My earliest memories were of my father drinking. I remember one of the dreams I had when I was five. I had three daddies. ‘Nice daddy’, ‘funny daddy’ who was just slightly drunk, and then of course ‘nasty daddy’. That is what it was like. You never had any stability, any security, any normality. Dad…
Tag: alcoholism
DEAR __________: A LETTER TO THE CHILD OF AN ALCOHOLIC
Dear Child of an Alcoholic, I don’t mean this as an insult, but the life you are living is not a normal one. The problem is (among what I imagine are many problems for you) that there is a good chance you think the life you are living is a normal one. I know I…
Jekyll and Hyde
Every child should be allowed to experience, what being a kid is all about. Not a care in the world, happy, laughing, playing with friends, make memories, enjoying school etc. It’s hard when I’m in any situation growing up when people around me discussed their childhood. I have blocked out a lot of mine as…
Dads alcoholism made me the man I am today.
One year ago this week, my Dad died peacefully in his hospice bed.I was standing right next to him at the time, trying to comfort him during his last few breaths. Somehow, I found that I still loved him, although how this could possibly be the case after all that he had done, all that…
Lost in the confusion of my parents drinking.
If you’d asked me about my childhood when I was 20, I would have told you it was ‘great’ and I truly would’ve believed it, whether that was because the layers of denial were so deep or because I knew no different I couldn’t even tell you now. I don’t think that was the beginning…
7 myths about alcoholism, through a child of an alcoholic’s eyes.
1) You have to drink every day to be an alcoholic… This one is real significant for everyone to know. From COA’s, to the parents, to teachers, and friends. For a child to be affected by a parents drinking, that parent does NOT need be drunk every day, let alone 24/7. So just because you…
Marking the bottle
Remember that quiet kid at school? The one that wasn’t popular but wasn’t bullied either. That was me. I couldn’t complain with any part my school life;from primary school to secondary school I just kind of got on with it. At home was a different story though, a story I never shared with anyone at…
Life Cycles
It was the season for endings; late Fall. The night we got the call saying we couldn’t go home we’d been celebrating my brother’s birthday. He was born the same day as our father, whose name he shares. The pain of division was magnified against the weight of its timing. Katie and Reid howled on…
Losing my father, for the second time.
In April of this year, we lost our father in rather tragic circumstances. How a man goes from a 6’3 rugby playing, business owner, with 4 beautiful children and a loving wife, to an almost homeless alcoholic taking his last breath on the floor of a hostel is a question I will ask myself for…
Memories From My Childhood
My childhood; The good times. I remember lots of love, Big strong cuddles from my Dad, his silly stories and rhymes, (often rude which obviously meant we loved them even more!) He would make us laugh until it hurt, dancing around, singing or just generally taking the Micky. Walks to the park; sitting on his…
Being a COA is a thing! 