The impact of an alcoholic parent continues
to be felt in adult life. The most prevalent feature of Adult Children
of Alcoholics (ACOAs) is their confusion about what constitutes "normal
behavior." They know that their family wasn't typical but they don't know
what "normal" is.Adult Children of
Alcoholics are characterized by:
- difficulty completing projects
- habitual lying
- harsh self-judgments
- being irresponsible or overly
responsible
- taking themselves very seriously
- difficulty with intimate relationships
- excessive need for control
- impulsive behavior without thinking
about the consequences
- constant need for approval
- feeling "different" from others
- extreme loyalty, even when undeserved
