You Asked: My Mom's an Alcoholic

Dear Sugar,

My mother is an alcoholic and she pretty much drinks every day, all day long. I know if she keeps it up, she won't be with me much longer. I've tried talking to her, crying, yelling, and asking others to help her stop drinking. Even her doctor has told her how unhealthy it is. This has been going on for most of my life and now I'm 18. If something happens to her, I'll partly blame myself for not doing more. Is there anything I can do?

—Worried to Death Delia

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Dear Worried to Death Delia,

First off, let me just say that my heart goes out to you. Witnessing alcoholism is never easy, but it makes it even harder when it's happening to the woman who's supposed to be your role model and caregiver. It's great that you have been communicating with her and others about how much you want her to stop drinking. The best advice I can give is to keep trying and don't give up on her. Although you can't force her to stop drinking, keep telling her how much you love her and how you see that alcohol is ruining her life. Reach out to other trusted grown-ups and professionals, too. You can also call The National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Information Center (NASAIC) at 1-800-784-6776 for support. They'll be able to offer you free advice about how you can get her to realize she needs help. I hope this helps, and good luck.

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