Growing Up With Alcoholism - Hope For Sober Life?
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010Alcoholism has already been part of your life for years. No, you haven’t drink a drop of alcohol - yet. But you worry about what your future holds. Are you destined to repeat the problems of your family? Can you break away from these old patterns and stay healthy? The news is good. You certainly can live a different life than your alcoholic family members. But it won’t happen automatically. Keep reading to learn about staying on track with a healthy life.
Reality Check - Your Alcoholism Risk Factors
The fact that you’re even thinking about all this is a good sign. Being aware of the destructive pattern of your past can help you create a different future for yourself. But it’s not enough just to know that you want to make change. You have to really understand what you are up against and how to keep going. The following is a breakdown of a few risk factors you’ll have to consider.
Genetics - Alcoholism isn’t a genetically inherited condition. But sharing genetics with an alcoholic means you could have some of the same vulnerabilities. You might inherit a high tolerance for drugs and alcohol. You may inherit personality traits that lean towards addiction, such as being thrill/risk seeker and impulsivity. You may also inherit heart conditions, high blood pressure, and other conditions that would be exacerbated with heavy alcohol use.
Familiar With Addiction Environment - Since you grew up with addiction, you know a lot of the ins and outs. Of course, this could give you more fuel in your fire about rejecting alcoholism. But you need to be cautious that alcohol doesn’t tempt you as a coping skill. Your father used it, or your mother used it, or your grandpa, so maybe it could work out better for you. Things turned out bad for them, but you can handle it. That kind of minimizing and excusing can get you into trouble.
Family And Friends May Not Support You - Not everyone may think sobriety is a great idea. Despite seeing all the destruction in your family, some may treat you like an outsider if you don’t drink. This kind of pressure could make you cave in and start drinking. And just because you drink doesn’t automatically mean you have a problem with it. But if you give high value to these family member’s opinions, you may have trouble ahead.
Keeping Alcoholism At Bay
Here are some quick tips for keeping your healthy lifestyle intact when your family life and genetics are working against you.
You Choice Using Alcohol- There’s no hard and fast rule that children of alcoholics shouldn’t ever drink. Not everyone who grows up in that situation will develop a problem. But if you feel at all unsure, staying completely sober can be a good safe choice.
Dealing With Your Family - You may need to decide how much you can and want to interact with your family. Some may be healthier than others. Some may care more or less about your drinking. Just be prepared to deal with some land mines.
Live A Generally Healthy Lifestyle - Eat right, exercise, hang around good people who also make good choices. This will keep you from getting influenced by extreme thinking or risk taking.




James’ admission is refreshing, and seems to confirm claims that most of the basketball players in the NBA have used marijuana sporadically (or regularly) and various points during their lives. The concern is the potential message it sends to young athletes. “Hey, I can smoke some weed now and STILL end up like LeBron James!”
The follow is a list of hallmark signs and symptoms of teen marijuana use - that taken together acts as a watch list for vigilant parents who want to address their child’s marijuana use or 

