The Life of Adolescents of Alcoholic Fathers

Kim, Myang Ah

doi:2003.12.2.124

J Korean Acad Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs > Volume 12(2); 2003 > Article

Original Article

Journal of Korean Academy of psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 2003;12(2):124-135.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12934/jkpmhn.2003.12.2.124 Published online June 30, 2003.

The Life of Adolescents of Alcoholic Fathers

Myang Ah Kim

Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, Pochon CHA University

아버지가 알코올중독자인 청소년 자녀의 삶

김명아

포천중문의과대학교 간호학부

Correspondence: Myang Ah Kim, Tel: +82-31- 725-8316, Fax: +82-31-725-8329,
Email: myungahkim@nate.com

Abstract

A phenomenological methodology was used to identify the life of adolescents of alcoholic fathers. Nine adolescents participated in in-depth interviews, done between October and December 2001. The Colaizzi's method was used for data analysis. The results of this study are as follows. Two themes and thirteen meanings were identified. The first theme is Living Alone: living abusively as partner to an alcohol dependent parents, living dangerously like an explosive fury, living as an object that has no self, living with rejection of fatherly being, living with felt responsibility but having no power to help mother who suffers patiently with pain and abuse, living alone with no shoulder to lean on, and living with the prejudice of sex discrimination. The second theme is sustaining life. The meanings are ambivalence between revenge on parents and pity, struggle for desirable self against fear of parents-like image, understanding parents through self reflection, hope to find fatherly being through father's recovery, being able to stand through emotional control and cognitive restructuring, nurturing the seed of hope for the future while in a situation of desperation. The results of this study can provide a foundation for the development of programs for children of alcohol dependent parents.

Key Words: Children of alcoholics; Phenomenological methodology