Alcoholism remains to be one of the most pressing problems in various parts of the world. Over 100 million people worldwide suffer from alcohol use disorder. It is one of the major reasons why countless families are suffering hell-like situations every day. This kind of addiction affects not only one family member but the family as a whole. It weakens their bond, respect, and love for one another, resulting in the disintegration of the family’s foundation.
It is surprising how most people are still in the dark as to how alcoholism affects a family. Spreading awareness about alcoholism is critical so people can avoid alcohol addiction. This awareness can also help them prevent alcoholism’s far-reaching effects.
Here are the most damaging effects that alcoholism can do on the foundation of a family:
Negative Impacts On Physical, Mental, and Emotional Well-Being
In the long run, excessive alcohol consumption negatively impacts someone’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. A person’s physical health would continue to worsen as their digestive system, their liver, and above all, their brain deteriorate. Someone addicted to the substance would also suffer from mental instability, which would negatively affect their interaction with the world, especially with their family.
Even though alcoholics are usually portrayed as the source of rifts in society and families, they are, in fact, victims, as they suffer from the tightening grip of alcoholism every day. That is why it is highly necessary that they be put in a rehab program as early as possible to prevent the consequences of their addiction from worsening.
Far-Reaching Damages On Relationships
One study has shown that there is an undeniable connection between heavy drinking and lower marital satisfaction. Research explains why a heavy drinker in the family, whether it’s a husband or a wife, tends to commit adultery, which only aggravates the family’s situation. Another concerning thing about this problem is that the husband and wife’s marital problems don’t end between them — it trickles down to their children. As their children grow up, these kids would avert maintaining healthy relationships because they were raised that way. On top of that, with these kids’ distorted perception towards relationships, their connections with other people as they grow up would surely be negatively affected.
Abuse Inside The Home
One of the most heartbreaking consequences of alcoholism is domestic violence. It is so prevalent that not a single week would pass without hearing news related to it. Wives who experience domestic violence at home almost every day choose to be silent in fear that their alcoholic husbands would retaliate if they speak openly about it. Children, too, are hapless victims of alcoholism as they suffer physical and emotional abuse, affecting their self-esteem and outlook in life.
How The Family’s Finances Are Affected
Since there is a constant urge to consume alcohol, alcoholics would always put buying alcoholic products at the top of their priorities. Because there are trapped in the cycle of addiction, their mental state becomes distorted. They can’t comprehend the major consequences of draining their family’s budget on alcoholic products. Some families have even suffered from deep and depressing debt just because of this single addiction. It is evident that the whole family can suffer from the consequences of the actions of an alcoholic in their family.
The Bad Effects on Children’s Well-Being and Development
Children who grew up in homes with an abusive alcoholic usually develop into resentful persons that lack the ability to express love to other people. Because of the daily negativities that they have had to deal with at home, their perceptions and outlook on life have developed differently. This would greatly affect the major decisions that they would later make in life.
These children, who deserve a home full of love and respect, have suffered for so many years in a house full of violence, hate, and emotional suffering. With this kind of environment, they would be susceptible to turning into a person they don’t deserve to be. They often end up as alcoholics themselves, as the children of people who suffer from alcohol use disorder are four times more likely to abuse alcohol than other children.
Now that you’ve learned about the severe impacts and long-term effects of alcoholism on families, may this list serve as a reminder that letting yourself get caught by alcohol addiction has detrimental effects. These consequences wouldn’t be experienced by the substance abuser alone. Innocent members of the family would have to suffer from the grave mistakes of one person, even in the long term.
