I've read all of the posts on this topic with great interest. I grew up in an alcoholic home and it wasn't just one person who had a problem, it was several. Not only did one parent drink and cause pain to the other, but uncles would come over and cousins and before long, things got ugly. I don't know first-hand what it's like for the person with the problem, only what it does to children who live with it.

The endless days and nights of wondering if it is your fault that the other members abuse alcohol. The endless fights and yelling and blaming. Standing in the closet with your siblings hoping and praying that what you hear in the other room won't come in to invade the 'safe' space you have sought out in the closet. You find yourself retreating into a different world. One that is happy and all the parents and relatives behave and you are never afraid of them.

I think this is why I really became a writer, I retreated into that world that I escaped to, found out that there are interesting people there who I could relate to in different ways. I brought them out and put them on paper and they entertained me and kept me company when those around me were occupied with their problem.

I commend everyone who realizes they have a problem and seeks help. It has been over thirty years and I still have flash-backs of incidents that I have tried to forget. Everyone should try to look into the faces of their loved ones and see that the problem spreads to everyone they care about. I pray for everyone who needs strenght to fight this terrible disease.