After a year of not seeing their families, most people will be looking forward to reunions this Christmas. But for the family of an addict, Christmas is not a time of goodwill. It is a time of dread.
When you imagine an alcoholic, you may well see a destitute man, wearing a dirty parka, holes in his boots, swigging from a bottle on a park bench. You’re far less likely to picture a respectable, professional woman in her early 60s, who owns shares and a semi-detached house. And so, when my mother walks into the supermarket and buys six bottles of wine, nobody bats an eyelid.
And yet, my mother is an alcoholic. Her addiction is our secret family shame. And I suspect there are many more families carrying the same secret burden, exacerbated by the pandemic.
Ready to join The Flock?
When you join The Flock, you pay it forward. Every paid subscription generates a second for a woman on reduced income, ensuring we remain advertising-free and accessible to all.
Want to support us? Subscribe below for just £4.99 a month and get your first 14 days free. Can’t afford that right now? We'll be reopening our waitlist for paid forward memberships soon, so watch this space.
Got a gift card to redeem? Click here.
Already have an account? Sign in here.