[nka94]

I’m 21 years old and for as long as I can remember, my mum has had a problem with alcohol. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact age or moment in time when I realised that her behaviour wasn’t normal, but it’s been an ongoing worry for the majority of my childhood and now my adult life too. I have taken so long to admit that she is alcohol dependent because I always believed alcoholics were people who drink as soon as they wake up, and who drink strong spirits. My mum however, only gets drunk in the evening, and only drinks wine. The reality is that for as long as I remember my mum has been drinking two to three bottles of wine every night. She used to do it when she was married to my dad, and now that they are divorced she has continued to do it. She promised she would change, but i’ve now realised that she cannot stop drinking on her own and that she has a serious problem. Alcohol changes her as a person- makes her more impatient, more nasty and she forgets most of the conversations we have in the evenings. She has a well respected job and I’m petrified she’ll lose it because of her alcoholism. In fact i’m surprised it hasn’t already affected her job-I am thankful every day that she is still working. My dad won’t help us and I don’t know what to do. Her drinking has caused so much damage and heartbreak to our family. I tried giving her an ultimatum but even the threat of losing her daughter wasn’t enough to help her stop. I honestly don’t know what to do. I have a brother and a sister and we’ve all tried to help her but she won’t admit to herself that she has a problem- she compulsively lies about it to her friends and family. We’re all hurting so much and we feel so powerless. What can we do to help her move past this before it’s too late and it affects her long term health?

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