Changes for the Better

My name is Rose. I'm eighteen years old and I'm a recovering alcoholic. My parents were very young when I was born--too young to take care of themselves, let alone me. During my childhood I came to believe that drinking was okay; I thought it was normal. I was an only child and often drank to fend off the loneliness. My whole family was tied up in drugs and alcohol. My father and mother got divorced, and a few years later my father tried to kill himself under the influence of drugs. That didn't stop me from drinking.