This Treatment Improvement Protocol, written by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, talks about treatment, approaching therapy and most importantly the impact it has on the families. Being negative can bring “the overall mood of the household..downbeat.” If you have children, you can "create a sense of confusion". The children will be confused because that type of inconsistent and lazy parenting is different.

If the parents child is the abuser is a whole different topic. The parent goes into denial that their son or daughter is drinking alcohol. Even if authorities are involved they still might be in denial.

Those who are abusing alcohol have no other way to release anger but to drink. They can kiss their sorrows goodbye until the effect is over. They continually crave it to forget all the hardships they are facing.

Children may work aggressively to achieve satisfactions with their parents, "all the while feeling that no matter what they do is never good enough." "If children are told throughout youth that they will certainly fail", they will have low self esteem and start to think bad about themselves.