Listen to the sound of unanswered phones ringing. One, two, three rings, then a click. Sleep-deprived and frantic, someone who loves an alcoholic or addict listens for the tenth time in a row to the recorded greeting, wondering whether the person whose cheerful voice they hear is alive or dead. They have your eyes, your arched eyebrows and curving nose, your mouth. They like chicken soup and a good corned beef sandwich, lean.
Denial is a hallmark of addiction.
Jews face double denial. The alcoholic or addict denies the disease. And our community denies that the alcoholic or addict exists. But wait a minute. What if I am an alcoholic.