AUD Negatively Affects Children

 

Photo From Beginnings Treatment

Alcohol Use Disorder is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. For adults with AUD, their offspring could face terrible cognitive impairment, affecting their future socially and behaviorally.

As chaotic as our government has been, this has worsened the upcoming generation. Children are merely more likely to inherit this crumbling disease.

Even though drinking with minors was normalized in the past, underage drinking can cause severe depression and anxiety. Since the change of the legal drinking age was set to 21 in 1988, there has since been a decline in underage drinking.

Let's face it, drinking is one of the most common activities in our country today. There is never a party without alcohol. However, if someone develops a heavy addiction, they can be diagnosed with AUD. If they go on to have children, that child is 4 times more likely to develop that disease.

How is this possible? A probable cause is leading by example. Since drinking in the household is "normalized," children are prone to neglect. The parent is more likely to choose the alcohol over their own child, and in return, the child can use these ignorant behaviors. This proves that children can pick up what their parents teach them. Because of this neglect, it can cognitively affect children detrimentally, besides developing the condition.

One statistic by the American Addiction Center states that children are at risk of low cognition development, such as poor speech and language development, in the first three years of life. This statistic has proven to affect the most critical years of a child's growth and can also have social and behavioral effects.

When a child grows up, it is important for them to socialize and make friends. An important place for to do that is through schooling. As a parent, you always want your child to behave well and perform well in school. Children with AUD parents, they grow up with trust issues. If a child has grown up with an angry, drunk parent, they are more likely to have trust issues. This behavior causes fear of any type of conflict, which can lead to unhealthy socialization with others.

Sadly, socialization with others negatively impacts these children. One factor is harsh judgment. These children tend to judge themselves too much, leading to unhealthy or unstable romantic and friendly relationships with their peers. On top of this, it can affect their lives academically, resulting in low GPAs and impaired learning.

When you think about our government, would you guess they would do something to get these children out of these situations? Sadly, nothing other than rehab. Statistics show that over 29.5 million Americans suffer from AUD ages 12 and older.

Alcohol is certainly something to enjoy out with friends, but it needs to be in moderation around children. This horrible condition can not only affect themselves but the growth of a child. Though AUD is a newer diagnosable condition, when will the government actually speak up, inform, and do something about this?