Under the Influence

            In the essay "Under the Influence: Paying the Prize of My Father's Booze" Scott Russell Sanders shows how children of alcoholic parents suffer from self blame and how that blame can affect them for the rest of their life.
             In this essay Scott Russell Sanders illustrates the troubles he experienced as a young boy due to his fathers drinking problem. Many times he overheard his mothers encouraging words as she pleaded with his father to stop drinking. His father ignored her and left the house. He would stay gone for days, sometimes even weeks. Young Scott blamed himself for his father's addiction to alcohol. Many children in today's society also blame themselves for their parent's addiction. Especially children who are physically or sexually abused. They feel responsible for their parent's behavior and often believe that they have done something wrong. Alcoholism is a widespread problem for many adults with families. The disappointing fact is that innocent bystanders such as children are involved.
             Children whose parents have an alcohol addiction respond to self-blame in many.
             different ways. Some of them isolate themselves and become depressed. Others turn .
             into bully's and express their anger. Those children may also experience difficulties in.
             school, such as concentrating in class. Scott Russell Sanders for example had mixed emotions for his father. He loved, hated and feared him but he also thought he failed him. He believed he disappointed him somehow. He thought if he competed all his chores and.
             performed well in school his father would stop drinking. .
             Sanders also mentions how self-blame affected his childhood. He described mixed.
             feelings of helplessness, responsibility and shame that he learned to feel as the son of an alcoholic. Self-blame has any negative effects in children. Children of alcoholics feel unloved and grow up with many disappointments. Concentrating on their parent's alcohol addiction more than schoolwork and friends can create a serious problem, which interferes with learning and socializing.