Is alcoholism in your family?
Both sides of my family as far back as I can trace. Out of myself and 4 other siblings, myself and 2 others have fought with alcoholism. My sister is still out there using and heading down the toilet.
I grew up around alcohol. It's all I knew and thought that's how everybody grew up. It was normal for me.
Funny thing is, now that I'm sober, I'm being treated like the black sheep of the family.
I wasn't invited to a couple of gatherings my aunt had. A barbque because of a boxing fight on pay per view and her birthday party. Everybody else was and I had no idea why not me. When I confronted her on Easter, her response was "Whaaat? you don't even drink anymore anyway!"
Then, we were inside watching the Laker game and my uncle started passing out jager bombs and my cousin says to me before taking a shot, "ugh..what are you doing watching the game? you can't even take a shot to enjoy it!" Jeevus!!
All I do is laugh(mentally)and brush it off. I won't even waste my time explainging myself to ignorance. You can't choose your family, and you can't get rid of them either!!
Funny thing is, now that I'm sober, I'm being treated like the black sheep of the family.
I wasn't invited to a couple of gatherings my aunt had. A barbque because of a boxing fight on pay per view and her birthday party. Everybody else was and I had no idea why not me. When I confronted her on Easter, her response was "Whaaat? you don't even drink anymore anyway!"
Then, we were inside watching the Laker game and my uncle started passing out jager bombs and my cousin says to me before taking a shot, "ugh..what are you doing watching the game? you can't even take a shot to enjoy it!" Jeevus!!
All I do is laugh(mentally)and brush it off. I won't even waste my time explainging myself to ignorance. You can't choose your family, and you can't get rid of them either!!
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
I knew 2 of my Great Grandmothers....and down the line
no one was addicted to anything...
well maybe religion...soap operas and ice cream....
Then my only sibling and I slid into both alcoholism and
AA recovery years ago.....
Our 5 children...2 did....3 have not. 1 uses NA the other in and out of AA.
Our 5 granchildren...1 had a drinking history...now AA sober 12 years.
no one was addicted to anything...
well maybe religion...soap operas and ice cream....
Then my only sibling and I slid into both alcoholism and
AA recovery years ago.....
Our 5 children...2 did....3 have not. 1 uses NA the other in and out of AA.
Our 5 granchildren...1 had a drinking history...now AA sober 12 years.
I too come from a long line of ethanol ingesting fire talkers.
Im the only one who has ever talked about it .
Our family have a unique ability to pretend it is not there.
Ive even been advised not to mention IT in front of alcoholic family members . The old SHHHHHHH (whispers) dont say anything.
Family inherited DENIAL as well
L
Im the only one who has ever talked about it .
Our family have a unique ability to pretend it is not there.
Ive even been advised not to mention IT in front of alcoholic family members . The old SHHHHHHH (whispers) dont say anything.
Family inherited DENIAL as well
L
This is something I think about often. I know alcoholism is a disease, but my mother is the only other person that I think is an alcoholic. I should say I KNOW she is, but her problem seems so different from mine. She definitely drinks problematically, but her alcoholism has not progressed to the extent that mine did. Alcoholism is alcoholism though. She won't admit it. I look around at family functions and can't find anyone else who seems to have any signs of alcoholic drinking. It is tricky in my Catholic family, where problems are hush hushed and so well hidden. Perhaps they are alcoholics, but are still able to control it at these functions? I know once upon a time I was able to. When I "came out" to my sisters thoguh, one said she thought id seemed a bit drunk at times, and the other hadn't noticed a thing. people in my family don't talk about these things though, so I may never really know.
As far as I can tell my grandparents were fine but I have aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides. I don't get how my mothers paraents who never drank excessively produced 3 out of 4 children with problems...the fourth is married to an alcoholic. Go figure.
6/20/08
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,467
I think it's hard to tell who is/isn't alcoholic in families. As we know, alcoholics are so good at hiding. My kids do not think I am alcoholic. I never let them see me too drunk.....so, they would tell you I'm not alcoholic.
Boy, are they wrong.
Boy, are they wrong.
Alcoholism doesn't run in my family it flowed through it like a raging river ... those affected are either dead, in jail or in recovery. Fortunately the family cycle has been broken in the latest generation with all 6 grown grandchildren appearing to be normal drinkers or abstainers.
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