Sending love and support to all on this thread.
Heavens to Betsy hadenoughnow, you just wrote out my childhood. The cancelled birthday party, the hidden bottles, no sleepovers, the fist fights with my old sibs and my dad, the money squandered, the college fund drained, my credit ruined by a loan in my name.
I'm actually open-jawed sitting here.
Sending support to the parents here who are taking action to help their kids and to those taking the first steps.