Alcoholism In The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls

Children with alcoholic parents suffer all kinds of abuse and it is often life threatening (20). Addiction is not something that begins and ends with one person, the impact addiction has is tremendous and devastating. "Addiction sends shock waves through an entire family unit" (Straussner 1). Over 27 million children live with an alcoholic parent. It is nearly impossible to find children from alcoholic homes who are completely unscathed (The Visitation Handbook for the Custodial Parent 167). Children who grow up with alcoholic parents are forced to mature and grow up much sooner than they ought. Over 22 million adults have come out and said they have lived with an alcohol parent when they were a child (Seixas and Youcha xi). Alcohol continues to be predominant in The United States, because it is a drug that works for the majority of people. Alcohol allows a person to temporarily escape from the problems they are suffering. Most people reap the consequences of previous actions daily and therefore turn to alcohol which allows them to temporarily escape reality. Alcohol may allow people to escape their reality for a time being, but it also creates a horrific reality for 27 million

Alcoholism is a major issue that still plagues our nation to this day. Jeannette Walls experienced this issue first hand through her father, Rex, as depicted in her memoir The Glass Castle. Jeannette’s father was an alcoholic, evident of him always disappearing for days at a time to go on drinking binges and always spending most of the money that the family earned (Jeannette included) on alcohol. Jeannette was not the only one subjected to one’s alcoholism; my wife was also a victim of alcoholism. She was not the alcoholic though, I was. My alcoholism almost destroyed my marriage on numerous occasions. I was verbally abusive toward my wife and I made our day-to-day lives extremely unbearable. Are Rex and I the only ones who affect our worlds and our loved ones through alcoholism? Unfortunately no, we are not. Our nation and our world is filled with people suffering from this pandemic of alcoholism and it has thrived since the early days of alcohol’s discovery. What can we do as a society to better understand and prevent alcoholism? What is it going to take to get control of our lives back from alcohol that has had

While alcoholism can be difficult for the individual, families are equally affected by the addict's behaviors. Learning how to live with an alcoholic can be emotionally and physically draining. The alcoholic may try to hide the extent of their alcohol abuse, and they can cause psychological damage on the loved ones around them.

Alcohol is the drug most commonly abused compared to other illegal drugs. Alcoholism in the Merriam Webster is defined as as a chronic, progressive, fatal disorder marked by excessive and usually compulsive drinking of alcohol leading to psychological and physical dependence or addiction. In families, “alcoholism can become a powerful organizer of family life, altering the details of daily routines as well as special occasions [however], not all families suffer the consequences of alcoholism in the same way” (Bennett, Wolin, Reiss and Teitelbaum). Although it may be the case in which each family does not go through the same issues, it still has an influence on their daily routine where it becomes difficult for them to successfully fulfill them.

As depicted in Scott Russell Sanders’s essay, the families of alcoholics are effected immensely. Sanders states: “Why our father, so playful and competent and kind when sober, would choose to ruin himself and punish his family, we could not fathom.” (Sanders 104) “When drunk, our father was clearly in his wrong mind. He became a stranger, as fearful to us as any graveyard lunatic, not quite frothing at the mouth, but fierce enough, quick-tempered, explosive; or else he grew maudlin and weepy, which frightened us nearly as much. ”(Sanders 104h6)

Children experience chronic stress when they grow up with an alcoholic parent. This can lead to alterations in the structure and function of the brain, the way the body responds to and manages stress, and the expression of the persons genes, including what is passed down to later generations.Sometimes children of alcoholics feel responsible for the problems that their alcoholic parent have. They could also believe they created the problem. Adult children of alcoholics have a hard time recognizing their own needs and are often unable to have appropriate balance in their relationships with others. They are more likely to show patterns of an insecure attachment with friends, coworkers, romantic partners, family members, and even their own children

Alcoholism which is known as the family disease has been affecting families for decades. This disease is not just affecting the one suffering from it, but the family in its entirety. A child growing up an in alcoholic family is four times more likely to abuse alcohol in the future. (“Children Of Alcoholics”). It begins with children seeing drinking as an everyday phenomenon, and beginning to perceive this as the norm (“Children of Alcoholics”). It starts to increase their expectation and reality of drinking at an early age and begins the process of accumulating an obsessive behavior, but that does not come from just anywhere. There are two components that go along with becoming an alcoholic and they are a physiological aspect and

Under this Definition, excessive or drinking is a form of alcohol abuse, since it can cause the drinker to experience physical illness, blackouts, and even death, In addition, individuals may engage in violent or irresponsible behavior while intoxicated. Drunk driving is also a form of alcohol abuse, since it may harm both the drinker and others, the abuse of alcohol can have severe implication on ones personal, occupational, and social life. Alcohol abuse is prevalent among men, women, and teenagers alike, Youth who have an alcoholic parent are influenced in a variety of ways. Children develop attitudes about drinking from watching parents and adults; if these authority figures express a positive attitude toward drinking , children may develop

One study determined that the death of a spouse, divorce, or either a member of the family moving in or out were three of many stressful experiences that alcoholics have linked to need for consumption. • High levels of emotional abuse, parental alcoholism, constant parental conflict, feeling unwanted or unloved. • A parent/caregiver’s lack of involvement or negative involvement in the lives of their children in the formative years. • A parent’s consumption of alcohol is thought to be associated with their child’s initiation and continuation of alcohol

Studies on aspects such as the individual’s environment suggest a certain type of environment may play a major contributing factor in developing alcoholism. It has been illustrated that children of alcoholics are at great risk of being exposed to an unhealthy family system. The more time a person spends in such a negative environment, the more susceptible he/she becomes to trying alcohol and in the long run of becoming alcoholics, marrying an alcoholic or doing both and so continuing the vicious cycle (Bowden, 1985).

Women who abuse alcohol are not only hurting themselves and their unborn babies. Existing children can be effected by a mother who drinks too much as well. They may be neglected and forced to care for themselves and possibly younger siblings resulting in lost childhood. Chaotic and inconsistent home life may result in needing control and perfectionist tendencies. Children who grew up with an alcohol abusing parent are at a greater risk of developing an AUD themselves. They are also more likely to suffer from depression and/or anxiety, have difficulty in relationships, marry a substance user, academic problems, and other behavioral problems (AAMFT, 2015).

There are many down sides to alcohol abuse and dependence like ruining relationships or obtaining health conditions. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are slightly different, but they are both dangerous and upsetting. Personally, my parents got divorced because of my dad’s alcoholism. My mom had asked him many times to get help but he never did; he didn’t believe it was a problem. Sometimes he has mood swings and gets angry or sad all of a sudden. He also forgets something has happened or something I told him just hours or days ago, asking me the same question two or three times in a day. My dad isn’t the only person in my family who has had alcohol problems though. A couple of my uncles have, too. My dad is just the closest and one that

When it comes to those in the higher spectrum of the economic ladder, you would think there were be very few to nonexistent effects on the children of an alcoholic household. But the upper class has many if not more of the negative effects of those who are not as well off.

Parental alcoholism effects everyone in the home, especially the children. Children may not recognize there is alcohol misuse in the home but that the family crisis is typical (Meyer, 2015, p. 16). Families may be in denial, and children growing up with an alcoholic parent may find it difficult to exchange views on the issue at home with other families and keep it a secret (Meyer, 2015, p. 20-21). To Distinguish an alcoholic in the home is by the negative choices made, expressions and being

The negative effects of alcoholic parents on adolescents and teenagers on low and high economic status.