1. By : Brian D. Carter Alcohol and the Effect on the Family

2. 1 in 4 children in America are exposed to alcoholism. violence, marital conflict, infidelity, jealousy, economic insecurity, divorce, and fetal alcohol effect brings its own chaos into the family system Negative Effects on the Family

3. The alcoholic The caretaker/enabler The scapegoat The hero The mascot/cheerleader The lost child Firm roles and enabling behaviors are adopted by family members

4. Center of the problem Person with the addiction to alcohol The Alcoholic

5. loses his/her sense of self in tasks of a domestic nature purpose is to maintain appropriate appearances to the outside world takes on physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomachaches, and backaches inner feelings of being hurt, despair, anger, pain, guilt, fear, inadequacy, and self doubt The caretaker/enabler

6. accomplishments compensate for the alcoholic’s behavior excel in academics, athletics, music or theatre Purpose is to raise the self esteem of the family Inner feelings can include guilt, hurt, inadequacy, confusion, and frustration. The Hero

7. Becomes the family problem has issues with authority figures, and negative consequences with the law, school, and home Purpose is to put the focus on them rather than on the alcohol Known to act out sexually The scapegoat

8. labeled as a class clown in school purpose is to provide cheerfulness to the family helps the family avoid hurt and pain have difficulty with intimacy in relationships and they avoid getting serious Inner feelings of fear, guilt, anxiety, insecurity, confusion, and unidentified depression The Mascot

9. disappears from the activity of the family purpose is to not place added demands on the family system by being extremely low maintenance inner feelings of emptiness, loneliness, hurt, sad, confused, fearful, and inadequate The lost child

10. characterized by tension, fear, and shame feelings experience chaos, uncertainty, instability, inconsistent discipline emotional and physical neglect, arguments, instability of parents’ marriage, disorganization, and violence and/or physical and sexual abuse emptiness, loneliness, the terror of repeated abandonment, or the witnessing of violence or abuse to others Family Environment

11. Fraser, C. & McIntyre, A. (2009). Exploring the Impact of Parental Drug/Alcohol Problems. British Journal of Social Work, 39, 5, 846-867. In all our Affairs: Making Crisis Work for You. (1990). New York: Al-Anon Family Group. Lawson, A.W. (1998). Alcoholism in the Family: A Guide to Treatment and Prevention. Gaithersburg, Md. Aspen Publishers. Orford, J. & Harwin, J. (1982). Alcohol and the family. London: Croom Helm. Pittman, D. (1967). Alcoholism. New York: Harper and Row. Wegscjeider-Cruse, S. (1981). Another Chance: Hope and Health for the Alcoholic Family. Palto Alto, Ca: Science and Behavior Books. References