View Poll Results: Were your parents alcoholics?
No
132
32.67%
Yes, my mother was an alcoholic
48
11.88%
Yes, my father was an alcoholc
132
32.67%
Yes, both my mother and father were alcoholics
79
19.55%
I don't know
13
3.22%
Voters: 404. You may not vote on this poll
Were your parents alcoholics?
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: san mateo, ca.
Posts: 80
All males on my father's side going as far back as great grandfather! Me and my brother are alcoholics! My father died of cirrhosis at age 48....I was 10! Never knew him! And the peeps I grew up with, one or both parents were alcoholics! 115 days for me today! I think the chain was broken with my daughters! They're in they're 20's and don't party! Prolly seen me wasted so many times they don't want to turn out like me!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: QLD
Posts: 173
Yep, both of them. It killed my dad and is killing my mother and sisters. It's a huge problem in our family. Most of my cousins,aunts and uncles are alcoholics, raising their kids around drunks. The kids grow up thinking it's normal, take their first drink around 9 or 10 when the older kids think it's funny to see them get drunk, and so begins the next generation's problems with alcohol.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 873
My dad died really young so I dunno about him, but I learned later in life that his father drank heavily until around 40 years old and then quit.
My mom was off and on but there were periods where I thought she might have been an alcoholic. I didn't see it growing up though.
And on both sides of the family there are people with substance abuse issues.
I don't know if any of that matters though when it comes to me. Nobody condoned my drinking, that's for sure.
My mom was off and on but there were periods where I thought she might have been an alcoholic. I didn't see it growing up though.
And on both sides of the family there are people with substance abuse issues.
I don't know if any of that matters though when it comes to me. Nobody condoned my drinking, that's for sure.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 193
My father was an alcoholic, and his father too... I bet if I could look beyond, I would see a chain of alcoholics going way back...
On my mum's side, my great grandfather was an alcoholic. I just found this out last week! So, both sides of my family have alcoholism.
On my mum's side, my great grandfather was an alcoholic. I just found this out last week! So, both sides of my family have alcoholism.
Professional zombie fighter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 341
My mother is an alcoholic.
My maternal grandmother is a drug addict.
My father is borderline alcoholic, like he's abused alcohol to such an extent that it's ruined huge parts of his life, but now at 55 he appears to have it entirely under control, drinks socially like a normal person. I think it might just be that his second wife goes around mitigates all potential ill effects of his drinking.
Cool poll idea.
My maternal grandmother is a drug addict.
My father is borderline alcoholic, like he's abused alcohol to such an extent that it's ruined huge parts of his life, but now at 55 he appears to have it entirely under control, drinks socially like a normal person. I think it might just be that his second wife goes around mitigates all potential ill effects of his drinking.
Cool poll idea.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Margate, UK
Posts: 549
Yep, my Dad is, sadly.
One good thing, though - he said that my sobriety inspires him to quit, and said he can't remember what it's like to be sober. Unfortunately, those were just words, so far, and he's still drinking. Fingers crossed
One good thing, though - he said that my sobriety inspires him to quit, and said he can't remember what it's like to be sober. Unfortunately, those were just words, so far, and he's still drinking. Fingers crossed
Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Poway, CA
Posts: 1,636
Yes, both parents were Alcoholics. MyFather got sober in AA 5 years before he passed from lung cancer at age 61.. He was a great person sober and also instrumental in my sobriety. Growing up, It was a difficult home to try to navigate as we were reprimanded for something one day and it was okay on the next. Our primary purpose was to stay out of their way to avoid physical and emotional abuse. The takeaway was very low self esteem for myself and my siblings.
Looking back at the long list of Alcoholism in the family: My Grandparents and Great Grandparents on both sides were Alcoholics. Almost all passed at a young age with my Mother's Mother passing due to health problems related to Alcoholism. She was 24! My Mother's Father lived into his 80's and cut down on the drinking quite a bit.
I really believe their is a gene passed down that causes Alcoholism and, most importantly, I am aware I have it. That awareness has convinced me that I can't take that first drink as it could only lead to disaster. I believe other relatives may have this disease but I don't spend time trying to decide. I see so many good traits in all of them and that's enough for me.
Looking back at the long list of Alcoholism in the family: My Grandparents and Great Grandparents on both sides were Alcoholics. Almost all passed at a young age with my Mother's Mother passing due to health problems related to Alcoholism. She was 24! My Mother's Father lived into his 80's and cut down on the drinking quite a bit.
I really believe their is a gene passed down that causes Alcoholism and, most importantly, I am aware I have it. That awareness has convinced me that I can't take that first drink as it could only lead to disaster. I believe other relatives may have this disease but I don't spend time trying to decide. I see so many good traits in all of them and that's enough for me.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: West Tn
Posts: 3,043
My mother was a miserable drunk for 50 years until we moved her into a memory unit, where she died. No white chips, not many real efforts at getting sober.
My stepfather, who raised me with my mother, drank heavily but was not an alcoholic.
My biological father had a drinking problem (not as bad as his son's or his ex-wife's) and quit for 20 years before he died sober.
My grandfather and my step-grandfather were both alcoholics.
I grew up in a house with alcoholism. My wife grew up in an adult environment.
Good thread.
My stepfather, who raised me with my mother, drank heavily but was not an alcoholic.
My biological father had a drinking problem (not as bad as his son's or his ex-wife's) and quit for 20 years before he died sober.
