Adult Children Of Alcoholics (ACOA): Trauma, Struggles, And Coping Mechanisms

Many people, including well-known celebrities, have grown up in homes where alcohol abuse was a serious problem. A 2019 study revealed that 1 in 5 adult Americans have lived with an alcoholic relative in their childhood. AddictionResource authors confirm that these children are at higher risk for having emotional problems than those whose parents are not alcoholics.

Many people suffer from long-term effects from living in a harmful environment. There’s even such a term – adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs). As a group, these people are prone to particular behaviors. The common ones are mentioned in the infographic. Often, ACOAs tend to isolate themselves, feeling like an outsider or different from others. They fail to function with other people in healthy ways. Also, children raised by alcoholics are four times more likely to develop a substance abuse problem than those who aren’t.

If your parent is unwilling or unable to quit, that doesn’t mean that you cannot significantly improve your own health and well-being. There are many resources and support groups out there that are designed to help ACOAs. They can provide you with emotional support, teach useful tips to get through your everyday life, help to cope with negative feelings, and even provide college scholarships.
Infographic Source: https://addictionresource.com/alcohol/acoa/