As an adult child of an alcoholic (ACoA), it’s easy to feel isolated, alone, and like no one understands what you are experiencing. However, you are far from alone. Unfortunately, alcohol use disorders are far more common in the United States and around the world than most people realize, and as a result, many families are experiencing struggles like yours!
So, just how common are alcohol use disorders? Here’s what you need to know:
How Common Are Alcohol Use Disorders?
Millions of people in the United States suffer from an alcohol use disorder. In fact, data from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that there were 29.5 million people who had an “Alcohol Use Disorder” (AUD) in the past year alone. Of this number, the vast majority were above the age of 17, while 894,000 were minors.
Although the number of alcohol use disorders in the United States is staggering, there are millions of family members, and especially children, who are also affected by alcohol use disorders.
Check out these shocking stats from the National Association for Children of Addiction:
- Two babies are born to addicted parents in the U.S. every second of every hour of every day
- 43% of the U.S. population is exposed to alcoholism
- There are 18,000,000 children of alcoholics currently living in the U.S. 18 million, my friends. That’s just the U.S.; imagine the worldwide stats!
As the daughter of a mother who has had an alcohol use disorder since before my birth, these numbers are devastating and bittersweet! On the one hand, it’s comforting to know I’m not alone in my experiences coping with the effects of my mother’s addiction. On the other hand, it’s so sad to know so many other people have lived through the pain.
How Do Alcohol Use Disorders Affect Families?
Alcohol use disorders not only affect the life of the alcoholic, but have an enormous, lasting impact on the lives of their family members as well. Research conducted by the CDC indicates that alcohol use disorders increase the risk of violence and other problems within families, and this is only one way that family members are negatively affected. Some of the most common ways that alcohol use disorders impact families include:
- Financial problems: Alcohol use disorders often result in financial problems for alcoholics and their families. These financial problems may come from frequently losing jobs, spending large amounts of money on alcohol, or other causes.
- Strained relationships: Those with alcohol use disorders often exhibit unhealthy patterns and behaviors that cause family members to experience fear and distrust.
- Instability: Between financial problems, erratic behavior, and other problems, alcohol use disorders often cause high levels of instability and chaos, which negatively impact the lives of family members.
These are just a few of the ways that alcohol use disorders affect families, and it’s also important to realize that many family members experience the negative impact of having a family member with an alcohol use disorder for years to come.
Where to Learn More about Alcohol Use Disorders and Their Impact on Families
National Association for Children of Addiction – U.S.: https://nacoa.org/
National Association for Children of Alcoholics – U.K.: https://nacoa.org.uk/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: https://www.samhsa.gov/
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
Reach Out for Help Today
Although alcohol use disorders are a prevalent issue in the United States, there is good news: there are resources and support that can help. If you or someone you know is suffering from the effects of having an alcoholic parent, it’s important to get the support you need. It is possible to heal and create the life you love! I’m living proof of it!
Start your healing journey today!
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Thanks for writing this summary of current alcoholism issues. I worked in the School of Public Health of a major research university for many years. About fifteen years ago when our country had better relations with Russia, the university had a major research project on alcoholism in that country. The level of alcoholism there was absolutely astonishing, threatening to destroy the entire society. Alcohol is openly sold to children there and the high level of depression in Russia further complicates the situation.
This is relevant to our country as our youth are now suffering intense anxiety and depression in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. Add in severe economic issues for those leaving school and we now have a recipe for an increase in alcoholism.