Mandy grew up in a household dominated by an angry father who, from the time Mandy was three years old, was a sober alcoholic. Her mother was passive and the other members of the family fell into roles that made sense to them to manage the situation. Mandy tried to be the 'good girl' who didn't cause any trouble. As an adult Mandy had her first child with a sober alcoholic, then married and built a family with a man whose drinking soon became a problem. Both Mandy and her husband now practise the 12 Steps and Mandy has, through facing very difficult situations, learned the true meaning of surrender. If you think that Al-Anon or Alateen could help you cope with someone else’s problem drinking then you can phone 1300 252 666 or go to their website al-anon.org.au