Living With An Alcoholic
10/08/2011
Lots of people live with a parent or guardian who is an alcoholic or who drinks too much. Alcoholism has been a problem for centuries, yet no one has yet found an easy or reliable way to prevent it.
Alcohol can affect people's health as well as their behaviour. Drunk people tend to be more aggressive or have sudden mood swings. They may act in a way that is humiliating to them or embarrassing to other people.
Remember, alcoholism is a disease, and like any disease, it needs to be treated. Without professional help, an alcoholic will probably continue to drink and may even become worse as time goes on.
Diseases like alcoholism are not anybody’s fault. Some people are more susceptible to wanting to drink too much. Some scientists think it is related to genetics as well as things like family history and life events.
Sometimes what starts as just a bad habit can become a very big problem. For example, people may start drinking in order to cope with problems like boredom, stress, or lack of money. Maybe there's an illness in the family, or problems in a marriage.
No matter what anyone says, however, alcoholics do not drink because of the behaviour of someone else. So if you live with someone who has a drinking problem, be sure not to blame yourself, and encourage them to get the professional help they need.
