UK: Increasing Calls for Help with Parents who Have Alcohol Problems
A leading charity reports the number of adults calling for help with parents who have alcohol problems has tripled over the last five years.
The National Association for the Children of Alcoholics (NACOA), an IOGT International partner in the campaign to help and support children from families with alcohol problems, took more than 23,000 calls or messages in 2018 from adults seeking help for their parents, compared to 6,400 in 2013.
Experts are calling for more funding to support families and friends would help more people with parents who have alcohol problems. In response, the Department of Health said it was investing £6 million to tackle the issue.
According to the alcohol and other drugs charity Addaction, approximately one in three older adults with an alcohol problem first develop it later in life. Increased support and ease of access to services for people over the age of 50 with alcohol problems is called for in response to this growing concern.
Effects of parental alcohol problems on children
Children whose parents have alcohol problems are at four times greater risk of becoming dependent on alcohol themselves. NACOA supports those who have lived through childhood with their parent’s alcohol problems. They also offer help to people whose parent’s issues emerged in later life.
Children often have confusing feelings dealing with their parents who have alcohol problems.
The feelings of guilt have been born out of the anger and resentment towards their parent but they still love them so they feel guilty about feeling that sort of way towards them,” said Stephanie Page, a helpline supervisor at NACOA, as per BBC.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it can be “incredibly damaging for a young person to grow up with an alcoholic parent and can lead to lifelong harm”.
The Department of Health and Social Care is investing £6m to support children of parents with substance use problems, and services including alcohol treatment and mental health services are available for people who are suffering the impact of parental alcohol problems as adults. According to a spokesman from the Department, every person admitted to hospital showing signs of alcohol dependence in the 25% worst affected parts of the country will be offered “targeted help to stop”.
Children who face the issue of parents who have alcohol problems later in life have a different set of challenges. Often the parent may have retired and is having issues with adjusting to this new situation. The adult child finds themselves in a difficult place because they have not seen their parent act this way and are confused of what steps should be taken.
Alcohol harm in the UK
© WHO Global Alcohol Status Report 2018
The WHO report per capita alcohol consumption in the UK is above the average of the WHO European region. The health consequences are grave with 13% men suffering from alcohol use disorders. In this view the UK would benefit from implementing an action plan and further strengthening their alcohol policy to prevent and reduce the harm of alcohol on people and specially children.
