There is no middle ground. You tried to please your parents, doing more and more, or you reached the point where you recognized it did not matter, so you did nothing. The alcoholic home appears to be a very loyal place. Family members hang in long after reasons dictate that they should leave. This sense enables the adult child to remain in involvements that are better dissolved.
Adult children are impulsive.
They tend to lock themselves into a course of action without giving serious consideration to alternative behaviours or possible consequences. This impulsivity leads to confusion, self-loathing, and loss of control over their environment. In addition, they spend an excessive amount of energy cleaning up the mess.