How Alcohol Addiction Destabilizes the Family

Unfortunately, alcohol addiction does not only affect the individual, but also the family of the person involved in alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse in the case of an expectant mother can have serious effects on the fetus. The baby of the pregnant alcohol drinker is most likely to be born with various birth defects such as deformities in the brain and the skull and other facial defects. The children also might be affected in that they may have low self-esteem, helplessness and hopelessness in life or even fears of abandonment.

The education of the children is also affected because they have a stressful environment at home which also affects their school work. As a result, they have poor relationships with their teachers and classmates. The children also become unruly and may even engage in drugs and alcohol due to the negligence of their parents. They engage in crime and other unlawful activities due to lack of proper guidance.

The spouse of the alcoholic is most likely to have feelings of hatred and sometimes they may start having an unsocial life. The spouse may also start becoming negligent to the children. This is because the parental duties normally shift from one parent to the other.  The family may also have to forfeit certain privileges, such as basic needs because most of the money goes into alcohol consumption.

Alcohol abuse has led to anti-social behaviour. Due to the effects of alcohol, the police and other law enforcement agencies in Canada are having a hard time maintaining peace and stability due to the high increase of vandalism and crime.