It was a huge eye-opener to come here for the first time and find an entire community of people who had been "programmed" by alcoholism in the family, just like I was. I was so grateful, but also confused......just like you, needtolearn, I wondered where to start.
There is no "right" thing to do here. There are lots of good people who, like the hotline person, would recognize your words right away as those of a person whose life had been affected by alcohol or addiction. We have all gone through hell, and the beautiful thing is that many of us are standing on the other side of the storm now, living proof that we CAN take this on, and get better.
Maybe, if you feel you need a place to start, tell us about yourself? What has brought you here, looking for support? What has your life's road been like? What kind of changes would you like to make in yourself, so you can have a better life?
Hugs and welcome
GL