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“I came from this wonderful family of 7 kids – I was number 6. My family was spiritual. They brought their problems to God. My parents lived their religion; they didn’t preach their religion…. My father taught catechism; I taught catechism….”

“My acting out was a result of my drinking. I was a follower and I followed my friends who were drinking…. When I drank, … the feeling of a follower fell away… I like became a star. It helped me to fit in. Alcohol removed my inhibitions… I could dance… talk to boys, do all of that stuff. I don’t know what I had for social skills, but I don’t think it was much…”

“My father always told me I had the best, happiest childhood of the 7 kids…. That changed when I was 13 or 14. It could have been adolescence or alcoholism kicking in…. I was extremely self-conscious; I wasn’t pretty enough; I wasn’t smart enough; I wasn’t this, I wasn’t that, I wasn’t enough… when I drank, I felt like I was enough and more, so I chased that…. Alcohol fixed it. It took all the uncomfortability away, all the feeling that I didn’t belong in my own skin.”

 

 

Have you ever experienced addiction, directly (self) or indirectly (family or significant other)? Please tell us about it.

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