it is for someone to live with alcohol use disorder, they aren’t the only ones affected. And even when these children become adults, it may continue to be a challenge to deal with their parent’s addiction and its lasting effects. It aims to build oneself up, assumes personal responsibility by unequivocally standing up for one’s right to a healthy life and actively works on the changes necessary to achieving it. The collective stance is not to wallow in “being a victim” but to move into the practical application of seeing family dysfunction as a generational affliction and a pattern that can be healed. Growing up with a parent with alcohol use disorder has real-life consequences for many adult children.

Academic and Cognitive Effects of Parents with AUDs

“Many people with AUD are unable to have healthy conflict, especially when under the influence of alcohol,” says White. According to a small 2016 study involving 100 children ages 7 to 14, those addiction recovery art who had fathers with alcohol dependence were more likely to show signs of impulsivity than those whose fathers did not have alcohol dependence. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic health condition that can have a serious impact on a person’s life. Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist/author specializing in addictions, codependency, and underlying issues such as depression, trauma, and anxiety. Rebecca Strong is a Boston-based freelance writer covering health and wellness, fitness, food, lifestyle, and beauty.

In 2006, ACA published a fellowship text[22] of 646 pages, describing in details what the program is and how it works. This text is also called “The Big Red Book”, mirroring the AA fellowship text being called “The Big Book” by members of AA. You might also end up spending a lot of time addressing the consequences of these actions. If your parent has AUD, you may be more likely to act without planning or considering potential consequences.

Mental Health Effects on Children (Emotional, Behavioral, Social)

They may be able to recommend the next steps, including referring you to a mental health professional if necessary. It’s estimated that about 1 in 10 children (7.5 million) have lived with at least one parent with alcohol use disorder, based on a 2017 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Continued alcohol consumption increases the risk of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and can cause birth defects, developmental disabilities, and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. Children who are born with FASD can have physical, cognitive, and behavioral issues later in life.

How a Parent’s Alcohol Use Disorder Can Affect You as an Adult

There are steps you can take as an adult to address the lasting impact your parent’s alcohol use left on you. All of that said, it’s important to explore the potential effects so you, your children, or others in your life can better understand and mitigate these effects. Children largely rely on their parents for guidance learning how to identify, express, and regulate emotions. 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. 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.

According to the 2012 study mentioned above, emotionally dysregulated children of parents with AUD tend to feel as if their emotions spiral out of control and often have a hard time soothing themselves in emotionally distressing situations. According to White, this may happen partly because children often learn to mirror the characteristics of their parents. 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.