ESSAY –

Sept. 3, 2023 – She had to be strong and resolute, meaning she was often unable to talk about her feelings and mine. I can see the generational effect of addiction on us all.

I became aware that my dad had a problem when I was around seven years old. I lived with him and my mum until I was about nine. His drinking was the reason for them separating.

I had a very close relationship with him when I was a child – he gave me a lot of attention and was sensitive and affectionate. At the same time there were incidences that included waking up to my dad being brought home by the police after being caught drinking and driving. I remember my mum yelling at my dad while I sat on the stairs silently.

There was another time when Mum and I came back from holiday and Dad hadn’t turned up to pick us up. Later that night he arrived home drunk and announced that he had tried to kill himself.

When he became depressed, his drinking got worse. He would cycle through periods of depression – it would involve two to four weeks of drinking everyday, every one to three months. 

READ@Metro