Psychological Effects Of Alcoholism On Children: Behavioral Patterns Of Children
Psychological effects of alcoholism on children mainly focus on the negative effects of parental depression and alcohol abuse on children. Studies revealed that fathers who are addicted to alcoholism tend to be less sensitive to their children but compared to mothers, a father’s alcohol problem has less harmful effects on the children. With age, the psychological effects of alcoholism on children also varied.
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The psychological effects of alcoholism on children also revealed that a mother’s addiction to alcohol and a state of mental depression was related with her less sensitive parenting. As the child grows the symptoms of anxiety and depression grow even more among parents, and is especially evident in the father’s attempt to control the children. Temper peevishness and irritability are common psychological effects of alcoholism on children. When a child’s mother undergoes depression as a result of alcohol abuse, this peevishness and bad temper becomes more externalizing.
However, it is not necessary that the psychological effects of alcoholism on children are one and the same. Some children may be doing fine in spite of alcohol abusing-parents at home. Generally it is observed that the symptoms of depression prevalent among alcohol abusing-parents is largely responsible for the changing behavioral pattern among their children. Children of different ages also have differing perceptions of the harmful effects of alcohol and other substances of abuse. Young children are not very much aware of the specific health consequences arising as a result of alcohol and drug abuse. They have a general understanding that drinking is bad but associate health problems with age rather than with addiction.
The psychological effects of alcoholism on children, as mentioned, varies with age and the gender of the child. Though boys are surveyed more often than are girls, studies have also proved that the negative outcome of alcohol abuse is more evident among girls than boys. But many case studies have shown that gender is not a major consideration. With age, children will endorse the facts and myths related to alcohol and other substance abuse and also review the negative impact it has on them.