[claireh]

My sister is 44. She has suffered with depression since she was a teenager. She is now living in Bristol and a single mother of a 10 year old girl. We became aware in May that she is drinking daily. She is regularly drunk before lunchtime to the point where she cannot string a sentence together. She constantly reeks of alcohol but disappears off somewhere regularly, maybe to drink more or if maybe she taking something as well as drinking. My mum and dad support her financially as she cannot afford monthly outgoings herself. We live down south so we don’t see her day to day. My daughters play with their 10 year old cousin a lot online. I have had them tell me that she sometimes has to go and get her own dinner as mummy is tired. They have just spent a week staying with my parents who are local to me and I’m devastated by what I have witnessed. She seems so disinterested in her daughter to the point where the morning after a cousins sleepover at mine, my sister came to see her and her own daughter blanked her. It’s like she had experienced fun and happiness for one night and resented her mum for what has been happening. I’m so concerned about my niece but don’t know what to do. My sister is denying drinking.

[debc]

Hi ClaireH,

Welcome to the Forum.

Your story is so sad and like you I would be very concerned for your Niece, it’s not a good environment for her to be bought up in, can you try and talk to your Niece to see exactly what goes on with her Mum?

Although it is very kind of your Mum and Dad to be helping your Sister, really they are enabling her, she must have money to buy the alcohol.

I think I would be doing some serious talking to your family about the concerns for your Niece.

Does your Sister have any friends that you know that you could talk too that perhaps live nearer her?

If you are really concerned for your Niece perhaps you would have to contact Social Services.

The Icarus Trust is a place where you can get in touch with with your concerns, I think you can email them.

Keep in touch on here, take care.

Dx

[georgie1410]

If the child is 10yrs old you have a serious safeguarding issue here. I wouldn’t try to talk to her because she will feel very ashamed about this and it will be traumatic for her.

I think your option is to contact social services and you can do this annonymously. They can take steps to contact the school, gp etc. And maybe visit your sister at home before something really serious happens. Good luck and hugs.x

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