The week of Valentine’s Day in February is not only observed as the week of love but also as Children of Alcoholics Awareness Week. This week highlights the problems and needs of children with parents who are alcoholics. This week does not discriminate between young children and adult children of alcoholics.

When a parent abuses alcohol the children suffer. They are left with deep psychological scars that can haunt them for the rest of their lives until they are properly treated. Observing this holiday week means bringing attention to the children of alcoholics, who often suffer in silence.

The History of Children of Alcoholics Awareness Week

This holiday was first created in the early 1990s in Great Britain before being brought to the U.S. It was created to bring attention to the children of alcoholics—a subject that had been first addressed by Alcoholics Anonymous during the 1950s.

At the end of the 1970s, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism focused on the children of alcoholics, and in 1986, The National Association for Children of Alcoholics became a public institution.

Observing Children of Alcoholics Awareness Week

For children of alcoholics, this is a week to seek support or to find additional information about recovery. This is also a week for people to show support for the children of alcoholics. Several organizations provide important resources for families affected by alcoholism, including Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, NACoA, Adult Children of Alcoholics, and SAMHSA.

The information they provide is invaluable and helpful for coping families. We also would like to suggest that people spread the word about this week so that more people will seek help if they need it. Spreading the word can be as simple as telling friends and family about this week or using the hashtag #ChildrenOfAlcoholicsAwarenessWeek on social media.