DrakeCKC

My father was an alcoholic, boozing with his friends was the highlight of his day. He never admitted it, never tried to get sober and died of cancer in his late 50's. My mom certainly wasn't and neither were my grandparents. But I am an addict in recovery in both alcohol and sex addictions. My sister shows every symptom of shopping addiction, she gets such a thrill over buying things from TV shows. She is working on getting it under control.

soshea

My dad was an active alcoholic, my mom his codependent enabler. Me? I'm an addict and would've chosen alcohol as my drug of choice I think if I hadn't been positive I would never be one. It took me years to figure out I wasn't really any better then the D bags I was hanging out with or any different then my dad. I get the joy of being both addict/alcoholic And codependent! I've got 7 months sober. It's a hard road but sanity is worth it.
My older sister although not known to drink often is what I would consider a dry drunk. She may not take a drink but she's an alcoholic and has no sobriety right now. To me, sober is so much more then abstaining.

utopia

interesting I guess but whatever i am I need to work my program that works for me and work it and I find not try to figure out too much because that leads to me trying to exert some kind of control over that which I am powerless.

Latte

I am an addict but I identify as an alcoholic also as I will drink if it is the only thing available and I'm active in my addictions.

Tamerua

I often joke that in my family, you are either alcoholic or mentally ill, usually both. I skated by with just alcoholism. My dad was an alcoholic, died of cirrhosis at 58. Mom had many anxiety, depression and physical ailments and died of medication combination.

Wanted to add that I am in recovery. The only drinker in my family to do so.

Soberpotamus

Not sure. Good question. My alcoholic parent was my mother, and I am a recovering alcoholic. I did have an alcoholic partner for six years as well. I am now married, to a normie.

But this is a great question, and I'll probably Google it

PlasticInsanity

My dad was the alcoholic parent (my mom a codependent), and my sister and I are similar but very different.

I'm 25 (oldest sister), and Britt is 23 (youngest, haha). I'm an addict, but have a really hard time with intimate relationships - longest was 4 months. She's an addict, and had been with the same guy (also an addict) off'n'on for 6 years. I am more attracted to guys I can "fix", though..

Very interesting tidbit to crunch on, Lib.

Marycymru

I am a recovering alcoholic with an extended family history of alcohol abuse leading to several deaths.

carguysgirl

My fathers an alcoholic, my Mom is a nicotine addict. Neither my sister or I have a drinking problem but we both drink moderately/socially. neither of us smoke, and neither of us is married to or UN a relationship with an addict/alcoholic.

WMJ1012

As we say in Alanon, "...and the beat goes on."

ajarlson

Fortunately for me, I was raised by my grandparents who were not alcoholics. I didn't know my dad very well but he was definitely not an alcoholic/addict. My mother is an alcoholic and addicted to prescription drugs, perhaps being shielded from her in my formative years helped me, but I think I also dodged whatever genetic bullet has a hand in addiction. However, I did marry an alcoholic/addict and it took me 15 years to realize that I would never change him (thanks Al-Anon). So, even if we don't become addicts, addiction is always looking over the horizon it seems.

NWGRITS

My mother is my qualifier. Her father was hers. I never dated or married an A, but I've had my fair share of dysfunctional relationships. Mr. Grits was raised by an emotionally and verbally abusive father. He's not like that, thank God. But he does carry over some other traits and is actively working on them.

Riverbird

Lots of interesting stuff to read here. I'm an alcoholic in recovery (2.5 years). Both of my parents are alcoholics/addicts (I don't know what they used, I haven't seen them since my early teens). I always get a chuckle in the big book when it talks about how we didn't drink like other people. Starting at age 13 I drank exactly like every adult I was related to or otherwise close to. I honestly thought that drinking alcoholicly was just something everyone did. Between that and genetics I didn't stand a chance!

PurpleKnight

I had one parent who was an alcoholic and my other parent has been teetotal for life, so best of both worlds, fast forward from my childhood, I descended into alcoholism and my only sister is a normal drinker!!

Figure that one out, as I've been thinking about it for years!!

Bailey3

My father wad an alcoholic and, it eventually killed him. I swore I would never be like him but, here I am fighting for my sobriety. Fighting, but gonna win the fight.

Serotonin

My parents, same scenario. Myself, I'm alcoholic/addict. I'd have to say my drug of choice was cocaine, which I'm over 2 years clean.

Still battling alcohol and marijuana.

kyle84

Dear PlasticInsanity,

I think you could do something way better than you did, couldn't you? Of course, you could because I never believe that being the son of an alcoholic father could alone make you a drug addict. As you said, you tried to be someone different. Then, why did not you try to be someone better than a drug addict? Please note that I am not here to question you. All I dream about is being a human free from any ill stimulants.

PlasticInsanity

Becoming an addict wasn't my first choice; to be honest, looking back my best perception of how I fell into addiction was that I wanted to fill the void I'd grown up with. Funny enough, alcohol was actually one of my DOC's as I've learned recently.

On a sidenote, I had a relapse in June, so I'm 76 days clean today. On September 22nd, presuming I'm still clean (no expectations as we say in NA!) I'll have 90 days on my 26th birthday.

ACOA12

My dad is an active alcoholic. My only sibling is in recovery. I have never drank or did drugs. There but by the grace of God go I.....

Search4Serenity

I called myself an "Other." I come from a long, long line of alcoholics. My dad, my great grandfather, my uncle (who committed suicide while drinking). Of course with so many alcoholics around, there was plenty of codependency to be had. My mom, of course. She did the best she could, but my dad made her crazy--and her narcissistic tendencies just blew everything out of proportion--she really enforced the "silence" rule. She was always really into keeping up appearances--still is. She's still never acknowledged the fact that my dad is and always has been a (more or less) functioning alcoholic.

I have been what I've come to call an "addict in search of a substance." I was a wild child when I was young, college age. I did lots of drinking, lots of drugs, got myself enmeshed with men--still continue to do that to an extent.