My predicament is this: my father has had a heavy drinking problems in the past (since I was four), which constantly resulted in traumatic violence (boards being thrown, slicing himself with knives, etc.) and for a year he's been sober. But recently, his breath has reeked of alcohol after work and he's flown off into violent rages (screaming, cursing...in public) and then can't recall anything occuring by two hours later!Either that, or he just denies that it ever happened...

I'm wretchedly frightened that he may return to his old ways, and now that my older sister (age 16) is moving out soon, I wouldn't know who to turn to besides my mother, and she's trying to convince ME to confront my dad!In the car about half an hour ago, we stopped at a gas station after picking my dad up from work and while he was filling the tank my Mom unscrewed the top to a container of supposed 'bleach' that was lying in a bag at where his feet had once been. To make a long story short, she sniffed at its contents and related to me that it smelled like 'whole grain alcohol'.

Once we returned home, my dad tried to convince us that it was acitone (a whole gallon!) to ease up our back door that is somewhat jammed...

All I'm wondering is what to do, because we've gone through so much, and I'm afraid my dad's reverting to how he was in the beginning...

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2002

Answers

I grew up with alcoholic parents, and my advice to you is just have your mother ask your dad if he has started drinking again, and if so, let him know you are concerned, and won't stay there if he is drinking again. You didn't say how old you were, but I am guessing younger than your sister. Alcoholics don't remember what they do when they are drinking. Maybe you could go live with your sister?

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2003