My mom didn't really have a drinking problem, but she drank sometimes. Her problem was hard drugs. She only did them a couple years, but for those couple years she was absent mentally and physically much of the time. We'd wait in the car while she was in the dealer's house. She advised us to "stay low" for whatever reason (we didn't understand we were children, but I get it now). Her friends were other addicts, so I'd mingle with swindlers and con artists. Her boyfriends were drunks or psychopaths. the drunk molested me and she stayed with him. The psychopath taught me how to play blackjack. I got behind in my studies at school and was almost held back in fourth grade, so I went to a more expensive school where I never quite fit in and was bullied for not taking care of myself or doing schoolwork or being social. I began to develop schizophrenia from the stress. My mom didn't notice, because she was on drugs, but she didn't let my dad see me more than a few days a week. Sometimes she let my 14 year old brother babysit me, which was a mess. Then he'd leave and I'd be alone and afraid to sleep. It would just be me and my stuff animals until she came home with her boyfriend high. The psychopath used her for money. He stayed with her and kept her addicted. But finally he went to jail and mom got arrested. I remember how scared I felt when the cops came, I hated them waking me up, but I'm grateful they did. Mom got clean and it's been 25 years since. She never had another boyfriend since, though if she did I bet he would be very nice and clean too. I'm so proud of her clean time and everything. We get along great now (best friends), but it would have been a hard life if that continued.