Dear Maggie,

My problem is too personal to sign my name to this note. I hope you can help me, because I’ve tried everything else. I’m really at the end of my rope.

I can’t stop drinking. I’ve been to AA and I’ve done the twelve steps, and I just keep falling off the wagon. I’ve alienated my husband, who says he just can’t stand to be around me when I’m drinking. Even if I’ve only had a little, he can tell with one glance at me. He says I’m different when I drink. And he finally left me, and that just made it worse. I drink every night until I fall asleep. Every time I get near the end of a bottle, I tell myself that I’ll finish that one and then buy no more. But I always do. It’s just so hard for me to face life right now. And to be really frank, the alcohol helps. I feel better when I drink. So how is it better to not drink, and just sit there, stone sober and look at things the way they are, when they’re so very bad? How can I stop when I don’t really even want to?