Alcohol Abuse and the Effects on the Family

Michelle Rutherford April 4, 2011 HUEC 4051lass Dr. Mitchell

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Alcohol Abuse and the Effects on the Family Most definitions of alcoholism include descriptions of physical dependence that consist of withdrawal effects, health-related problems, and social problems. In recent years, studies have shown that these problems are increased the earlier an individual begins consuming alcohol. Alcohol abuse is not limited to affecting just the individual who consumes alcohol; it has drastic effects on the family as a whole. Much research has gone into studying the variables that lead to alcohol abuse, with an emphasis on adolescent and emerging adulthood-aged people. There is an emphasis on researching alcohol abuse in adolescents and emerging adults because studies show that particular age group is key in determining whether an individual will become a future alcohol abuser. According to studies by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, late adolescence and early young adulthood were peak periods for the development of alcohol dependence and that early initiation of alcohol use (i.e., before age 15) was associated with a fourfold increase in the probability of subsequently developing alcohol dependence. While early onset drinking age is a major influence in emerging adult alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence can be attributed to a cocktail of family history and alcohol abuse. Another factor that distinguishes adolescents from adults in regards to alcoholism is the quantity of alcohol consumed and frequency of alcohol consumption. While emerging adults drink less often than their older counterparts, the amount consumed at a time is much greater, a habit that puts them at a greater risk both physically and emotionally (Windle and Zucker, 2010). Adoption and twin studies have shown that genetics plays an important role in whether a family member becomes dependent on alcohol. These studies generally place the genetic risk at

Rutherford 2 50 to 60 percent; however non-genetic factors can contribute 40 to 50 percent. Scientists have even been able to identify specific genes that are involved in alcohol dependence (Foroud et al., 2010). Adoption studies have shown children are up to four times as likely to abuse alcohol if their biological parent was an alcoholic, even when raised by non-alcoholic parents (Stevens and Smith, 2005). Only 15 to 30 percent of children born to alcoholics develop the same drinking patterns of their parents, which indicates that other factors largely influence the role alcohol can play in ones development (Stevens and Smith, 2005). These factors can be the influence of cultural traditions, medical practices, prevalence and accessibility of alcohol, and social pressures associated with fitting in to ones surroundings. Alcohol is commonly used in ceremonies marking milestones in life, such as birth, death, trades and exchanges, and religious ceremonies. The pleasant feelings and pain reductions that have been found to occur with alcohol consumption have made its uses positive and more prevalent in the general population. In many cultures, alcohol is used widely for medicinal purposes because it has been shown to promote sleeping and control pain. Culture plays a large role in the context and amount that alcohol consumption is accepted. In more rural and less industrialized countries, casual drinking is uncommon; consumption is usually moderate and associated with traditions. On the contrary, in European countries for example, wine is served as the drink with dinner. Peer pressure is an issue that exists in all age groups; it can result in the need to conform or risk isolation. Heavy drinking is a societal norm and not uncommon when financial issues, depression, and boredom are present.

Rutherford 3 Health Effects of Alcoholism The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (1994) identifies that alcohol abuse is the continuation of drinking after it begins to affect various aspects of normal functioning. Continually missing work, driving while intoxicated, or interactions with the law are all examples of issues alcohol abusers ignore while increasing their alcohol intake. Alcoholics share a series of symptoms that define their alcohol dependence and abuse. They shows signs of withdrawal when they abstain from alcohol. Such examples include upset stomach, shakiness, and mental effects like anxiety. Needing more of the substance for the desired effect comes with prolonged abuse and as their tolerance for alcohol increases (NIAAA, 2007). Dependence on alcohol can have many serious effects on the brain, liver, and other organs of the body. Liver disease, cirrhosis in particular, is the twelfth most common cause of death in the United States and one of the most prevalent conditions directly caused by alcohol abuse (Szabo and Mandrekar, 2010). Alcohol causes loss of brain cells, which do not regenerate. The effect that alcohol has on the brain is completely negative and will eventually cause permanent loss of memory and cognitive abilities (Sullivan et al., 2010). Impacts of Alcoholism on Families Family problems related to alcohol abuse are well documented and include disagreements, less communication, sexual problems, and increased verbal and physical abuse. From a family perspective, alcohol abusers are defined as family members who consume alcohol in quantities that result in distressing the typical family roles (Ripley et al. 2006). These problems can impact marital relationships as well as parent and child relationships.

