February 16, 2017

 

In honor of Children of Alcoholics Week, American Addiction Centers released a video series highlighting the personal addiction story of a mother and son. Chris Boutte watched his mother struggling with alcohol addiction as a child, only to follow in her footsteps. In this powerful video series, Chris interviews his mom as they share laughs, tears, and emotional memories of their journey together.

“Growing up, I remember thinking ‘I’m your child, you should get sober for me. You should get sober for me,” said Chris. “Now, as a recovering addict myself, I understand that this isn’t how it works. I didn’t end up getting sober until my own son was three.”

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than six million children live with at least one parent who abuses or is dependent on alcohol or an illicit drug. Children of alcoholics are four times more likely than to develop alcoholism or drug problems. They are also at higher risk than others for depression, anxiety disorders, problems with cognitive and verbal skills, and parental abuse or neglect.

Chris now has more than four years sober. He also serves as the Alumni Manager for American Addiction Centers where he provides ongoing support for those in recovery. His mother just celebrated 11 years of sobriety. She also works in the recovery field.

“I remember the first time we drank together; Thinking and being excited, ‘Wow! Me and my mom finally have something we can do together,” said Chris. “This is gonna be our thing! How sick and twisted is that?”

Now Chris and his mother share sobriety together. Chris is on a mission to break the generational cycle of alcohol addiction in his family and has already started the conversation with his eight-year-old son.

Chris and his mother hope their video series will spark a national conversation and provide encouragement to other families dealing with addiction.

The video series is now available on American Addiction Centers’ YouTube and Facebook pages.