Bill Murphy as a young boy in Emerald (circa 1931) 
     
    
   
   
    
     Alcoholism is a disease that was poorly understood in the 1960s. The 
     
     disease is characterized by continuous or, in Bill’s case, periodic impaired 
     
     control over drinking, a preoccupation with alcohol and its use despite 
     
     adverse consequences and distortions in thinking, most notably denial 
     
     of the problem. Because of that, alcohol addiction is one of the hardest 
     
     dependencies to treat. 
     
    
   
   
    
     As her desperation increased by the fall of 1968, Kathleen decided to seek 
     
     help for herself. In September, she was invited to attend a meeting of Al— 
     
     Anon, a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their 
     
     experiences, strengths and hopes in order to help deal with their situation. 
     
     Many of those who seek out Al—Anon are in despair, feel hopeless and 
     
     helpless, and want help or simply understanding and support. 
     
    
   
   
    
     At that first meeting Kathleen was surprised to find out that a number 
     
     of other women she knew were also there. It was her first real indication 
     
    
   
   
    
     that she was not alone in dealing with the issue. When she came home, 
     
     Bill asked where she had been. When she told him, he asked who else was 
     
    
   
   
    
     there, perhaps fearful that his problem would become known outside the 
     
     confines of family. He accepted Kathleen’s assurances that anonymity was 
     
    
   
   
    
     148 KATHLEEN MURPHY, MAITRIARC