IN adult life, many children of alcoholics find their parents' addictions coming back to haunt them in the form of alcoholism, anxiety, depression or troubled relationships. The patterns which emerge in each family as an addiction progresses are "inevitable", according to Michael Hardiman, counselling psychologist and author of Under the Influence: healing children hurt by family alcoholism. In part two of a lecture series at the Rutland Centre on Monday, December 2nd at 7.30 p.m., Mr Hardiman will talk about inter generational addiction and how addiction in a family always damages children. The only way to break the web for children and grandchildren of alcoholics is to get help.
The lecture series will begin on Monday, November 25th, at 7.30 p.m., when the newly appointed director of the Rutland Centre, Maura Russell, from Clonaslee, Co Laois, talks about "Addiction: alcohol and drugs - their role in the destruction of human potential". Ms Russell estimates that for every one person addicted to alcohol, drugs or compulsive gambling, at least five other people are directly affected.