Rutherford 4 Marriage is one of the most important and impacting milestones in a persons life span. The family system has been found to influence the amount and role alcohol plays (Otten et al., 2008). Some studies have shown that heavy drinking males tend to marry earlier than their nonor moderate-drinking peers. However this was not true of women. Alcohol abuse can influence the choice of mates, and alcoholics are more likely to be married to alcoholics (Olmsted, 2003). Drinking patterns are often defined early in a domestic relationship. Because couples often bring different drinking habits to the relationship, some couples may increase their alcoholic consumption while others my decrease consumption (Leonard and Roberts, 1996). Alcohol abuse often results in divorce. One study showed that 11 percent of couples attributed substance abuse, including alcohol, as the primary factor leading to their separation making it the third most common cause for separations. Overall, incompatibility and infidelity were the number one and two reasons for divorce. Alcoholism of at least one spouse is the main issue for couples in marriage counseling (Collins et al., 2007). Alcohol abuse effects all members of the family, parental alcoholism can even begin to affect a child before they are born. When a woman is pregnant and consumes alcohol, the fetus shares the same blood alcohol level as the mother. Alcohol passes through the membrane that separates the mothers blood system from the babys. Alcohol use while pregnant increases the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS (Parsons, 2003). FAS is characterized by brain abnormalities, facial birth defects, and behavioral issues as they get older. Four out of ten babies born to alcoholic mothers suffer from FAS and it is the leading cause of mental retardation in children (Myers, 2007). Children of alcoholics reflect the chaos of the home they grew up in,

Rutherford 5 emotional and behavior problems are extremely common examples of this dysfunction. Children are more likely to begin drinking at a younger age, if they grow up in a home where alcohol plays a major role. Role reversal is a problem that can exist when children find themselves being more responsible than their parents which can lead to a strained relationship. Children in addictive families generally take roles based on their sibling position in the family. There are four possible positions and roles, the hero, the scapegoat, the lost child, and the mascot. The hero feels the most responsibility for the family problems, the scapegoat is the problem child that is the most disruptive, the lost child feels unimportant but rather than acting out for attention they try to stay invisible, and lastly the mascot who uses humor as a defense to ever having to discuss difficult or emotional topics (Stevens and Smith, 2005). While alcohol abuse affects all members of a family, the effects are generally felt the strongest among the younger and impressionable age bracket, notably adolescents. Parenting significantly predicts adolescents initial drinking levels as well as their rates of increase in alcohol misuse (Barnes, et al., 2000). Therefore, parents attitudes towards drinking heavily influence the potential alcohol abuse of their offspring. A lax and accepting stance on underage alcohol consumption can undermine an early adults chances of escaping adolescence without the threat of abusing alcohol. Conversely, effective parenting has been found to be a successful preventative measure against underage alcohol abuse. Familial interventions have proven to decrease alcohol misuse in adolescents, particularly males. Even if preventative measures are ultimately unsuccessful, hope still exists for adolescent alcohol abusers in the vast array of treatments for alcoholism.

