There is help for alcoholics

My parents are both alcoholics, but I sure won’t take their inventory. Last Aug. 4, 2006 someone wrote that his or her mother is an alcoholic. “Help for Nunavut’s alcoholics: Let it be known” was the title.

I know for a fact that Nunavut has a problem with alcohol but that doesn’t mean I can save the world. I would like to but I cannot force anyone to stop drinking. I can only help them if they ask for help.

I am writing this to make sure that people who suffer from being around alcoholics can also get help from Al-Anon or Alateen meetings or learn how to start these.

Here is the website for those who are interested in reading about Al-Anon and Alateen:

www.al-anon.alateen.org.

I strongly recommend it to those who have alcoholic parents or anyone who lives or has lived with an alcoholic. We call it “King Alcohol.” It is the hardest thing to do to stop drinking, but it can be done. I did it!

For more than 50 years, Al-Anon (which includes Alateen for younger members) has been offering hope and help to the families and friends of alcoholics. It is estimated that each alcoholic affects the lives of at least four other people — alcoholism is truly a family disease. No matter what relationship you have with an alcoholic, whether they are still drinking or not, all who have been affected by someone else’s drinking can find solutions that lead to serenity in the Al-Anon/Alateen fellowship.

So why is it so disturbingly common to Nunavutmmiut? She or he asks? Actually, Nunavut isn’t the only place where people have chosen to drown their sorrows and problems with alcohol. It seems awfully large in the small community of 6,500 people, but it’s all over the world.

If you want information about treatment centres, I suggest that you go and ask whoever is doing that kind of work in Iqaluit, or wherever you are. Sorry about that. I don’t live in Iqaluit. I live where there is help, where I can go and get what I need.

I’m not saying there is no help in Nunavut. You can make Alanon or Alateen happen, all you have to do is start a group. Find a parish hall that isn’t used every night and start your own Al-Anon/Alateen meetings.

If you want information about alcoholism, (which I had to do when I was going to adult high school) I read what is called “The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.” This book will tell you all about alcoholism. That is one of the best books I have ever read about alcoholism.

(Name withheld by request)
Ottawa