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"Under The Influence: Kids Of Alcoholics"
On Sunday, November 14, 2010, a special edition of Nick News with Linda Ellerbee will bring attention to a problem that approximately 11 million kids in the U.S. have been suffering with silently for too long. “Under the Influence: Kids of Alcoholics” tells the story of 5 kids who live with alcoholic parents and the challenges they face because of it.
“It was like I was the mother,” says Kate, 12, from New Mexico. “I have lost some of my childhood…I know things some kids my age don’t know — like maybe should not know.”
“What children of alcoholics do need to know,” says Ellerbee, “is that it’s not their fault, they didn’t cause it and they can’t fix it. Most of all they need to know they’re not alone.”
“I love my mom but she loves drinking more than me,” says Brittany, 15, from Mattituck, N.Y. “I’ve tried to help my mom not to drink. I yelled and cried and begged her to stop. I have one tip. If you want the alcoholic not to drink, don’t dump the alcohol down the drain. That’s just going to make them more angry.”
You’ll hear from Matthew, 10, AGE, from Westminster, Colo. “I would worry a lot about my dad,” he says. “My grades were suffering because I couldn’t focus.”
Then there’s Rian, 13, from Westwego, La. “One day (my mom) wouldn’t wake up,” Rian says. “And I started crying because I thought she was dead.”
Although the program shows how sad and scary it can be for children living with alcoholism, it also delivers a message of hope. It lets kids know that they are not alone and that there are things they can do to stay safe and cope with the problem.
Jerry Moe, National Director, Betty Ford Children’s Program, acknowledges it’s difficult for kids growing up in homes where there’s alcoholism because they never know what’s going to happen next. But he also says kids can cope, “by having safe people that you can talk to about what’s going on at home. By learning problem solving skills, ways to stay safe.”
The good news is that alcoholics can get better. “I wondered, ‘What’s wrong with my dad? Is he sick?” says Sam, 13, from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Yes, his father was sick. He suffered from a disease called alcoholism, but agreed to go to rehab after an intervention. “My dad went into rehab, and I saw this place, almost surreal like. It was a place that would take in broken people, and basically taught them skills so they wouldn’t drink anymore and would stay sober. Not all the time it would work, but it worked for my dad and that’s all that matters to me.”
Tune in this weekend to the Nick News with Linda Ellerbee special, “Under the Influence: Kids of Alcoholics,” premiering Sunday, Nov. 14, from 9:00 to 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
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This made me really emotional. I am the 28 year old daughter of an alcoholic mother, and I grew up with so much fear and anxiety: exactly what all of these kids mentioned. I am SO glad and grateful that this special was created. These kids can now know they are not alone. I wish they had something like this when I was their age. I cannot wait to see this.