She Sells Sea Shells on the Seashore
Alcoholism has a ripple effect: it’s not only the person affected
You’re probably wondering why I chose the title of this piece. Try saying: she sells sea shells on the seashore. Then try saying it faster. After a few glasses of wine, it would probably sound something like: she shells she shells on the she-shore.
The ripples have such a far-reaching effect
Alcoholism is nothing to joke about. It’s an illness and it not only has a devastating effect on the person who is addicted to alcohol, but it affects all those around them. Throw a stone into a pond and watch the ripples go ever wider. That’s what it’s like being related to an alcoholic.
For the longest time, I had no idea. I lived abroad and the only contact I had with my family member was by e-mail. So I couldn’t tell if she was drunk or not. I’m going back to the days before mobile/cell phones were a permanent feature in all our lives.
By the time I realised there was a problem, it was too late. Three times in rehab and she was still drinking. There were short hiatuses but they were never long enough to give us, her family, hope. We knew that she would always prefer the bottle to us.
