Only my experience but I waited until I had been in recovery for a while before I told my family. Actually my mum guessed that I was going to AA before I had a chance to tell her.

I waited because I wanted to be sure of my intention for recovery before I told them and also thought it would be easier for them to hear if they knew I was in the process of getting help.

Turns out everyone knew anyway :-)

My step-bro was the family golden child. Dated the town billionaire's daughter, got a football scholarship, everyone's fav, etc. last summer he was found with a half-gallon of vodka by his side. he'd been dead for 2 weeks in the phoenix heat. big lesson for me. things are not always what they seem. i wish he'd had a support system like AA or DS. sara

don't compare your insides to someone elses outsides.

Olive, if you are the "golden child" and they love you so much, guess what? They could be an integral part of your support system. They will still love you so much & you will still be the golden child for taking steps to better yourself.

Telling my family was the best thing I could have ever done! Today we are closer than ever. Read my journal "One Year Later" and you'll see what I mean.

You're not alone and if you have strong family ties to begin with and throughout the madness, I can only imagine them growing stronger for seeking help. :)

you are indeed blessed you have a supportive family. many do not. mine for one but after a few decades they came around. lol! i think it's because alcoholism had already run rampant through the family and everyone was just tired. also, the disease concept was beyond them. we drunks were picking on them i think they believed. tell them. peace of mind is important at this stage of the game.

Anna, I have been told that by sharing the burden it cuts it in half. Like how I shared with you and some others here last night. I can't tell you how much lighter I feel already. I just can't believe how unalone I'm feeling right now!

You tell me that all the time! You're the reason I shared last night. You're the reason I haven't gone off the deep end so many times.

Can you just imagine the weight lifted too when you go to family gatherings, and instead of feeling the urge to drink with them, you will be able to just hang out with them with no pressure from you or them?

It's like keeping a dirty little secret that really isn't dirty at all. We just have a sickness is all.

My family is very supportive. No reason not to be. And hey, never know. One of your family members just might come to you one day and share something of this nature with you, and you will be able to be there for them too.

Adding the support of your loving family sounds great. The more varied the help available to you the better, especially since you feel you are alone.

Still, a note of caution: beware the pursuit of the magic pill. What do I mean? There is a pattern to your posts. When you have difficulty with not drinking or do drink, you tend to villify. Recently it was your hp...other times it was your husband is away or "it's" not working... I don't say this to pick on you. It's easier to see the pattern when you aren't living it.

If you seek that one thing wrong or that one thing missing--You make it harder on yourself.

Well, many things could happen if and when you do this.

Don't expect them to understand. Family dynamics with alcoholism are complicated and often riddled with deep denial versus severe blame.

They may try to convince you all is well and you just need to get it together. If you are the golden child, this may not then, in their vision of you. Can you except that maybe they will tell you you are not alcoholic? And try to get sober anyway?

Or maybe they will rally around and be a great support to your journey into health. You never know.

For me, my family is a mixed bag (of nuts mostly). My Mom is very supportive, and I think this is because she has been in alanon forever since her dad died. My father thinks this is due to the idea that I get too emotional and need more common sense, my little brother thinks I am rebelling, and my big brother thinks my parents did this to me by abuse and other stuff. So there you go-not too helpful for me but I love them.

Well, i didn't tell my family even with my quick little Christmas quit session. I wasn't sure i'd make it and didn't want to hear about if i didn't. When i visited my family in California shortly after Christmas the urge to drink was overpowering. They didn't know, I was far from home. Their would be no ridicule. I had told them, possibly their support would have kept me slipping. My mother and one brother are not inflicted so they can not relate, i have another brother who is flaming alkie as i dry drunk. But my family has witnessed what the horrors of out of control alcohlism can bring and so are glad to see it be gone.

I still haven't told them. But the cat is out of the bag with my bosses, who are both alcoholics and are being very supportive. I find the secret being "out" has kinda got me to a point where i can move forward.