"According to the American Psychiatric Association, physicians stated three criteria to diagnose this disease physiological problems, such as hand tremors and blackouts, psychological problems, such as excessive desire to drink, and behavioral problems that disrupt social interaction or work performance. Adults from alcoholic families experience higher levels of state and trait anxiety and lower levels of differentiation of self than adults raised in non-alcoholic families. Additionally, adult children of alcoholics have lower self-esteem, excessive feelings of responsibility, difficulties reaching out, higher incidence of depression, and increased likelihood of becoming alcoholics."
