How many people are involved in the life of any one alcoholic? Family, friends, employer, co-workers... It is important to remember that all these people are affected by alcoholism--not just the alcoholic. Many of them spend a lot of time and energy trying to "fix" the alcoholic: covering up for them, punishing them, taking responsibility for them. 

Living with alcoholism has been described as living on a merry-go-round, where each family member, friend, and employer plays a role with the alcoholics in their lives. These behavior patterns are like the script of a play, repeated over and over, centering on the alcoholic. A player can learn a new role by attending Al-Anon, gaining understanding of the disease of alcoholism and how it has affected them. When this happens, and the person changes their behavior, they are rewriting the script. There is no guarantee that the alcoholic will change, but the alternative is staying on the "merry-go-round." Insanity can be defined as "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Changing one's behavior can be uncomfortable and very difficult to do, but members learn that they have to take responsibility for themselves and their own recovery.