Helpline for families who are affected by alcohol?

[TodaysFishIsTroutALaCreme]

Selfishly, I need help for my mother's illness. Are there any helplines or groups out there specifically for families/loved ones. I am making myself ill over it and have realised I need help but reluctant to go to docs as I doubt there is anything they can do apart from dole out antidepressants.

Thanks

So sorry you are in this position. I don't know about a helpline but Al-Anon meetings for the families of alcoholics can be very helpful. I would look up the one in your local area. Sometimes just talking to people who understand can really help.

wanda thanks for that. I didn't know that Al Anon worked with the families. I just assumed they worked with the one with the addiction.

Will look up a local group.

Al anon do have a national helpline too. They are very sympathetic. Just look on their website. The whole thing about Al anon is they are actually for the families of the addict. Alcoholics Anonymous is the one for the addicts themselves.

Ohhhhh

I thought Al-Anon was just a shortened name of Alcoholics Anonymous

Well I think so, that's how I understand it. I have rung the helpline a couple of times. Calls are taken by volunteers and I find them to be good listeners and helpful.

Yes, I can see how al-anon could be short for Alcoholics Anonymous, it is a bit confusing!

There's also ACA which is for Adult Children of Alcoholics. I'm going to my first meeting on Saturday

You may also find CoDA useful because children of alcoholics often find they have codependency issues, my mum finds it really useful.

Good luck!

There is a great charity helping children of alcoholics and there is a closed/secret Facebook group for support. It's called COAisathing.com (child of an alcoholic). There everyone understands how hard it is to watch a parent go through alcoholism, my own mum died a few weeks ago from alcoholic liver disease/kidney failure