Welcome to adult children of alcoholics r dysfunctional families adult children of alcoholics aca dysfunctional families is a twelve step twelve tradition program of men and women who grew up in dysfunctional homes we meet to share our experience of growing up in an environment where abuse neglect and trauma infected us this affects us today and influences how we deal with all aspects of our lives. Often adult children of alcoholics will take on the characteristics of alcoholics even though theyve never picked up a drink exhibiting denial poor coping skills poor problem solving and forming dysfunctional relationships. Definition of adult children according to the adult children of alcoholics world service organization wso website the term adult children refers to adults who were raised in alcoholic homes who exhibit identifiable traits that reveal past abuse or neglect 1 . Characteristics and personality traits of adult children of alcoholics due to the intense pressure they feel during their childhood adult children of alcoholics traits reflect major issues the guilt that they feel because of their parents alcoholism tends to make them have low self esteem many of the adult children suffer from depression and or anxiety and are unable to form a healthy emotional relationship they can also turn out to be people pleasers since they have spent most