A Letter From An Alcoholic

An Open Letter to My Family

I am an alcoholic. I need help.

Don't allow me to lie to you. If you accept my evasions of the truth, you encourage me to lie. The truth may be painful but try to get at it.

Don't let me outsmart you. This would only allow me to avoid responsibility and would make me lose respect for you at the same time.

Don't accept my promises. The nature of my illness prevents my keeping them, even though I mean them at the time. Promises are only my way of postponing pain. And, Don't keep switching agreements; if an agreement is made stick to it.

Don't let me exploit you or take advantage of you. If you do, you become an accomplice to my evasion of responsibility.

Don't lecture, moralize, scold, praise, blame, or argue when I'm drunk or sober. Don't pour out my liquor; it may make you feel better, but it will make the situation worse.

Don't lose your temper with me. It will destroy you and any possibility of helping me.

Don't allow your anxiety for me make you do what I should do for myself.

Don't cover up or try to spare me the consequences of my drinking. It may reduce the crisis, but it will make my sickness worse.

Above all don't run away from reality as I do. Alcoholism, my illness gets worse as my drinking continues. Start now to learn, to understand, to plan for recovery. find al anon, whose groups exist to help families of alcoholics.

I need help. from a pastor, doctor, a psychologist, a counselor, from a recovered alcoholic who found sobriety in AA and from God. I cannot help myself.

I hate myself, but I love you. Please help me.
Signed,
Your Alcoholic

Those who are in recovery are in need of our LOVE. They don't need lectures or religious guilt poured over them. They need our strength and our love. They know we can not "fix" them and when they are truly ready to get help they recognize that if we "fix" them we are just holding them back from their recovery.

Loving an addict means that we express our love for them. We may not love their actions or choices but we can love the person.

Loving someone who is an addict of any kind is a painful road and sometimes we need the reminder that LOVE is the key.