Vuxna barn till missbrukare : tankar och upplevelser kring begreppet livskvalitet

Addiction has been a problem for centuries. However, it wasn`t until the 1930s that research in this field was conducted systematically. At that time, the main focus was the wife of the alcoholic. Thirty years later the first stress-theories evolved. The theories showed that the husband´s drinking triggered the wife´s stress. During the next decade, the effect of alcohol-/ drug abuse on family and relatives, was studied, as well as the different ways in which they coped with these stressfull situations. The current study sheds light upon the thought and experiences of the adult children of addicts, with a focus on conceptions of quality-of-life. The thesis is based on a qualitative study conducted by interviewing individuals who had grown up in families where adults had addiction problems. The results show that the respondents are progressing to a higher quality-of-life. Still, there is more quality-of-life to achieve. It is also important to highlight the situation of children, and adult child perspectives in society - not just those of individuals who have an addictio