Rutherford 6 The children of alcoholics have been shown to be four times more likely to abuse alcohol. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA, 2007) suggests that family members of alcoholics be aware of this and should either avoid the use of alcohol or only drink moderately. Moderate drinking is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1990) as no more than one drink a day for women, and no more than two drinks a day for men. Treatment programs need to take a holistic approach, all aspects of the alcoholics life need to change in order for recovery to be effective. This treatment can be individual, group or family based. Alcoholic Anonymous is the most well-known group therapy, where the only requirement to participate is the desire to stop drinking (Stevens and Smith, 2005). Medical treatment is also available for alcoholics, for example if the drug Disulfiram is taken regularly it will cause the alcoholic to become extremely sick when they take a drink. Medical treatment when paired with therapy has shown to be successful in reducing the risk of relapse (De Sousa, 2010). Family support groups like Al-Anon have been shown to improve the understanding of non-alcoholics and their relationships with alcoholic family members. If families participate actively in the treatment process, the possibility of familial dysfunction is greatly reduced as the recovering alcoholic learns how to readjust themselves to everyday life (Room and Greenfield, 1993). Alcohol started as a resource used for positive benefits like medicine and sanitizing. As the effects of alcohol became clearer, it became more popular. Alcohol abuse is a serious problem that affects all aspects of users lives both psychological and physical, as well as the

Rutherford 7 lives of their families. Alcohol abuse has had an extremely negative effect on the family structure of many families, especially the children born into alcoholic families. With dedication and the right therapy tools, recovery is possible but never easy.

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American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author. Barnes, G. M., Reifman, A. S., Farrell, M. P., & Dintcheff, B. A. (2000). The Effects of Parenting on the Development of Adolescent Alcohol Misuse: A Six-Wave Latent Growth Model. Journal of Marriage & Family, 62(1), 175. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Collins, R., Ellickson, P., & Klein, D. (2007). The role of substance use in young adult divorce. Addiction, 102(5), 786-794. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.01803.x. De Sousa, A. (2010). The Pharmacotherapy of Alcohol Dependence: A State of the Art Review. Mens Sana Monographs, 869-82. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Foroud, T., Edenberg, H., & Crabbe, J. (2010). Genetic Research: Who Is At Risk for Research & Health, 33(2), 64-75. Retrieved from Alcoholism?. Alcohol Academic Search Complete database. Leonard, K., & Roberts, L. (1996). Alcohol in the early years of marriage. Alcohol Health & Research World, 20(3), 192. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Myers, D. G. (2007). Prenatal development of the newborn. In K. Feyan, C. Brune, N. Fleming, A. Musick, & B. Moscatelli (Eds.), Psychology (8th ed., pp. 134-137). New York, NY: Catherine Woods. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholics. (2007, September). Are you at risk? [Brochure]. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/familyhistory/famhist.htm Olmsted, M., Crowell, J., & Waters, E. (2003). Assortative Mating among Adult children of Alcoholics and Alcoholics. Family Relations, 52(1), 64. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Otten, R., Van Der Zwaluw, C., Van Der Vorst, H., & Engels, R. (2008). Partner Effects and Bidirectional Parent-Child Effects in Family Alcohol Use. European Addiction Research, 14(2), 106-112. doi:10.1159/000113725. Parsons, T. (2003, December 14). Alcoholism and its effect on the family. AllPsych Journal. Retrieved from http://allpsych.com/journal/alcoholism.html

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Ripley, J., Cunion, A., & Noble, N. (2006). Alcohol Abuse in Marriage and Family Contexts: Relational Pathways to Recovery. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 24(1/2), 171-184. doi:10.1300/J020v24n01-10. Room, R., & Greenfield, T. (1993). Alcoholics anonymous, other 12-step movements and psychotherapy in the US population, 1990. Addiction, 88(4), 555-562. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Stevens, P., & Smith, R. L. (2008). Substance Abuse Counseling: Theory and Practice (4th ed.). Princeton, NC: Merrill. Sullivan, E., Harris, R., & Pfefferbaum, A. (2010). Alcohol's Effects on Brain and Behavior. Alcohol Research & Health, 33(2), 127-143. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Szabo, G., & Mandrekar, P. (2010). FOCUS ON: ALCOHOL AND THE LIVER. Alcohol Research & Health, 33(2), 87-96. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database. Windle, M., & Zucker, R. A. (2010). Reducing Underage and Young Adult Drinking: How to Address Critical Drinking Problems During This Developmental Period. Alcohol Research & Health, 33(1/2), 29-44. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.