Why do teenagers abuse alcohol? Their parents might be a reason. Parents who drink can lead their teens into a whole world of disaster. Some estimates suggest that one in five adult Americans have lived with an alcoholic relative at some point of their lives. The risk of such teens suffering from emotional problems is twice as high compared to those who grew up in a safer environment. To be precise, alcoholism is a disease and it is genetic. Genetic researches conducted around the world have proven that children of alcoholics are four times more likely to become alcoholic themselves than those who have non-alcoholic parents; which explain why teenagers abuse alcohol. In fact if you look at the bigger picture it is almost impossible that a teenager raised and living with alcoholic parents has never suffered from some sort of neglect or abuse. 

Who Suffers?

Teenagers with parental substance abuse in the background grow up with a number of psychological problems. They not only suffer from anxiety and depression but the conflicting emotions they suffer through out their lives makes it even worse. Their situation is desperate since they can not approach the one authority figure most children turn to in times of need and support. Some of the emotions and feeling they go through are :

• Guilt: In most cases the teen feels responsible for the parents addiction
• Anxiety: The precarious situation at home keep teens constantly on their toes. The fear of the parent getting sick or becoming violent never leaves the teens mind
• Embarrassment: The constant need to keep their parents addiction a secret, induces strong feeling of shame and embarrassment, due to which a teen may become isolated and anti-social  
• Emotionally Dysfunctional: Due to the fact that the teen was disappointed by their most dependable relationship, it becomes difficult for the teen to trust anyone or have a normal relationship with them  
• Confusion: Since the parents behavior is unpredictable due to their addiction, the child is constantly confused or fearful of future events 
• Anger: After years of putting up with the hurt and disappointment of living and dealing with a dysfunctional parent, teens are usually brimming with anger
• Depression: teenagers will feel lonely, isolated and helpless. In such conditions they might even attempt suicide  

Children of substance abusing parents usually do poorly in school and eventually indulge in delinquent behavior or develop addictions themselves. The need to keep their parent's drinking a secret forces them into seclusion, which is why they don’t have many friends and avoid social life in general. The desperation and helplessness they have grown up in makes them highly reckless by nature and aggressive towards children. However, there are also exceptional cases of teenagers, who in the face of such adversity took on the role of responsibilty and authority in their families and become extraordinarily people. Such teens rarely show any sign of trouble brewing at home. In life they gain much success due to their controlled and responsible approach towards life. None the less, even these teens suffer from emotional issues and are generally quite isolated in life. 

How to Help?

It is up to relatives, teachers and caregivers to spot the red flags of a troubled teenager. They can help seek treatment for the parent and remove the teenager from such a destructive environment. A great way of doing this would be to induct the teenager in educational programs and mutual-help groups to help understand their parent’s disease and deal with their own psychological and emotional suffering. Getting proper therapy and counseling to reduce the risk of addiction in future will be necessary. Child and adolescent psychiatrists can help the teen get rid of a number of negative emotions by explaining how they are not responsible for the drinking problems of their parents.