Every time I watched her buy alcohol my heart sank. Each time I withdrew a bit more
Just to hear about the disease in a non-judgmental way and to be heard can end years of isolation and be profoundly healing.
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Just to hear about the disease in a non-judgmental way and to be heard can end years of isolation and be profoundly healing.
The point I want to make is that I don’t blame my dad anymore – he was ill – alcoholism is an illness.
To the world outside everything was fine, a normal middle class family.
I wanted people to understand, to know what I was going through, but no one understands unless they’ve experienced it themselves and I was too messed up to let people get close.
I have had the courage to heal the sickness inside me. To rid myself of the shame and blame and guilt that was never mine anyway.
There was a silence filled with clanging feelings of humiliation and doubt and fear.
But you will keep the secret to yourself that isn’t even a secret.. You don’t talk about it, you don’t talk about yourself, you don’t talk about your family, you keep your hopes and dreams to yourself but you don’t know why.
I am haunted by the idea that the telling of these dark truths is an unwarranted betrayal of my mother.
I remember I used to find empty drink bottles, hidden in the garage.
“I love/hate you”, “I’m proud of you” / “ What the hell are you doing with your life?
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