Children Growing Up With An Alcoholic Parent

From the beginning of our lives when we were born, we as children looked up to our parents for guidance and love from the very start of our life.

Many of us where brought up in a safe and loving environment and then there are those children that went through their childhood years in fear and sadness. This could be for many different reason, but one of the most damaging ones are children growing up with an alcoholic parent.

My sister and I grew up in a household that nether my Mother or Father drank alcohol or smoked, so I often wondered how I got myself in the mess I was in being addicted to alcohol. I sure didn't inherent my addiction to alcohol from them.

I guess we were very fortunate being able to feel safe and sound in our house knowing that every night there would be peace in our home, not like some of our friends that hated to even go home for fear of what they would be faced with by their alcoholic parents.

There were some families that only one spouse was addicted to alcohol and then there some that unfortunately had two parents that were addicted to alcohol and that is a recipe for disaster.

For myself, now living the clean life and living it sober, I look back in my past and really feel a shamed of myself and very mad about what I put my family through all those years I drank alcohol.

I can't not believe that I had no willpower to stay away from my alcohol demons that took complete control of my life, body and mind. They say, we all learn by our mistakes and that is so true, but I wish I knew then what I know now, and now look at me, writing everyday trying to help those that are addicted to alcohol and possibly putting their innocent children through hell in plain words.

My children and yours are too young to understand what you are doing, and by them seeing you do the same thing day in and day out they think to themselves, it must be the normal thing to do. It saddens me to no end that I exposed my children to this horrible addiction we call alcohol and their Father was an alcoholic and will hold this title forever more.

This title will be something I will never forget or my family will not forget, but the good news is that all that is behind us and we are starting to re-build our lives and get closer to each other, love each other more and have the respect for each other. No more quilt or embarrassment in this family anymore.

If you are an alcoholic and have small children you should really take a good look at your life and how your life is effecting the ones that love and look up to you. It is never too late to make that change my friends and be the parent that your children will look up to, respect and be proud of. Lets try to change our lives if not for yourself, do it for the innocent children involved in your life. They deserve more than seeing their parent drinking alcohol and not acting like the parent our children want to have.

Learn to live without your crutch and learn to be the parent your children want to have and be proud of.

There are a couple of different types of alcoholics, one being the type that drink so much they just pass out and never bother a soul. They keep to there self, but are totally useless to their family and really to them self. They only have one thing to live for and that's the addiction to alcohol which is a terrible shame.

Then we have the alcoholic that drinks to get drunk as the first one mentioned , but the difference is that this alcoholic get violent, starts unnecessary arguments, verbally abuse the children and spouse and unfortunate physical violence does occur.

Our children that witness these acts of verbal and physical violence will remember them for the rest of their lives and in some cases these innocent children will be scarred forever.

Think about it, "How can we possibly, as adults, expose these innocent children that love and adore us and look up to us as parents witness these acts of violence and furthermore, we as the parent expect these children to grow up and be well respected people to our society. Many of these children will be ruined inside form our actions they witnessed as they we young."

As I have said so many times in other hubs and articles I have written, is to "Think Before You Drink." Before you decide to tilt that bottle up again, look around at your family and young children and ask yourself is my drinking alcohol really worth the harm it will cause my children and spouse?"

Anyone can stop drinking alcohol, but the big question is, " Are you willing to surrender to your addiction?"

Try out sobriety, you might just fall in love with it and when you do, you will be asking yourself why couldn't I have done this years ago. Sobriety is a wonderful thing and I am here say it, live it, and explain to others that it is totally possible for anyone, you just have to want it!