Symptoms of an Adult Child of an Alcoholic

This is not a meme. I believe it is much more relevant to our lives and health than the average meme.

While I was Googling links regarding Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) for yesterday’s post, I discovered these symptoms on the website The Sideroad. (The previous link takes you directly to the page of ACOA symptoms, not the homepage).

If you have any history of alcoholism or drug addiction in your family—it need not be in your immediate family since one alcoholic can affect the lives of people as distant as grandchildren and cousins—I urge you to answer these questions. I did yesterday and found myself in the category described as “The past is casting a heavy shadow over you.”

Of course, I have known that I am an ACOA for more than 35 years. Yet, even though I am aware of the impact on my life of being an ACOA, as I discussed in the Comments section of yesterday’s post, the ACOS driver somehow remains with (me) even when (I am) aware of it… until, of course, (my) adult (self) click in and (I) scream, “Oh, shit! I did it again.”

Tomorrow I shall post my answers to these questions in the Comments section of this blog post. If you answer “yes” to more than 15 of these questions, I suggest you follow the link to the The Sideroad website for more information. Taking action could improve/change/save your life.

Symptoms of an Adult Child of an Alcoholic

1 . Is it difficult for you to identify, understand, or express your feelings?

2 . Do you judge yourself more harshly than you do others?

3 . Do you have an extremely strong sense of responsibility?

4 . Do you feel guilty when you stand up for yourself?

5 . Do you find yourself afraid of or intimidated by people, particularly authority figures?

6 . Is the approval of others often more important to you than your own preferences or beliefs?

7 . Are thrills and excitement a necessary part of your life?

8 . When someone gets angry at you, do you shrivel inside?

9 . Does personal criticism make you feel as though you're under attack?

10. Do you often find yourself feeling isolated and alone?

11. When things go badly, do you feel like a victim?

12. Can you answer 'yes' to a lot of questions found on an "are you an alcoholic" questionnaire although you never pick up a drink?

13. Are you more concerned for others than for yourself?

14. Do you find yourself constantly trying to rescue others, whether it's a friend, relative or lover?

15. Are you uncomfortable with intimacy and revealing yourself to another person?

16. Do you find yourself hanging onto relationships that aren't healthy?

17. Have you ever confused pity for love?

18. Are you currently involved with an alcoholic?

19 . Are you currently involved with any kind of compulsive personality - such as a workaholic?

20. Have you ever been involved with an alcoholic or a compulsive personality?

21. Do you have a drinking problem?