There is always someone in the family isn’t there? When you were a kid it seems a little funny, you were going over to Uncle Joe & Auntie’s for that big Sunday dinner, hmmmmm and there was good ole’ Uncle Joe at the door smiling a crooked smile, hugging ya, welcoming everyone at the door with lots of big laughs! Only those big laughs were not from feeling truly jolly it was from all that booze he had consumed before everyone had arrived.
Then when you get a little older you realize the dinners have stopped and you get that “No” from Mom “you cannot stay over at cousin Suzie’s……”. What why not? ……seems there’s a little trouble over at their house.
Uncle Joe is a drinker. An alcoholic. He’s abusive. The family is in trouble. He’s not working, the family has to go on welfare. The emotional upset I later found out, nearly killed my aunt. She decided to stay and in that put herself and her family at risk. Uncle Joe continued to drink, heavily. My cousins who were nearly 13 had such upsets, and the fear when their father drank of the abusivness that they used to wet to bed almost everynight. My aunt found out she had sugar diabetes amongst many many other illnesses. My Uncle threatened them and beat down their resistance in that it took several years before my aunt had the courage to leave him.
My Aunt only needed to hold her ground and insist he get help and check into a drug and alcohol rehab program and all would have turned out quite different. Uncle Joe would have had a fighting chance to beat his alcoholism had everyone in the family stood up and said “NO” you must go to a rehab program.
The results of not going: The family, each one still suffers emotionally to this day from all the abusivness, the fear, and the anxiety from their father’s alcohol abuse. Uncle Joe continued to drink and drink and drink, he died, drunk choking on his own vomit.
This is not what you want to happen to someone you love. If someone you love is abusing alcohol or drugs, get help. There are many excellent drug or alcohol rehab programs to help the person lead a drug or alcohol free life.