From Madame Noire

Among me and all of my friends , every single one of us has either been affected by alcoholism or dealt with an addiction personally. In the African-American community, one of the reasons alcoholism is so prevalent and often fatal is because we tend to not take it as seriously.

Drunken fist fights, binges and blackouts are a Friday night with family and friends, not an indication of a problem. Witnessing several people in my family suffer from addiction I can attest to the fact alcoholism is a family disease: When one person suffers so does all who love them with secrets and shame and a feeling of helplessness.

Alcohol attacks your life like a loose thread on a cheap dress: With every pull it slowly unravels until all that you’re left with something that doesn’t remotely resemble the life you once had…

Continued at Madame Noire…