Hey, FMN. My brother is a drunk, too. Mom told him (with my permission) that the reason I was hospitalized last time was due to
me being a drunk battling my way into recovery. In his long rambly message, one of the things he said was basically, "Hats off to you for stopping - that sounds like a life sentence to me." He was my abuser when I was a kid, so that's what I was referring to when I wrote that his message seemed to maybe sorta kinda be an apology. As I grow, I am coming to realize that he likely had his own demons, perhaps even more insidious than mine. I'm sad about that if it's true, but also am glad to have a way to start reframing the situation. Nevertheless, the thought of communicating with him in any way sets off panic alarms deep in my gut, so... yeah.
Yes, middlest has all of them - depression, anxiety, and now is losing (has lost) control over alcohol.
Puppy is great - more on her later - I've got a thing right now.
