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0800 358 3456

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0800 358 3456

Nacoa

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics

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We want to hear from you…

Help, advice and support for people affected by a parent’s drinking and concerned others:

Helpline: 0800 358 3456
Helpline email: helpline@nacoa.org.uk

General enquiries about the charity:

Telephone: 0117 924 8005
Email: admin@nacoa.org.uk
Post: PO Box 64, Bristol, BS16 2UH

Support us by becoming a member, volunteering, fundraising, or making a donation.

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Helpful downloads

Some mums and dads drink too much | PDF Information for people affected by their parent’s drinking | PDF #URNotAlone poster | PDF Jasper’s Wish, storybook written by Dr Jessica Munafo | PDF

Useful links

Donate Become a member Fundraise for Nacoa Raise awareness

Recent Donations

You are not alone

Remember the Six "C"s

I didn’t cause it
I can’t control it
I can’t cure it
I can take care of myself
I can communicate my feelings
I can make healthy choices

Resources you may like

Parental Substance Use: Supporting School Aged Children

By Hannah Todman and Sarah Galvani (A BASW Practice Guide)

Twinkle, Twinkle Arti

By Danielle Slade

The 1 in 5 Documentary: A film about the forgotten children of alcoholics

By John Taylor

5-Step Self-Help Handbook for Family Members

By AFINet

Nacoa lunchtime lives

By Josh Connolly and special guests

Find Your Oasis – A collection of writing from those affected

By Various

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Follow us on Twitter

Tweets by NacoaUK

nacoauk

We can’t abandon children affected by a parent’s drinking just because it’s difficult to help them.

We can all make a difference by normalising the conversation around addiction without judgment or blame.

That’s why we at Nacoa are powering ahead with a schools campaign that will reach well over 100 schools with visits and support packages!

We couldn’t do this without the incredible community around us. That means you! 💙

Our friends at @icelandcharity have especially given Nacoa a rocket boost to get out their into the community. It means the world to get this message out.

The one thing we hear the most often at Nacoa is ‘I wish I’d heard of you sooner!’. It would have changed my life as a child.

Every lost childhood is a tragedy. We need to change that and we can only do that together.

Please if you can support our work by becoming a member. 💙 (link in bio)

Clip is taken from the incredible Nacoa gala by @clariteegroup. Their next big event is on Friday so check them out for more inspiring alcohol free nights like this one.

Animations by the wonderful @quintboa and @synimaglobal.

#childrenofalcoholics #adultchildrenofalcoholics #acoa #coa #adultchild #soberoctober #AddictionAwarenessWeek2024 #RecoveryisPossible #addiction #alcoholism #FYP

'If a friend noticed her slurred speech, I maintai

'If a friend noticed her slurred speech, I maintained they were mistaken.

'Each time a teacher asked if there was an issue at home, I denied the existence of any problem.

'In short, I learned to lie.

'My older sister never seemed to have a problem. She acted as if everything was great.

'She was great and had a great home life and great parents. Younger sister? What younger sister?...

It is not your fault, but it will change your behavior. Secrets and lies run rampant among these families.

'Alcoholism can also include one type of Mother Wound.

'In our society, mothers are held up as perfect people who love their children unconditionally and never do anything wrong.'

💙 Link in bio to find @tlbellon's fantastic piece about 'Learning to lie as the child of an alcoholic'.

The 'elephant in the room’ has become a common description for something that people know but avoid talking about.

This ‘conspiracy of silence’ due to stigma makes alcohol problems the hidden suffering in families.

Not all family members are as able as others to ignore or deny the problems.

However, speaking out can sometimes feel like a betrayal or lead to isolation within the family.

Some children may be more aware of what’s happening but seek to look after themselves by distancing themselves.

Talking about someone’s drinking can feel like you are telling on your family.

It is OK to talk about your feelings. You can always speak to us at Nacoa.

Check out Toni's book, too, by following the link in our bio. ✨

#childrenofalcoholics #adultchildrenofalcoholics #acoa #coa #adultchild #soberoctober #AddictionAwarenessWeek2024 #AddictionAwarenessWeek #RecoveryisPossible #addiction #alcoholism #FYP

No one deserves this more than @jen_payne_88' 💙

No one deserves this more than @jen_payne_88' 💙

'I’ve been chosen as an ambassador for Nacoa, a charity that has completely transformed the way I view the world.

'One that speaks to the very core of who I am. 🌍💙

'Growing up as the child of an alcoholic was an experience that shaped my entire life.

