According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 29 million people in the U.S. struggled with alcohol use disorder in 2023. Alcohol addiction doesn’t just impact the individual struggling with the addiction, it also impacts the relationships you have. For many, that may include family members, friends, peers, and more. This includes children of the alcoholic. In this article, you’ll learn more about what adult children of alcoholic trauma syndrome is, and how having a parent growing up who struggled with alcoholism may impact your life today.
At The Bridge to Recovery, we are a mental health workshop that offers a safe space for you to physically, mentally, and emotionally heal. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, depression, or are in need of trauma-informed care, our program can help you work toward improved mental and emotional well-being. Ready to start your recovery? Contact us today!
What is Adult Children of Alcoholic Trauma Syndrome (ACoA)?
Adult children of alcoholic trauma syndrome, or an adult child of an alcoholic (ACoA), as the term suggests is someone who grew up with a parent(s) who struggled with alcoholism. It can be difficult for anyone, especially a child, to watch their parent(s) struggle with addiction. Because many young children oftentimes don’t understand what addiction is, they may view their parent’s inconsistent parenting or abandonment of them as the child not being worthy of their parent’s love and attention.
Unfortunately, children confuse a parent’s addiction and inconsistency in being a present and healthy parent as the child not being worthy of their parent’s love. Inevitably, this can lead many children with parent(s) who are alcoholics to potentially develop abandonment issues or low self-esteem.
4 Challenges Many Adult Children of Alcoholic Trauma Syndrome May Experience
Your childhood and your relationship with your parents can have a significant impact on your mental health and well-being as an adult. If you had a parent who struggled with alcoholism growing up, keep reading to learn more about various challenges you may be experiencing today– whether you realize it or not.
Struggles with Addiction
If you had a parent struggle with alcohol addiction, this also heightens your own risk of developing an addiction. Not only do you have a genetic predisposition, but you may have tried to cope with an absent parent in your life by abusing drugs.
Fear of Abandonment in Relationships
Fear of abandonment in relationships is another major challenge many children who had a parent struggle with addiction experience. This is because many children may have experienced their parents being inconsistent, unreliable, or even abandoning them to fuel their addiction, which can cause you to fear being abandoned in other relationships as you grow up.
Feelings of Worthlessness
Many children with parents who struggle with addiction also experience feelings of low self-esteem or low self-worth. This is because they may have interpreted their parent’s absence in their youth as a sign that they were not worthy of their parent’s love which can transfer into adulthood.
Difficulty Making and Keeping Relationships
Individuals with adult children of alcoholic trauma syndrome may have trouble making and keeping relationships. This is because, from a young age, they experience a lack of trust, love, and attention from their parents, which can inevitably make that individual grow up to be distrustful of others for fear of getting hurt.
Help Is Available at The Bridge to Recovery
Now you know more about adult children of alcoholic trauma syndrome and certain challenges you may experience if you had a parent that was an alcoholic. It’s critical to understand you don’t have to suffer in silence with your struggles. If you are struggling with fears surrounding abandonment or low self-esteem from your childhood, it’s important to seek mental health support to heal from these issues so you can lead a healthier, happier quality of life.
At The Bridge to Recovery, we offer mental health support so you can heal, grow, and address any unresolved trauma. Our mental health workshop is built around a core principle: what we experienced as children shapes who we are as adults. We help individuals work through trauma they experienced as children, including dealing with experiences of being a child of alcoholic parents. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your recovery.