my mum has acholism and depresion my dad is mentally ill and left us when i was eight i am now ten. she is a nice person but when she is drunk i hate her soo much i can smell the achol it is discusting. i have a brother and he is six and dosent really understand what happend i stay with my granparents most the holidays as i dont fell contable with my mum around she kind of gose out of control and leaves us to go to sleep by our selfs i hate it i have to put my brother to sleep
tell me what i should do if that happens again the thing is i love her and she has a high chance of dying or being arested thanks bye
Sam
Hi there,
You deserve to feel safe at home. If you or your brother are being left at home alone, or not being given things you need, this is neglect. When someone in the family has problems with alcohol or drugs it can have a big effect on everyone else. But there is support available for both you and your family.
It can be scary and upsetting when mum leaves you alone and it’s not fair that you are left to look after your brother. If you are left alone again you can always call Childline so a counsellor can support you and make sure you're safe.
If you ever feel worried that mum has done anything to hurt herself or put you in danger you can call 999 to get help. You could keep your grandparent’s phone number somewhere safe and contact them if you’re feeling worried about how mum is behaving.
When someone else in the family has a mental health problem it can be stressful, and you deserve support as well. Childline is here for you but you may also find that there are organisations such as Mind who can help you to cope.
Drinking problems can affect everyone in the family. Our information about parents and alcohol might give you some advice about ways to cope. Sometimes people are not aware of how differently they behave when they drink alcohol. One option might be to try talking to your mum on a day when she isn’t drinking, about how you feel. Another place you could get support is the National Association for Children of Alcoholics.
Remember that you can talk to other young people who might have been through similar things on our Home and Family message boards.
Thanks for the letter.
Take care,
Sam
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