[Ciara___]

I am a 15 year old girl and My mother drinks a lot , nearly every night and by the end of the night she is usually drunk to be honest. She's had a rough past because my father had an affair with her best friend for over 2 years about 5 years ago and I think she is still struggling to cope with it all. She has been to counselling and she is thinking about going again. They stayed married but she is no longer friends with the woman. Now she has just found out that her brother who lives in a different country to us is depressed and struggling to live life (messed up in the head slightly) and she is getting very stressed . My parents do not have the best relationship anymore and we are tight with money and it is all looking very dull. Is there anything I should do?

[DrBill100]

She has been to counselling and she is thinking about going again.

It would be helpful just to encourage her to return to counseling. Sounds like she is having a difficult time, maybe finding relief in the drinking. It is just this type of circumstance where an objective third party (counselor) can be of immense assistance.

[0rphan]

Hi Ciara,

Your Mother obviously started drinking when she found out about the affair and although having had counselling continues to drink 5 years later.

I think the fact that she turned to drink has now made her rely on alcohol as her crutch... which has now turned her into being an alcoholic,for which she needs specific help.

You can use achohol as a crutch, only for so long,many people do in a time of crisis,they then drink less and less as they learn to except what has happened in their life.

I think your Mother continues to use excuses in her life, affair,money issues,lost best friend, her husband,the latest one being her brother, there will always be another problem in her life that will allow her to indulge even further... she definitely has a drink problem, which needs to be dealt with for her to move on with her life.

I think she needs to see her counsellor again as soon as possible, they will try and build her mental state of health,allowing her to hopefully cope better eventually.

Your Mother also needs to go to Achoholics anonymus to deal with her drinking.ASAP

I think there are two problems here one is her mental health, the other is the drinking,she will constantly excuse her drinking because of her mental health problems and vice versa, never admitting that she has a problem at all... she has

Ciara... welldone for trying to help your Mum,this must be quite a burden to you, making the home environment extremely difficult,please talk to somebody yourself a close relative or Grandma, Auntie or close friend,you yourself need some support, please don't try to do this alone... takecare