What are the Effects of an Alcoholic Father on Children?

Posted on December 29, 2024

What are the Effects of an Alcoholic Father on Children?

An alcoholic father can affect the whole family dynamic at home.

If a parent, such as a father is experiencing an alcohol addiction or alcohol use disorder (AUD), this can also affect the children in the home.

As a result of being around an alcoholic father or parents with alcohol use, children may develop several different cognitive and behavioural responses.

Due to them being exposed to the effects of having an alcoholic parent, such as regular chaos, disorganisation, an unpredictable environment, neglect and instability, they are more likely to suffer from mental health problems including anxiety and depression and they may exhibit behavioural issues or experience relationship difficulties. [1]

It is also reported that they could be four times more likely to develop an alcohol problem themselves in the future. [2]

Does an Alcoholic Father Affect All Children?

This is difficult to say because children react differently to situations they are exposed to.

Some children of alcoholics may be unaffected by an alcoholic father or parent, whilst others may suffer from long-term negative effects.

It should also be remembered that children may not suffer entirely from having an alcoholic father, instead, they may develop issues partly due to co-occurring risk factors such as poverty and struggling family relationships. [3]

However, it is important to look at the possible effects that having an alcoholic parent or father can have on a child or adult children.

Effects that an Alcoholic Father May Have on a Child’s Cognitive Ability

Children with an alcoholic father may suffer from cognitive issues, including academic difficulties in school. Some cognitive effects may include:

slower cognitive development and cognitive impairments
lack of interest in pursuing further education
poor performance in spelling, reading and maths
reduced speech and language development in the early years of life
failed grades or lower grade averages and reduced academic progress or academic success

Effects An Alcoholic Father May Have on a Child’s Mental Health

When a father has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, this can have several effects on a child’s mental health.

Research has signified that children of parents with alcohol addiction, excessive drinking habits or alcohol abuse are at an increased risk of developing unhealthy coping mechanisms and mental health disorders/mental health conditions or mental health issues, emotional effects and behaviours including: [4]

anxiety
depression
social phobia
aggression
obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD)
suicidal thoughts
eating disorders
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Effects of an Alcoholic Father May Have on Child’s Behaviour

There are many characteristics and behaviours that a child might develop if they have grown up with an alcoholic father or mother (children of alcoholics).

Children can develop serious trust issues after being surrounded by others who might lie, deny, or keep secrets. Trust issues may also occur from broken promises by the parent.

As a result of trust issues, children might struggle to maintain intimate relationships, romantic relationships or healthy relationships in the future.

Some children may also struggle with self-judgement and suffer from low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy. They may avoid others and isolate themselves.

Helping an Alcoholic Father Seek Treatment

When a parent such as a father has an alcohol addiction or alcohol misuse issue, it’s not the child’s responsibility to get the parent into a rehab facility for treatment. However, other adults who live with or are close to the person with the alcohol issue can help encourage the parent to seek rehab treatment.

You can try to bring up topics such as the different treatment options including detox, outpatient services, inpatient rehab, withdrawal symptoms, aftercare, the admissions process, types of mental health therapies and family therapy.

Your child has more chance of not developing an alcohol addiction themself or other negative behaviours if the parent is struggling with alcohol misuse. [5]

Our team at Rehab Recovery can help you and your family know the best options for your personal situation. Call us today at 0800 088 66 86 for further information on the effects on children and advice about how to treat substance use disorders.