Stay-at-Home Mom Kelly
Stay-at-Home Mom Kelly had three children. Before choosing to stay at home, she was somewhat a heavy drinker. She worked in sales, and liked taking clients out on her expense account and “drinking the boys under the table.”
The super-mom with a secret problem
After leaving her career, she intended to drink less and work out more. Kelly quickly found that her stay-at-home lifestyle was isolating with all those reruns of Barney the Dinosaur. She was a super-mom and very involved with her children. At the same time, she found she was drinking more and more, earlier and earlier, sneaking out to the garage to have a drink to calm her nerves.
Kelly started taking water bottles of vodka wherever she went, sneaking drinks at soccer games, even drinking in the car. At home, she was incredibly lonely, always busy doing things for her children, but still lonely.
Why do alcoholics hide their alcohol?
It wasn’t until the COVID-19 crisis that her life totally fell apart. Overnight, she had to start homeschooling, her daily activities were totally disrupted, and the stress of having three kids (and her husband) in the house all day long drove her to drink more and more. At the same time, this allowed her husband to observe just how much she drank.
Kelly’s recovery began when her husband called Adam Banks Recovery for an intervention. Since he was working from home, he finally saw the amount that Anne was drinking. He’d had an inkling of the problem, but this was the first time he truly had to confront it.
We took a few days with Kelly’s husband to plan an intervention and find the appropriate facility. He was worried that the intervention would be a disaster, that Kelly would deny and yell. The exact opposite happened. Kelly was ready for help.
Help for moms with addiction
Some interventions are surprising in how easy that they are, the person of concern recognizes that there is a problem and has been ashamed of their behavior. They also don’t know what to do to recover.
An intervention done properly is a very supportive event. When Kelly saw that her family wanted to support her and wanted to help her, she quickly broke down and immediately asked for help. In a matter of a few hours, Kelly checked into a treatment center.
While at treatment, the facility offered family sessions that helped her husband cope with damage that was done to their marriage and to prepare for Kelly’s return, creating a safe home that supported her continued recovery.
About Adam Banks
Adam Banks is a certified interventionist and the owner of Adam Banks Recovery. After receiving an MBA from the University of Chicago, Adam built a company acquired by United Health Care. His discipline and attention to detail comes from his former career as an airline pilot, holding an ATP, the FAA’s highest license.
Today, Adam is dedicated to helping others achieve long-term sobriety. His work has guided executives, pilots, and physicians on paths to recovery. Adam brings families together through a loving and inclusive approach.
Adam has authored four books on addiction. His recent work, Navigating Recovery Ground School: 12 Lessons to Help Families Navigate Recovery, educates families on the entire intervention process. He also offers a free video course for families considering an intervention for a loved one.
Adam is available for alcohol and drug intervention services in New York, Long Island, the Hamptons as well as nationally and internationally.
