My brother has just recently started opening up to me about this. He has one other friend he talks with about it. Tonight he mentioned he might go see a counselor. I strongly encouraged him to do that. Overall, he sees asking for help or relying on others as a weakness--he thinks strangers have no business knowing this about him. He does not go to AA or any other type of support group. He keeps much of this locked up inside of him where it is festering and getting worse. He is making some progress in the fact that he is opening up to me and considering seeing a counselor. I think he is reaching a point of desperation--now he will either get better or...well, not. I don't see how he can continue to live like this for too much longer. Something will have to give. I just pray it is in a positive direction not back to the bottle or worse.

I will continue to talk with him and reassure him my fathers alcoholism and situation in life is not his fault. I will let him know I care, I love him and that I am here for him. I know that I am not responsible for how this all works out--I am not responsible for my brother--just like he is not responsible for my father.

It is amazing how alcohol continues to hurt us--even now that we are not drinking--which by the way is nothing short of a miracle. I am extremely grateful to be sober and he says he is too.

I hope people who read my initial post see where drinking ultimately leads--it is a miserable dead end. As recovering alcoholics and drug addicts we have much to be grateful for...it could be me and if I don't continue to work in my recovery I could still end up in the same situation. If nothing else, my father motivates me to continue to work on my sobriety...seeing him and knowing that could become me makes me work extra hard. I hope nobody takes this the wrong way but in some sense my father is giving me a gift--I just wish it was in some other way.