I hate to spread the bad publicity but my grief at being out of my world is making me into a mild alcoholic. I know I’m betraying the ones I love but it’s so hard. Any coping advice?

You don’t need to worry about bad publicity, right now, anon. You need to worry about getting well. Alcoholism can be very serious, and your mental, and physical health is at stake, and that’s important. I have three pieces of advice.

1) Tell your loved ones; they will want to help you

2) seek treatment, professional, medical treatment. You have a real, medical condition and people will help you.

3) My PERSONAL advice is to not enroll in a 12 step program. These programs are not always run by professionals, and can in some circumstances be abusive and cult-like, and shift addictive behavior from alcoholism over to the program.