By breaking the cycle of addiction and trauma, individuals can create a new legacy of health, healing, and hope for themselves and future generations. Struggles with trust and emotional regulation are also common long-term effects. Growing up in an environment where emotions were often suppressed or expressed in unhealthy ways can lead to difficulties in recognizing, expressing, and managing one’s own emotions. Adults who experienced childhood trauma from an alcoholic parent may find themselves either overly reactive to emotional stimuli or emotionally numb and disconnected. This can lead to challenges in personal and professional relationships, as well as difficulties in coping with stress and life’s challenges. Many people, including celebrities such as Halle Berry, grew up in families affected by alcoholism.
- These emotional and mental health signs can have long-lasting effects on a child’s well-being.
- These may have been practical (like paying the bills) or emotional (like comforting your siblings when Mom and Dad fought).
- Daughters of alcoholics are more likely to marry alcoholic men, perpetuating the cycle for future generations.
- AddictionResource fact-checks all the information before publishing and uses only credible and trusted sources when citing any medical data.
Finding Professional Help
They may also develop physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, or other unexplained pains that have no apparent medical cause. These physical manifestations of stress and trauma can further complicate their daily lives and overall well-being. The symptoms of PTSD in children of alcoholic parents can be diverse and may vary depending on the individual’s age, personality, and specific experiences. However, there Help for Spouses of Alcoholics are several common manifestations that are often observed in this population.
A Vision of Hope and a New Life Direction for an ACoA
Behavioral symptoms of PTSD in children of alcoholic parents often manifest as avoidance, aggression, and relationship difficulties. These children may go to great lengths to avoid situations, people, or places that remind them of their traumatic experiences. They might withdraw from social activities or struggle to form close relationships due to trust issues.
Having a parent with an SUD may also make an adult more likely to have a relationship with someone navigating a similar experience. That said, it’s important to recognize that behaviors resulting from this illness can have a negative impact on loved ones. CPTSD Foundation supports clients’ therapeutic work towards healing and trauma recovery. By participating, our members agree to seek professional medical care and understand our programs provide only trauma-informed peer support.
Where can adult children find support?
Difficulty expressing and regulating emotions can affect your overall well-being and contribute to challenges in your personal relationships. “Adult children of parents with AUD may find closeness with others somewhat uncomfortable given a deep-rooted fear that becoming connected to someone else means a significant risk of emotional pain,” says Peifer. Conversely, Peifer notes that some children who grow up in these environments may become more attention-seeking in order to fulfill the needs their parents couldn’t meet. They might eventually form unstable or unhealthy attachments to others, partially because these bonds feel familiar. One 2022 review investigated the effectiveness of psychological interventions, such as exposure-based therapy and CBT, for people with adverse childhood experiences at risk of PTSD and SUD. Individuals with CPTSD may use substances like alcohol or drugs to cope with their emotional distress and psychological symptoms resulting from prolonged trauma exposure.
ACOAs can change their lives by beginning a new chapter in their life to experience hope, love, and joy. Some of the most common symptoms that adult children of alcoholics experience are as follows. The impact of growing up in a home with one or more alcoholics reverberates throughout an adult’s life.
In some cases, they may exhibit aggressive or defiant behavior as a way of asserting control over their environment or expressing their inner turmoil. These behavioral patterns can significantly impact their social development and ability to form healthy relationships later in life. Children of alcoholics often experience psychological consequences as a result of their parent’s addiction. Anxiety and depression are also common in children with alcoholic parents, as they may internalize their struggles in the family. Seeking professional help or support groups for children of alcoholics can help mitigate these negative effects on their mental well-being.
