Personality Traits and Characteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics
February 17th, 2021
If you are someone who grew up with one or
both of your parents battling alcohol addiction, you know everyday can feel
unpredictable. Children of alcoholics typically don’t get their emotional needs
met. Often times, the effects of growing up in that sort of dysfunctional
environment can bleed over long into adulthood – plaguing your abilities to
live balanced and emotionally healthy lives.
To be an adult child of an alcoholic and be
able to recognize that you have struggles that are caused by experiences you
had in your childhood, that is progress. You have the ability to realize that
you are no longer a child who is the victim of a circumstance or situation. You
have the ability to work through these issues and not let them affect you any
longer.
There are a few common personality traits or
characteristics among adult children of alcoholics. Among them, include:
1. Impulsive Behavior
Many adult
children of alcoholics act or respond impulsively in varying situations without
thinking of the consequences of their actions.
2.
Isolation
Adult children of
alcoholics often do not know what a “normal” response is in any given situation
and often guess at the appropriate way to respond. These individuals often feel
like they are different from everyone around them, and many believe that they
either cannot function with other people as a result, which can make it
difficult to maintain positive relationships.
3. Approval Seeking
Many people who
grew up with parents battling addiction never got the approval that they deserved
or even needed as children. This becomes an issue that often bleeds into their
adult lives.
4. Low Self-Esteem
This one sort of
ties into the approval seeking behavior. Adult children of alcoholics likely
did not receive the love or attention they needed as kids. This can lead them
to believe deep down that they aren’t deserving of it – leading to low
self-esteem.
5. Difficulty in Romantic
Relationships
Many adults who grew up with alcoholic parents struggle to
create and maintain healthy relationships – both friendly and romantic. This
can often be because they never had a solid example of a positive romantic
relationship as a youth. Adult
children may also form relationships with others who need their help or need to
be rescued, to the extent of neglecting their own needs.
6. Overreaction to Change
Unsolicited change is almost always received negatively by adult children of
alcoholics. Instead of being able to process the potential positive sides of
the presented change or focus on how to adjust and move forward, the
individuals’ response is often an extreme overreaction that is emotional in
nature.
7. Substance Abuse
Even
though adult children of alcoholics have experienced first hand the negative
effects of addiction, they may still develop substance abuse disorders
themselves. Some studies may argue that they are genetically predisposed to
addiction, or even early age of first use, a lack
of positive coping mechanisms for managing stress,or some combination of these
things
If
you are someone who grew up with alcoholic parents and can relate to some of
these characteristics and struggles within yourself, there is help available.
There are many support groups for adult children of alcoholics that allow you
to have a community of others who can relate to the experiences that you have
gone through. Being able to connect with others and talk through how your past
does not have to affect your future can be incredibly powerful. On the other
hand, not everyone finds as much peace when speaking with groups. For those,
there are mental health therapists who work to specifically help those who grew
up with addicted parents. These individuals can help you to cope with conflict
in new and constructive ways.
If
you or a loved one are battling addiction and want to find the road to
recovery, Windmill Wellness Ranch is here to help. Contact our admissions team
today in order to learn more on how to get started.
