Medicine: A.A.'s Auxiliary

For 25 years Ann Smith's husband Ed gradually increased his liquor intake until he was drinking up to two fifths a day. "He was one of those alcoholics," says Ann, "who had to go to the end of the line." As Ed settled into the role of alcoholic, Ann played the alcoholic's wife: "I bathed myself in pity. I nagged. I turned the children against him. I was extremely self-righteous. I was convinced that Ed was doing this to me deliberately." Fired from his job, Ed threw a monumental drunk one Christmas season, came...

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