I am sure I sound like I am making excuses (and maybe I am)... I feel like I have one reason after another why I am responsible and why even though AA and Al Anon are anonymous, I don't think most of my town understands what anonymous means! I feel guilty asking my husband to watch the girls so I can go to an Al Anon meeting, I think he'll drink when I'm gone etc... Is this excuse making of mine a common phase of spouses of alcoholics coming to terms with "stuff". I've been pretending for a number of years that the problem I knew was there with his drinking was all in my head (as he's told me over and over). It's literally been less than a week since he came clean about the extent of his drinking and lying and my head is spinning still.