Alcoholic Mother
“My mom is an alcoholic.” Those words are not easy to say or to hear when you say them to yourself. Yet being willing to say them and believe them if they are true will go a long way toward helping yourself. You may even end up helping her, too. If your mom is an alcoholic, you have been through a lot, but there is hope for both you and her.
By now, the effects of alcohol on children when their mothers are heavy drinkers have been well-established. Children of the heaviest drinkers may have fetal alcohol syndrome, a complex of physical and emotional developmental problems that can lead to persistent emotional, physical, and behavioral complications. Even if your mother did not drink while you were in utero, you can still face problems caused by her alcoholism. You may have developed healthy or unhealthy coping mechanisms similar to those for how to deal with a drug addict mother that shape you to this very day.
You and Your Alcoholic Mother
Of the many unhealthy tactics that you have developed to deal with the fact that your mother is an alcoholic, the most obvious is that you may be an alcoholic yourself. Studies show that the children of alcoholics are at an increased risk of becoming alcoholics, too. Yet while your mother’s alcoholism may have contributed to your own drinking problem, the decision whether to remain an alcoholic rests with you. You can start breaking the addiction cycle today by enrolling in one of the many traditional or alternative rehab programs in our addiction recovery network.
If you want to know what to do with an alcoholic mother, the best answer is whatever you can do to encourage her to get help. By continuing to drink, she risks destroying her life and the lives of others. Knowing how to deal with a drug addict mother is similar, and it involves first developing the willingness to confront her with the destructive nature of her addiction. Tell her that she runs the risk of an early death or not being able to enjoy a relationship with you or her grandchildren if she continues to drink. Often, that will encourage mothers to pursue customized addiction counseling and medical treatment.
If you can say, “my mom is an alcoholic,” then you have taken the first step toward helping her and yourself. We want to stand with you to provide assistance, and we can match you or your mother to a program where you or her can start healing. Call today or fill out our contact form to get the best addiction help for your needs.