alcoholism

There’s a big difference between helping your child and enabling their behaviors. When I discovered my son had an alcohol addiction, I was a single parent of two teenaged children.

The first time I saw my son Brian drunk, he was 14 years old. 

We had just moved from Missouri to New York State after my second divorce. I felt ill-equipped to deal with the painful reality that my son was repeating the cycle of his father, whom I had left due to his alcohol addiction.

When I ask myself how I became an enabler to his addiction, I reflect on my background. I grew up the oldest child in a family of four children. As the eldest, I was called on to be the caretaker of my younger siblings. The caretaking role felt comfortable and validating. When I left home at 18, I chose to pursue a career in nursing, further reinforcing my role as a caretaker.

Eventually, I had to admit that the past I wanted to have — the mother I wished for so desperately — didn’t exist. I am re-parenting myself as I parent.

While it is true that binge-drinking among moms is reaching epidemic levels, it is not the act of mom-ing that got us there.

I draw the line at “mommy juice.” Some of you reading will tell me I’m too sensitive or we’ve just “gone too far”. And you’re right; I’m sensitive.

When I decided to get sober, I simply wanted help to stop drowning myself; I certainly didn’t envision digging up my painful relationship history.

As long as I give my daughter the space to talk, I feel like my alcoholic ex can strengthened my relationship with her. I hope she knows that I'm here.

I’m married to a guy who struggles with addictions to cocaine and alcohol. I've been with him for over a decade. My husband is an addict; should I leave?

Kevin Spacey comes out as a gay man but this does not give him a pass for being a predator. Call it what it is: pedophilia.