family

The scene is all-too familiar for many American families. One family member gets blotto and ruins holiday get-togethers to such an extent that it spells humiliation for everyone concerned. Not the least of which are any children present who have to witness the intoxication of their parent or grandparent or other family member.

Maybe this is the holiday season you can do something about it. Here are some tips on how to handle a family member who typically – let’s say, regularly – gets drunk during the holidays.

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Family members can develop post-traumatic stress syndrome when they watch their loved ones go through life-threatening illnesses, according to two studies published in medical journals.

The first study by Dr. David Wendler, director of the Unit on Vulnerable Populations at the National Institutes of Health Department of Bioethics, looked at families of terminally ill patients and found they experience extreme stress when they are asked to make end-of-life decisions. Many told researchers that they felt as if they were in lose-lose situations in that “pulling the plug” meant they were killing a person they love and allowing him to stay on machines meant he continued to suffer.

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Trauma experienced in one generation of a family can affect generations to come. This occurs when there has been physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children, neglect of children and domestic violence. In some instances, the effects of other types of trauma such as catastrophes, war, illness, incarceration, addiction, accidents and violence also traumatize other generations.

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