There are estimated to be 589,101 dependent drinkers in England. Here, author Jessica Andrews shares her story of growing up with an alcoholic father, and explains why it’s so important that we open up the conversation around alcoholism.

By Jessica AndrewsOriginal Source: stylist.co.ukMy dad is an electrician in a sweet factory. He gets up every day at 5am and drives along the motorway to work, where he spends long days fixing switchboards and replacing wires. When I was a child, he used to come home with misshapen bags of Midget Gems and sugar dust caught in his hair.My dad has a drinking problem. Every few months he turns off his phone, stops going to work and drinks lager, day and night, for weeks. Sometimes he goes missing, sleeping in parks and fields with a plastic bag full of cans. He went missing in London and I combed parks and benches looking for him. I had to report him to the police as a missing person, and eventually a...click here to continue reading