Families rarely adapt to alcohol all at once.
It happens slowly. Through excuses, routines, silence and trying to keep things steady for everybody else.
A lot of families quietly become used to money disappearing around alcohol.
Bills get balanced differently. Plans get cancelled. Somebody always tries to make things stretch a little further.
Sometimes people become so focused on keeping the household stable that they stop noticing how much pressure they are carrying themselves.
more →A lot of families become very good at explaining things away.
He’s tired. She’s stressed. It was a long week. They’ve just had too much on.
Excuses begin as a way of denying a problem and protecting the ones we love and their problem. After a while, they can become part of everyday life.
more →Families living beside alcohol often carry anger they do not know where to place.
Partners blame each other. Parents blame themselves. Children grow up wondering if they caused more than they understood.
Sometimes blame becomes easier to live with than helplessness.
more →Many families slowly organise themselves around avoiding conflict.
People learn when not to speak. When not to ask questions. When to leave things alone.
After a while, keeping the peace can become more important than talking honestly about what is happening.
more →The social world around alcohol.
→ ⌂What happens at home.
→ ⌁Recognition, understanding and support.
→