Dear Camryn

Here is the email we receive from Camryn:

Hi there,

I saw your blog on Instagram and thought I'd write to you about an issue I have. My mom is an alcoholic. Not completely but like starting at 12 p.m. in the afternoon she starts drinking wine and doesn't stop until she goes to bed. She is such an amazing person up until the point where she gets kind of drunk and out of it. She doesn't get completely drunk but she doesn't function the way she would if she weren't drinking. I feel like I can't talk to her and stuff when she drinks so much alcohol- I feel like it's hurting our relationship. Also, my grandma is an alcoholic so that contributes to this problem. She doesn't know that I am aware of her drinking problem and I don't know how to confront her about it. I never have before. I get really angry with her when she has been drinking because she's not the same. She constantly re-fills her wine glass the entire afternoon. She works full time so obviously this only happens on weekends or when she's home all day. Wherever she is, she always has to find a way to get alcohol. I don't know what to do about this and it really depresses me. My friends parents aren't like this. What do I do? Oh by the way I'm only 13 and my mom is a single parent. 

Thanks,

Camryn

Dear Camryn,

     We are so sorry it took so long for us to answer your question! First of all, we are truly happy that you emailed us. We know it can be really hard to talk to people about issues like this, but we are very proud of you for taking this first step! Sometimes speaking about what's going on is the first step to solving the problem and healing from it.

    In order to give you the best advice we could, we asked people who worked in departments that dealt with alcoholism. Overall, the consensus was that the safest thing to do was talk to a school counselor about what is going on. School counselors are hired to talk to children about real problems in their lives, and, while it may be hard to do, you don't need to be afraid to talk to them about this. Remember, they are there to help you.

     Secondly, it is understandable that you get frustrated with your mom. Know, however, that your mom is NOT doing this to annoy you or make you depressed. When you are about to get angry with her, take a step back and try not to talk accusingly towards her, because no one likes to hear that, even when they have been doing something wrong. With support and love from her family, it is very possible that your mother can recover from alcoholism and that you can build a stronger relationship.

     Again, thank you so much for emailing us, and always remember, your mother loves you no matter what.

xoxo,

Shane and Honour