Children of alcoholics

DEAR ABBY: I was married to my childhood sweetheart, "Dexter," for 13 years. Only the first five were happy. The rest were spent trying to adjust to his alcoholism and making excuses for why he drinks.

We have two children, 12 and 10, whom I love dearly. I finally made the decision to leave when I realized what a poor example Dexter was setting for them.

Youths who faced depression in the past year were twice as likely as those who did not have depression to take their first drink or use drugs for the first time, according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

A recent study shows that most children get their first full drink of alcohol from their parents. And children are getting their first drink at increasingly younger ages. What does this mean:

There is a new web site out of the UK for younger children coping with parents who drink too much. Children of Addicted Parents and People (COAP) is a new organization started by Emma Spiegler, whose also written a book of poetry about her experiences with her mother's drinking.

A recent study shows that 1 in 4 adults admitted to community hospitals (7.6 million of nearly 32 million stays) have a mental-health or addiction diagnosis. From the study:

From recent research

Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for alcohol problems, and parental alcoholism and stressful family experiences are important factors in that risk, two new studies suggest.

Nature versus nurture. What plays a bigger role in shaping who we become as people? Environment or genetics?

New research has recently come out that highlights a potential treatment to prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in newborns. Scientists theorize that small doses of cholesterol given to alcoholic/alcohol abusing mothers may prevent FAS and other neurological and physical defects caused by alcohol exposure.

Growing up with alcoholic parents is linked to negative feelings, feelings of sadness and sometimes hopelessness, according to a study by Kenneth Sher, a clinical psychology processor at MU.

Join Together has a brief summary of new research on diagnosing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, a milder form of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. From the article: