Adult Children Of Alcoholics Quiz

Adult Children of Alcoholics: Making Room for Your Own Experience

We hope this is a helpful reflection, and please note this quiz is not intended to be a validated screening tool or imply/assign any diagnosis.

If a parent or caregiver’s drinking affected life at home, you may have questions about what that experience means for you now. You may also have good memories, complicated feelings, or uncertainty about how much of your story you want to share.

“Adult children of alcoholics” is a familiar phrase people may use to find information and support. It does not describe everyone’s experience, and you do not have to adopt it as a label.

This reflection looks at experiences in your life today. These experiences can happen for many reasons; selecting them does not establish that a parent’s drinking caused them or that anyone has a particular diagnosis.

Think about the past 30 days. Every question is optional. Your responses are not monitored, and completing this reflection does not notify a professional or arrange support.

For questions 1–7, choose Yes / No / I’m not sure. The final question lets you check all that apply.

Checking the mood first — I check how everyone else is feeling before deciding whether there is room to bring up something I need.

Clear this answer

Yes

No

I’m not sure

1 out of 8

Filling in the silence — When someone becomes quiet or takes longer to respond, I find myself wondering whether I did something wrong.

Clear this answer

Yes

No

I’m not sure

2 out of 8

Becoming the go-between — When people around me disagree, I feel responsible for calming things down, even when the disagreement isn’t mine to resolve.

Clear this answer

Yes

No

I’m not sure

3 out of 8

Making a small mistake — An ordinary mistake stays with me because I worry it will change how someone sees or treats me.

Clear this answer

Yes

No

I’m not sure

4 out of 8

Letting someone help — I keep handling something alone even when help is available because relying on someone else feels uncomfortable.

Clear this answer

Yes

No

I’m not sure

5 out of 8

Being off duty — Even when I have time to rest, I feel I should be checking on someone or making sure nothing has gone wrong.

Clear this answer

Yes

No

I’m not sure

6 out of 8

Telling my own story — I downplay something that hurt me because acknowledging it feels disloyal to my family.

Clear this answer

Yes

No

I’m not sure

7 out of 8

What else feels relevant? (check all that apply)

You may leave this question unanswered. These selections add context and do not affect your result.

A parent or caregiver’s drinking affected my experience growing up.

There were caring or supportive parts of my childhood alongside difficult experiences.

My family circumstances have changed, but I still have things I want to understand.

Current responsibilities or other stresses may also be part of what I’m noticing.

8 out of 8