An
estimated 6.6 million children under 18 live in households with at
least one alcoholic parent.
1
in every 10 American women in peak reproductive years (18-24) drinks
enough alcohol (2 or more drinks a day) to jeopardize her unborn child.
1/3 of alcoholic deaths are from suicides or accidents such as
drownings, head injuries from falling or car crashes.
Only
14 percent of deaths actually caused by alcoholism are so labeled.
One
in four American youngsters age 10 to 18 are at serious risk of
becoming involved in abuse or alcohol and other drugs.
Offspring
of alcoholics are three to four times more likely to develop alcohol
problems than are the offspring of non-alcoholics, regardless of the
environment in which they are raised.
Recent
studies indicate that immediate relatives of alcoholics are seven
times more likely than the general population to develop a similar
drinking problem.
As
many as 3 million Americans over the age of 60 are alcoholics or
have serious drinking problems
About
43 percent of U.S. adults - 76 million people - have been exposed to
alcoholism in the family: they grew up with or married an alcoholic
or had a blood relative who was an alcoholic or problem drinker.
Research
has consistently found that higher levels of parental tolerance of
adolescent drinking are associated with an earlier onset of drinking
among offspring.
It
is estimated that out of 260 million Americans, more than 28 million
are children of alcoholics.

This
is not to mention the fact that alcoholics have more health problems
than non-alcohics. The divorce rate among problem drinkers is much
higher. I bet almost everyone reading this knows someone who has lost
his or her family due to the spouse being an alcoholic. Alcoholism
touches the lives of everyone. It's not just the alcoholics problem.
Sometimes, I feel as if the family is suffering much more than the
alcoholic themselves. I'm including links to several poems and/or
stories here. Please...please...if you are an alcoholic parent, won't
you stop and think about what it is doing to your family? Especially
your children. If you are a teen with a drinking
problem...please...tell someone...get some help. You don't want to
live your life trapped in the sea of alcoholism. If you are an adult
child of an alcoholic, and you find yourself not being able to let go
of childhood fears, then I urge you to seek help. It is not your
fault for the way things were when you were growing up...you had no
control of the situation. The anger takes a long time to go away, but
once you see this disease for what it is, you can finally let go and
start forgiving. If you're married to an alcoholic, then it is up to
you to choose whether to stay or not to stay. If you stay, then it
helps to find a support group such as Al-Anon so that you can deal
with the day to day problems that you encounter while living with an
alcoholic. And finally...if you are a child of an alcoholic parent,
talk to a school councilor or your pastor. You may not be able to
change the situation you're in at home, but at least you will have
someone to talk to, and talking about it always helps. I just wish I
could wrap my arms around all of you who have ever had to deal with
this monster known as alcoholism. I know how you feel. One final
note...I'm not writing this to put alcoholics down...not at all...I
only wish I could help you in some way, and I wish I could make you
see what you are doing to the ones who love you the most. God Bless you.
Beth |

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