My grandfather and my step-grandfather were both alcoholics.
I grew up in a house with alcoholism. My wife grew up in an adult environment.
Good thread.
Saved by Grace
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YUKON,OK
Posts: 115
Moms dad - drank beer 24/7
Moms mom - drank beer/burbon 24/7
Dads dad - loser drunk
Dads mom - ultimate Christian, never touched the stuff
Dad - highly functioning alkie
Mom - highly functioning alkie
No siblings
Me - 25+ years highly functioning alkie, doing my best to kick this now.
Moms mom - drank beer/burbon 24/7
Dads dad - loser drunk
Dads mom - ultimate Christian, never touched the stuff
Dad - highly functioning alkie
Mom - highly functioning alkie
No siblings
Me - 25+ years highly functioning alkie, doing my best to kick this now.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,580
My mother's mother was alcoholic, probably died of it.
Father's father was alcoholic, left the family.
Neither of my parents drank -- maybe very light social drinking (like 3 drinks a year, literally).
I'm one of four grown kids, and all of us drink a lot. I'm pretty sure my sister has a drinking problem. I know for sure I do.
Father's father was alcoholic, left the family.
Neither of my parents drank -- maybe very light social drinking (like 3 drinks a year, literally).
I'm one of four grown kids, and all of us drink a lot. I'm pretty sure my sister has a drinking problem. I know for sure I do.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 15
Fathers side
Great grandfather - alcoholic, drank himself to death in his late 30s
Grand father - alcoholic but very "successful" in business
Great uncle - alcoholic died of liver cancer in his 80s, successful politician
2 cousins who are alcoholics
Moms side:
My Grandparents - very heavy drinkers
Great aunt - alcoholic
My mom - alcoholic
Great grandfather - alcoholic, drank himself to death in his late 30s
Grand father - alcoholic but very "successful" in business
Great uncle - alcoholic died of liver cancer in his 80s, successful politician
2 cousins who are alcoholics
Moms side:
My Grandparents - very heavy drinkers
Great aunt - alcoholic
My mom - alcoholic
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 18
My Father was. Quit and relapsed several times. He's been sober for a year now.
My Mother never drank. Her Father was an alcoholic. Her first husband was an alcoholic. Her second husband (my Father) is an alcoholic and I am one too. I have been sober for just over 2 years now and she was a giant part of why I quit. She is the strongest, most dependable, helpful and loyal person I have ever known.
My Mother never drank. Her Father was an alcoholic. Her first husband was an alcoholic. Her second husband (my Father) is an alcoholic and I am one too. I have been sober for just over 2 years now and she was a giant part of why I quit. She is the strongest, most dependable, helpful and loyal person I have ever known.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 124
My dad was an alcoholic, but I didn't know until I was nearly an adult!
I remember playing hide and seek with my sisters and my next youngest sister went to hide in the clothes hamper in the bathroom and found an empty vodka bottle. She brought it out to my mom and asked what it was and my mom said she didn't know. Now, this was a woman who grew up with an alcoholic father! She'd found bottles over the ductwork in our basement and said they must have been left by previous tenants, which I supposed could be true, but how do you explain away the bottle in the hamper?
His breath smelled like alcohol a lot of the time, but I had no idea what that was about when I was young. There were lots of "odd" moments that I now know probably took place because he was drunk. The worst was that he was walking down the hallway one time when I was 13 years old- and he smashed into the wall and had to lie down. My mom panicked and called 911. The EMTs kept asking her how much he'd had to drink that evening and she said that they'd split one beer. He spent over a week in the hospital and the explanation was that he'd had a suspected stroke. He left the hospital AMA. I was terrified every time I heard a siren that he was dying!
It ticks me off now that he clearly was drunk, but wouldn't admit it to anyone.
When he retired, he went off the deep end and stopped off at bars a lot. He got a part time job as a parking lot maintenance guy, but lost that due to drinking.
The thing that makes me crazy is that my mom claims have never had a clue that the guy was a drunk- and says she doesn't remember the bottle in the hamper, etc. She's always had a selective memory, though.
I remember playing hide and seek with my sisters and my next youngest sister went to hide in the clothes hamper in the bathroom and found an empty vodka bottle. She brought it out to my mom and asked what it was and my mom said she didn't know. Now, this was a woman who grew up with an alcoholic father! She'd found bottles over the ductwork in our basement and said they must have been left by previous tenants, which I supposed could be true, but how do you explain away the bottle in the hamper?
His breath smelled like alcohol a lot of the time, but I had no idea what that was about when I was young. There were lots of "odd" moments that I now know probably took place because he was drunk. The worst was that he was walking down the hallway one time when I was 13 years old- and he smashed into the wall and had to lie down. My mom panicked and called 911. The EMTs kept asking her how much he'd had to drink that evening and she said that they'd split one beer. He spent over a week in the hospital and the explanation was that he'd had a suspected stroke. He left the hospital AMA. I was terrified every time I heard a siren that he was dying!
It ticks me off now that he clearly was drunk, but wouldn't admit it to anyone.
When he retired, he went off the deep end and stopped off at bars a lot. He got a part time job as a parking lot maintenance guy, but lost that due to drinking.
The thing that makes me crazy is that my mom claims have never had a clue that the guy was a drunk- and says she doesn't remember the bottle in the hamper, etc. She's always had a selective memory, though.
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