One in every three people is the adult child of an alcoholic, and those adult children are two times as likely to marry an addict and four times as likely to become addicted themselves, said a University drug education specialist last night.

But recovery is possible for adult children of addicts, said Natalie Croll, coordinator of the TAAP drug education program.

Survival is the first step on the road to recovery, she told an audience of about 60 people in the HUB fishbowl.

The adult children of alcoholics take on any number of different roles to deal with their dysfunctional families. The roles adult children play within the family environment show their tremendous coping skills, Croll said, adding that these children are survivors.

"They cope in a way that keeps them alive in a bad situation."

Croll went on to explain that different children in one family may use various methods to cope with parental addiction.

The first born child is usually termed the hero or the responsible one. As the star athlete or scholar, this child shines, and in doing so takes the shame of addiction from the family.

Another child of an addict may take on the role of scapegoat, Croll said. Unable to compete with the hero, the scapegoat has low self-esteem and often takes the blame for the alcoholic parent.

The mascot or placator in the family masks emotions by telling jokes, while other children may cope by separating themselves from the alcoholism and the problems it creates. Croll said these "lost children" are the most vulnerable to attempting suicide.

Once the child of an alcoholic is removed from the family environment, coping mechanisms become rigid and survival does not become any easier, contrary to what many people think, Croll said.

To continue surviving, children of alcoholics must enter the next stage, which Croll termed emergent awareness. During this phase the grown child begins to deal with family history and uncovers the pain, anger and guilt that were previously hidden.

The next step for these individuals is addressing core issues -- characteristics developed from growing up in an alcoholic family, Croll said. Many of the children develop a "Don't talk, don't trust, don't feel" attitude identified by Claudia Black, an author and researcher on children of alcoholics.

Croll said many people begin to judge themselves mercilessly and have difficulty having fun. Many have a hard time developing intimate relationships because their family relationships always revolved around addiction.

Adults overcoming parental alcoholism also undergo transformation and integration. They can use childhood roles, such as the mascot, to cope when necessary, but when the recovering individuals encounter family problems beyond their control, they may decide not to deal with them at all, Croll said. They can also recognize a problem which directly affects them and deal with it appropriately.

Complete recovery -- which Croll called genesis -- is total spiritual rebirth. It is a goal that no one she knows has achieved totally, but it is something children of alcoholics can continue to strive for, she said.