'Living with the unpredictability, fear, and heartache that comes with loving someone battling addiction was a constant emotional struggle.

'The instability, the broken promises, and the endless cycle of hope and disappointment made me feel invisible, like my voice didn’t matter.

'But through those difficult years, I realised the importance of support systems—of having someone who listens, who cares, who offers a hand when the weight of it all feels too heavy to bear.

'I know what it feels like to be silenced by circumstances beyond your control, and I know how vital it is to have someone fighting in your corner.

'Nacoa gives a voice to the voiceless and stands up for those who feel unseen, just as I once did.'

Link in bio to find out more about Jen and her achievements.

Please more than ever everyone send huge love for Jen in the comments.

Appearances in the vid from @josh_ffw, @heislotinambombe, @konka_official2023 and @ourcoajourney.

#childrenofalcoholics #adultchildrenofalcoholics #acoa #coa #adultchild #soberoctober #AddictionAwarenessWeek2024 #RecoveryisPossible #addiction #alcoholism #FYP

'Training alone. Racing alone. Telling the childre

'Training alone. Racing alone. Telling the children they are not alone.
'But that’s how they feel wrapped in shame.
A secret held with alcohol to blame

'Independence can appear on the outside
These children have no choice but to be resilient
Often smiles on faces to not rock the boat
Home life is a hard time for more than most

'And as I ran the track in the pouring rain
Mud squelching in my running trainers again
A girl runs past and shouts “what a great charity!”
So, I up my pace for the 1 in 5, I have a duty
So many come forward and tell of their own experience
Opening the communication to make sure we hear them.'

💙 Lydia's wonderful full poem is linked in bio - do take a look!

She isn't tagged in here. But do leave massive love for her in the comments, and we'll make sure she sees it.

We currently have a few places left for next year's London Landmarks Half Marathon. Check link in bio to get involved to change the lives of the forgotten children. 🎗️

#childrenofalcoholics #adultchildrenofalcoholics #acoa #coa #adultchild #soberoctober #AddictionAwarenessWeek2024 #RecoveryisPossible #addiction #alcoholism #FYP

Zara Wright's outstanding research on life as an A

Zara Wright's outstanding research on life as an ACOA in the workplace. Inspired by her own experiences.

Find her full outcomes in the article linked in bio.

Let us know in the comments if you relate with her findings? Is there anything that can be done to improve support?

The effects of growing up with an addicted parent don’t just disappear once you reach 18 or move away from home.

Research studies over decades show that problems often often continue into, and sometimes only become apparent in, adulthood.

Millions of adults in the UK are still being affected by their parents’ drinking or the knock-on effects of growing up in a home where alcohol was a problem.

Too often they do this alone or with poor levels of knowledgable support.

Better awareness is sorely needed. Get in touch if you'd like Nacoa to come to your place of work for bespoke training. 💙

Because with awareness comes knowledge that we can make informed choices to break the cycle and live happy, healthy lives.

#childrenofalcoholics #adultchildrenofalcoholics #acoa #coa #adultchild #soberoctober #AddictionAwarenessWeek2024 #RecoveryisPossible #addiction #alcoholism #FYP

@drarabella today on the shadow thrown over famili

@drarabella today on the shadow thrown over families by alcoholism.

'Life and grief are fatally intertwined in a way that is almost impossible to unravel in adulthood.

'I remember one night in particular. I was five. Mum must have been drinking for a long time when I came downstairs.

'How do children sense the quantity of alcohol drunk by those around them? Not in metrics of bottles or glasses but in other, more instinctive, bodily measures: a flushed face or a shaky hand; the metallic tang of booze on the breath at bedtime, perhaps.

'But these are all physical signs that I’m not sure children are acutely attuned to. Love is as plain and vital as oxygen. Does it matter that your mother has a flushed face if she is looking after you?

'No, children measure the line between safety and danger in far more subtle ways: a barked instruction or an impatient word. Or, more confusingly still, excessive declarations of love and promises, all to be forgotten the next day.'

💙 Nacoa ambassador @drarabella in @thetimes today, promoting her major upcoming book. (We've read it and it is brilliant btw.)

Find the full piece in the newspaper today or find link in bio.

Please send massive love for Arabella in the replies. She's doing incredible work normalising this conversation through her writing in ways no other ever has.

#childrenofalcoholics #adultchildrenofalcoholics #acoa #coa #adultchild #addiction #alcoholism #FYP #AddictionAwarenessWeek #addictionawarenessweek2024 #soberoctober

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