The following post is a guest post by Brooke Kerwin. Brooke is a creative writer from Central Michigan University. As an aspiring writer, she specializes in writing about local community issues.
Alcohol addiction and abuse are well documented problems for
adults in society across all demographics. Unfortunately, it is a problem that
children and teenagers can also encounter while growing up. The prevalence of
alcohol in homes and the media portrayal of its use sometimes cause children to
experiment with the substance before their bodies are able to process the
chemicals. Additionally, misconceptions about the social acceptance of alcohol
abuse can make the problem even worse.
There are many reasons why a child might start to experiment with alcohol. Peer pressure can have a dramatic impact on the actions of a child. It only takes the behavior of one friend to influence an entire peer group. This can establish behavior patterns that result in binge drinking or drinking while at school or home. Another contributing factor can be the alcohol consumption habits of the parents. Children who watch parents drink regularly might not understand the actual effects of the liquor on the body and mind. Finally, some children are thought to have genetic predispositions that make addictive behaviors more likely even without other external factors.
Parents need to be especially concerned about alcohol addiction in children. If the problem is not identified and dealt with early on, then it can establish habits that will carry on into adulthood. Another problem is that even very minor alcohol consumption by young children and teenagers can have detrimental effects on growth and development. The nervous system and brain could develop abnormally because of the effects of alcohol. This can result in long-term problems such as learning disabilities and potentially brain damage if enough liquor is consumed.
There are several steps that parents can take in order to prevent children from experiencing problems with alcohol. Parents should avoid drinking in front of children or should only do so responsibly. Liquor that is kept in the home should be stored in a location that is not accessible or even visible to children. This will prevent innocent experimentation that can lead to bad decisions later. A very important step is to establish a dialog with children so that the issue can be discussed. There are many media images that can be confusing or that might seem to endorse alcohol abuse. Talking to children about these incidents will help to establish a firm understanding that alcohol abuse is not socially acceptable, healthy or, in any way, glamorous.
Parents should remain very aware of any issues that could indicate that a child has a problem with alcohol. Smells and empty containers should be a simple indication that something is happening. Changes in normal behaviors could be the result of intoxication and should be questioned. Long periods of time spent alone, sudden poor grades, missing money, and new unknown friends can all be the result of an alcohol addiction that has grown out of control. The addiction will eventually result in increasingly risky behaviors that become harder to stop the longer they are allowed to continue.
A parent who is dealing with a child that is abusing alcohol has several options. The most effective is to place the child in an inpatient alcohol treatment center. This is a program that will work to break habits and provide the child with tools that can be used every single day to combat the addiction. This should be followed by outpatient treatment where regular counseling is received as frequently as needed. A very severe alcohol addiction can affect a child straight into adulthood if actions are not taken to break the psychological and physical dependencies early.
There are many reasons why a child might start to experiment with alcohol. Peer pressure can have a dramatic impact on the actions of a child. It only takes the behavior of one friend to influence an entire peer group. This can establish behavior patterns that result in binge drinking or drinking while at school or home. Another contributing factor can be the alcohol consumption habits of the parents. Children who watch parents drink regularly might not understand the actual effects of the liquor on the body and mind. Finally, some children are thought to have genetic predispositions that make addictive behaviors more likely even without other external factors.
Parents need to be especially concerned about alcohol addiction in children. If the problem is not identified and dealt with early on, then it can establish habits that will carry on into adulthood. Another problem is that even very minor alcohol consumption by young children and teenagers can have detrimental effects on growth and development. The nervous system and brain could develop abnormally because of the effects of alcohol. This can result in long-term problems such as learning disabilities and potentially brain damage if enough liquor is consumed.
There are several steps that parents can take in order to prevent children from experiencing problems with alcohol. Parents should avoid drinking in front of children or should only do so responsibly. Liquor that is kept in the home should be stored in a location that is not accessible or even visible to children. This will prevent innocent experimentation that can lead to bad decisions later. A very important step is to establish a dialog with children so that the issue can be discussed. There are many media images that can be confusing or that might seem to endorse alcohol abuse. Talking to children about these incidents will help to establish a firm understanding that alcohol abuse is not socially acceptable, healthy or, in any way, glamorous.
Parents should remain very aware of any issues that could indicate that a child has a problem with alcohol. Smells and empty containers should be a simple indication that something is happening. Changes in normal behaviors could be the result of intoxication and should be questioned. Long periods of time spent alone, sudden poor grades, missing money, and new unknown friends can all be the result of an alcohol addiction that has grown out of control. The addiction will eventually result in increasingly risky behaviors that become harder to stop the longer they are allowed to continue.
A parent who is dealing with a child that is abusing alcohol has several options. The most effective is to place the child in an inpatient alcohol treatment center. This is a program that will work to break habits and provide the child with tools that can be used every single day to combat the addiction. This should be followed by outpatient treatment where regular counseling is received as frequently as needed. A very severe alcohol addiction can affect a child straight into adulthood if actions are not taken to break the psychological and physical dependencies early.
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