🍷 What it means to have grown up with an alcoholic parent
Growing up with an alcoholic parent meant you never knew which version of them you'd encounter—the loving parent or the volatile stranger alcohol created.
Alcohol became an invisible family member that rewired your entire nervous system for crisis. You learned to read micro-expressions, scan for empty bottles, and decode the subtle signs that fun was about to turn dangerous. While other kids worried about homework, you were managing family emergencies, keeping secrets, and becoming the emotional thermostat that kept everyone else stable.
This constant vigilance taught you that relationships are unpredictable, that people you love can transform into strangers, and that your worth comes from how well you can manage chaos. You became a master at spotting troubled people and fixing broken situations—a survival skill that now draws you into relationships that feel familiar but harmful.