By Susan Heide

Growing up in a household with alcoholism, violence, abuse and mental illness cemented my thinking for many years.  I thought if I could be perfect and fix or control the problem, the chaos in my home would stop.  I continued this pattern throughout my life with the other alcoholics in my life in addition to my mother, including my son and my boyfriend.  It was the creation of my own version of insanity.  Repeating the same behavior over and over and expecting a different result.  It wasn’t until I entered the rooms of Al-anon that I learned differently.