Alcoholism Impact on Families

Alcoholism does not only affect the person drinking. The effects of alcoholism on families are staggering; it’s a bigger problem than many people realize. The family of an alcoholic can enable him out of a perceived need to protect the family, which can also lead to other members of the family following in the same footsteps as the alcoholic. Alcoholic families tend to all condone the same basic behaviors, which can lead to a lot of people suffering from the same disease unnecessarily. For more information, visit our alcohol rehab program page.

“I use to drink every day without a care until I released the demons that now I must bear.” ― Stanley Victor Paskavich

Alcohol and Family Ties

Since alcoholism runs in the family, the effects of alcohol on a family can be difficult to discern because they appear to be normal to those living within the chaos. To those on the outside, dysfunction caused by alcoholism in families may be transparent. When an entire group of people considers problem drinking to be normal, the irresponsible behavior that goes on day in and day out also appears to be normal. It just means that alcohol begins to permeate everything that the family does.

Alcoholism Affects Family Members of All Ages

One of the problems with alcoholism in the family is that it not only affects those who drink, but also those who spend time with them. Just because a person may not drink until the younger members of the family are in bed, does not mean that they are not affected by the drinking that is going on at night.

• At times, people drink too much and black out. This could lead to neglect in the younger members of the family.
• Sometimes people run out of alcohol before they hit their desired state of drunkenness, and go out to get more. This can endanger kids left home alone, and anyone on the road at the time the alcoholic heads out.
• Alcoholism can be a huge monetary drain which affects the entire family.
• Alcoholics tend to struggle with depression and violence, which could lead to abuse of the younger members of the family.
• Alcoholics have increased chances of major health problems, which could lead to children being left without caregivers.

Alcoholism Takes Time

At first, not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. It takes time for alcohol tolerance to start to climb, where there is an increase in the amount of alcohol one drinks. This is typically when the alcohol effects on the family first begin. As this tolerance is being built and the grip of addiction gets stronger, they start to lash out at those around them that might stop them from getting the alcohol they crave.

The only consistently proven way to get away from this bad habit is to get into an alcohol rehab for men. When it comes to alcoholism and family, the addict is often going to pick drinking over their family when their addiction is bad enough. This may require a longer type of treatment than a basic rehab would be able to offer.

“I had two speeds, which often varied with my blood alcohol level: fine with whatever, and never, ever satisfied. Where was the balance between these two?” ― Sarah Hepola

Alcoholism puts the body through a lot. This causes a lot of damage with each drink, and the damage accumulates over time. This can lead to a wide array of health issues down the line for the addict, including things like:

• Cirrhosis of the liver
• High blood pressure
• Cardiovascular disease
• Seizures
• Kidney stones
• Memory issues
• Vision problems
• And more…

Watching someone that you care about suffering the effects of alcoholism can tear a person and a family apart. It is hard to watch someone you love continue to drink, even while you can see that it is slowly killing them. Getting through to them is not always possible, no matter how hard you try.

His House Can Help Curb Alcoholism in Families

Because of alcoholism’s effects on families, we’ve designed specific programs to help keep families together. We work with men who struggle with alcohol addictions so they can not only keep their family together but also teach the next generation that they do not need to follow in the footsteps of problem drinkers. Learn more about our alcoholic drinking self-assessment to get started on the path to recovery.

Call Today

Take the time to contact us so we can help you get your life and your family’s back. For more information, visit our contact page and reach out today.

If you or a loved one needs immediate assistance, our dual diagnosis treatment program can provide comprehensive care for co-occurring disorders. We also offer detox services to safely manage withdrawal symptoms.