The Effects of Drinking Alcohol on Family Life

Alcoholism is classified as a progressive disease, a chronic illness and an addictive disorder. Alcoholics -- people who have the chronic urge to drink excessively -- affect everyone around them. Alcoholics eventually experience negative consequences as a result of their drinking, including underachieving at work, possible legal troubles, health issues and money concerns. Much like a ripple effect, drinking to excess has a negative impact on an alcoholic's family.

Pregnancy

• It is well known that excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages while pregnant has adverse effects on a fetus. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which occurs at some level in about 40,000 U.S.-born babies each year, "is one of the top three known causes of birth defects," according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Children born with FAS often exhibit behavioral problems as they grow up -- a stressful situation for the entire family.

Children

• Children of parents who drink excessively often experience depression, low self-esteem, stress and tension, and have a higher propensity for becoming alcoholics or drug addicts during adulthood. Children of alcoholics often have trouble concentrating at school and may experience difficulties developing personal relationships. Children of alcoholics may grow up feeling guilty that they could not help their parent overcome his drinking.

Adult Children

• Common symptoms seen in adult children of alcoholics include impulsive and aggressive behavior, depression, feelings of worthlessness and difficulty in being a responsible parent. Many adult children of alcoholics also may develop codependent relationships, meaning they are addicted to the unpredictable behavior of their partners. They also often marry alcoholics, or have a spouse who is either verbally or physically abusive.

Abuse

• Battery and incest are more prevalent in families with alcoholics than those without. According to the book "Alcoholism and the Family," "almost 30 percent of father-daughter incest cases and 75 percent of domestic violence cases involve a family member who is an alcoholic." The NIAAA states that about 60 percent of family members who are abusive also abuse alcohol. Children of alcoholics often experience some sort of parental abuse or neglect during their lives.

Finances

• Alcoholics often drink their way into problems at work, including holding down their job, meeting expectations, completing work on time and being habitually late or absent -- all of which may compromise their ability to earn a living. Also, excessive drinking is an expense that may force the family into a lower living standard. Money issues compounded with alcoholism are one of the leading causes of divorce.

Spouse

• Every spouse of an alcoholic is affected in many ways by her partner's addiction. The effects can range from physical, mental and verbal abuse to feelings of resentment, anger, anxiety and embarrassment. The spouse of an alcoholic typically takes on more of the family duties and household chores, which can lead the nonalcoholic spouse to neglect the family's children and be overly demanding as a form of compensation.