Do you ever feel like you are different from other people or wonder whether your ways of thinking, feeling, and acting are normal? Growing up in a family affected by alcoholism shapes the way you view yourself and others. You may take things very seriously, which makes it hard to feel happiness or joy. You may be harshly critical of yourself and others, which makes maintaining intimate relationships and friendships difficult. You may be extremely loyal, even when that loyalty is undeserved, or you may end relationships at the first sign of trouble; both leave you feeling betrayed, abandoned, unsafe, and unloved.
Children of alcoholics grow up physically, but they often feel emoti...