Your letter proves the truth of the saying that alcoholism is a "family disease." The more your husband draws attention to your alcohol problem, the less he is forced to confront his own addictions to food and tobacco.Ī licensed mental health professional may be able to help you understand why you tolerate your husband's behavior - and might even be able to give you insight into why you drink the way you do.ĭ Dear Abby P.O. How can I get him to see that these things are all addictions and hard to kick, and he should quit looking down his nose at me? He refuses to see, while pointing out to our friends that I'm not supposed to drink, that I could be as nasty as he is and say things like, "You're not supposed to smoke," or, "You're overweight and shouldn't eat that." However, he is blind to the similarities to his overeating and smoking. I love my husband and don't want to leave him. For 12 years, Kevin Scruggs interviewed his daughter, Mackenzie, on the first day of school. My husband blames it for everything that goes wrong in our lives. Though, for one father and daughter, it marks the end of a heartfelt tradition. You married a wise and compassionate man, and I want to thank you for sharing an important message for other parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning children.
This wonderful man - a stepfather - gave acceptance to his son and taught it to me. My husband took me in his arms and said, "Honey, he is no different today than he was yesterday." In 1963, before homosexuality was understood or openly accepted, I discovered that my oldest son was gay.