From Page C1 ally convinced me that | wasn’t an alcoholic and ask- ed me for a drink. At 3 a.m. he changed his mind about me. One drink ts all it took. Once | took that drink, 1 knew I wouldn’t be sober for awhile.’’ A friend of Bob’s joined AA and told him about it, and through self-discovery with AA, he now says, ‘‘l am the sort of person who cannot take one drink safely, who cannot take one drink successfully.’ Alateen member Susan a her real name) tells the tory Ufhow her father used to drink. ‘‘The’ only time | was ever told any en- couragement by my dad,”’ she says, ‘‘was when he was drunk, so it never meant anything to me.’’ Finally, Susan, her mother and her brothers left the situation, but as much as she pretend- ed otherwise, Susan says ‘inside it hurt.”’ After being on her own for awhile, Susan’s mother got a job, started working and started to drink. ‘‘All of a sudden my ideals were shattered,’’ Susan says. ‘‘l went into—a--depresston. | couldn't live with my mother. I tried to commit suicide. | was afraid some- one would find out about my problem if my marks sipped in school. I made jokes to my friends, but it hurt me inside.’ The police got involved a couple of times, but Susan sayS no one ever listened to her side of the story. She was put into a group home, and one day she saw _ her dad, who had joined AA and had been sober for three days ‘‘! moved tn with him, something | never expected, 1] joined Alateen, and four years later I’m still living with my dad "’ As much as Susan tried to etend her mother no longer existed to avoid the Dealing with alcoholism pain, she says, ‘‘Alateen won't let you get away with that. They kicked me in the butt. Things are getting bet- | ter with my mom, but I now use the slogan, ‘One day at a time.’ ’’ And Rose, who now belongs to Al-Anon, says emphatically, ‘‘You don’t have to drink to suffer from alcohol. My reactions were to nag, squawk and bitch, but nobody helped me. Peo- ple felt sorry for me. Alcoholics have an obsession to drink, and people around them have an obsession to stop them.”’ With two husbands, who were both alcoholics, Rose says, | would pour out booze, follow to the bar and take away car keys. As a parent | didn’t do a good job. ‘*People don’t like to talk about or admit to alcoholism,’” Rose says, ‘‘but I bet if you shake any family tree, a drunk will fall out.’ When Rose went for help for herself and her husband, the clergy told her she had ‘made her bed so sleep in it,’ and the doctor prescribed antibuse, a drug that makes a person ili if mixed with alcohol, and she says it almost killed her husband because she was administer- ing it without his knowledge. It wasn't until her hus- band was finally recom- whended to AA, and she went whith him on a visit, that Rose discovered Al-Anon, so while he was being cured, she could be cured, too. “‘Al-Anon takes the focus off the alcohol and puts it on ourself. You learn to act, rather than react. I've Jearn- ed not to nag, and I'm not violent anymore ' It vou need help with an alcohol problem, or you know someone else who does, AA, Al Anon or Ala- teen can help Check your phone book for local listings GS) extons Travel “SUNDAY FIESTA BRUNCH” JOIN Faton’s Travel tor this CS - Wednesday, October 17, 1984 - North Shore News SAN ASRINIAS ~~ - * N ~~ MADE 4 FABRIC, LINING MAKING AND INSTALLATION — ALL IN YOUR HOME..... BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS SEZ i ~~ ON AS ~~ 7 ~ 8 ———— & Shop right in your home with the 100s of samples our trained, in-home staff will be able to show you. We'll measure and quote you a price on any custom work you are considering. All at your convenience — no obligation to buy! Call today for your free Gonsultation. DECORATOR PRINTS 100% COTTON — 140cm WIDE FOR DRAPERY — SPREADS — SLIP COVERS 49 Metre SPECIAL BOUCLE SHEERS Luxurious triple full, seamless. 100% polyester, washable European Boucle sheers in two beautiful patterns. “Diplomat’—an elegant boucie that sparkles in the light, available in white. champagne and ivory MOA DARA SEER ERE _EESEERE S tT aenenrarny ~ANSSSRRARARRAES a —_=— — e__* = G a = _——..— —