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Alcohol is deeply rooted in our culture and national identity, from Burns suppers to celebrating the start of the weekend with a few cold ones after work on a Friday.So what's the problem?
The problem is we're drinking more today than ever and it's harming our health, our communities and our economy.
Everyone knows your relationship with anyone should be well looked after and nurtured all the time, but when alcohol gets thrown into the mix it's a different ball game. It will and it does seriously finish your healthy relationship with your family. Recent studies have shown that 95% of families who bring alcohol into a family relationship always end up with a dysfunctional family. Does this apply to you?
You see once someone starts to bring alcohol into a family and they become dependant on it, no one really has spotted the problem because it's slowly crept up on them. Then when the problem has been spotted they don't really take it seriously enough and that's why you have alcoholic dysfunctional families.
It is very common for dysfunctional families to deny the existence of any alcoholic problems. You'll find that they usually develop a number of different behaviors which gives them an illusion that drinking alcohol is not affecting their family. You'll also notice that they start telling lies saying they are working late when they are really stopping off at the pub for a drink.
Most partners/spouses will even lie or make some excuse up for the drinking partner just because they have got a hangover and they can't make an appointment. Another way you can tell there is a problem at home is children tend to perform poorly at school or even miss it.
Effect of Alcohol on
Your family and children
Drink costs money and, unless you’re stupidly rich, money spent on alcohol will mean less cash for everything else a family needs.
Then there's the time factor. Kids prefer bedtime stories to knowing their folks are having fun down the local or getting cosy with a bottle in front of the telly. And if you're hung-over and tired, you're unlikely to have the energy for horse-play and having a laugh with them.
It can also mean missing out on important stuff in their lives. Having mum or dad around them can mean the world to them.
Being a parent also means being responsible and being there for them – you can't do that properly if you drink beyond sensible limits.
Work colleagues
Drinking more than is sensible affects how well we perform at work, often without us even realising it. If someone's not pulling their weight, everyone else has to pull a bit harder to take up the slack. This is a common cause of resentment, low morale and stress in the workplace.
Friendships
Being in the company of seriously drunk people isn't much fun. The conversation is generally rubbish and they have a nasty habit of getting argumentative, falling about the place and throwing up.If that person is you on a regular basis, over time you'll find the only people prepared to put up with your behaviour are others in the same boat.
Your partner
Alcohol makes both men and women less sensitive to other people's feelings and this can damage relationships.If you’re drinking too much, chances are it's cutting into time you could be spending doing other things as a couple. It could also encourage your partner to drink more than they should. Then you'll both be hung-over and ratty – hardly a recipe for a match made in heaven.
Your Health
You can develop problems such as anemia, which can be brought on by not taking care of yourself physically or nutritionally. Some other common problems can be ulcers, cirrhosis of the liver, hallucinations, dementia,"wet brain" and even death.One major health problem due to alcohol abuse is cirrhosis of the liver.
Once you start to learn that alcohol is causing you and your family a problem the quicker you can sort it out the better. You're not just hurting yourself when you drink, you're hurting the ones around you, who love you the most. In fact denial is one of the key systems of alcohol dependency (Alcoholism). You must also remember if you are protecting or covering up for an alcoholic you're preventing that person from seeking help which will see them have a better life for the future. |
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Quit Alcohol...How Alcohol Affects Your Family!
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