My Name Is Jackie

I STARTED drinking in my senior year at school. I never drank more than just enough to have a good time until the last couple of years. I never drank much after I got married--perhaps a glass of beer after supper. If my husband and I went out, we would have two or three highballs and we didn't go out often as we had three small children. I never had enough to get sick. But, about three years ago, I began to be more nervous, gain weight, and have dizzy spells. The doctor told me that I had a goiter and should have it operated on. He prescribed thyroid extract and gave me some tranquilizers. I hated the thought of an operation and began to dwell upon it. As a result, I became more nervous. About a year later, I found that I was drinking more and the doctor gave me stronger tranquilizers. As time went on, I drank more and more and was taking stronger and stronger tranquilizers. I would drink periodically and then, shaky and sick, go to the doctor for a shot.