ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how a family changes over time. It explores the typical stages a family goes through and then narrows in on the individuals in the family. The chapter talks about children growing up in alcoholic families and then explores adult children of alcoholics. It focuses on the concept of resiliency and how children growing up in addicted families might gain and utilize strengths and resources to help them through the chaos. The chapter explores the developmental growth of the family and how that growth can be hampered when addiction is involved. It focuses on the 'typical' North American family life cycle, which entails a heterosexual couple that has one or more children. The problems of children of alcoholics (COAs) can start from when the child is very young. Adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) tend to start using alcohol earlier than children who did not grow up in alcoholic families.
