Joy shares her recovery story from growing up with an alcoholic father to having to cope with an alcoholic son. From a big family she left at 14 years old and began work before marrying an alcoholic and having a child.  Then a single mum and workaholic Joy remarried and gained some step-kids. Life became unmanageable as her 13 year old son turned to alcohol and drugs. A friend helped her find Al-Anon and life slowly returned to normality. Joy went back to Uni, got a degree and reclaimed her life. Her son is now in his forties.

Linda shares a similar story, coping with an alcoholic father and leaving school at 13 years old and then leaving home at 18.  She returned to school in her early twenties and completed a Uni degree but suffered undiagnosed depression and anxiety. Linda married soon after and had a daughter who went on to use drugs and alcohol in her late teens and to develop a major drinking problem in her late twenties. When she sought help for her daughter at an AA meeting they recommended she try Al-Anon. Linda had a problem accepting alcoholism as a family illness initially but eventually got to Al-Anon and stayed.

If you’re having problems with someone else's drinking then phone the Al-Anon Family Groups helpline on 1300 252 666 or go online at www.al-anon.org.au.