| On April 30th ABC co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas | | | | alcohol into. There are a lot of women who think, 'My |
| interviewed four women struggling with alcohol in a | | | | drinking is just not that bad.' Feeling like every day is |
| one hour report "Mother's Little Helper". | | | | a nightmare that you have to trudge through is a |
| Remember the song "Mother's Little Helper" written in | | | | consequence enough. You don't need a DWI, you |
| 1966 by Mick Jagger and Keith Richard from the | | | | don't need to go to jail, you don't need to loose your |
| Rolling Stones? The message is about drugs, and the | | | | kids. It's enough that the highlights of your day is |
| lyrics went like this: I hear every mother say, Mother | | | | sitting alone drinking." |
| needs something today to calm her down, She goes | | | | Stephanie is a mother from California, a comedian |
| running for the shelter for her mother's little helper. | | | | who joked about drinking at play dates with children |
| And it helps her on her way to get her through her | | | | and other mothers. Even her husband was in denial of |
| busy day. You can tranquilise your mind. And to help | | | | her drinking and stated she didn't fit the mold of |
| you through the night to minimize your plight. | | | | what he thought an alcoholic was. Stephanie lied to |
| The four women interviewed by Elizabeth Vargas | | | | herself for so long until one day she went on her |
| made statements similar to the lyrics of "Mother's | | | | computer and admitted to her fans she had a |
| Little Helper". The only difference is that the song is | | | | drinking problem. She was so scared she would be |
| referring to drugs and not alcohol which each women | | | | rejected by her fans, and the opposite happened |
| used to tranquilise their minds to minimize their plight. | | | | with letters of support and thanking her for her |
| The four women came from various parts of the | | | | honesty. |
| United States; Stephanie a mother of three from | | | | Lynn is a fifty year old mother and wife with over |
| California, Mary who is celebrating 20 years of | | | | 20 years of alcoholism. She lives in Mississippi with her |
| recovery, Tina a mother of two, and Lynn a fifty | | | | adolescent children and husband. Her children have |
| year old mother from Mississippi. Each woman has | | | | pleaded with her to get some help and are at their |
| her story and disclosed her everyday rituals from | | | | last straw. Cameras followed Lynn into her first five |
| park social hours after school to drinking at 9:30 in | | | | days of detox and 30 days of alcohol rehabilitation. |
| the morning. They hid their bottles of alcohol, pouring | | | | The cameras capture the intensity of Lynn's |
| it into coffee mugs while driving their children to | | | | intoxication before she is admitted to a Florida |
| school, play dates, parks, and other activities under | | | | program. |
| the influence of alcohol. | | | | "Mother's Little Helper" interview reveals the women's |
| Tina is a mother of two children from Washington, | | | | shameful experiences with their alcohol episodes, daily |
| D.C. who transitioned from a political career to a stay | | | | rituals, and how they endangered their children's lives. |
| at home mom. She did not realize how much | | | | One woman states while driving the streets she |
| self-esteem and self-worth came from her job. Tina | | | | would be dumping her empty bottles along the side |
| has difficulty in admitting she put her daughter in | | | | of the road. Another describes hiding bottles of |
| danger when she was under the influence of alcohol | | | | alcohol in closets, cupboards, shoes, and trash cans. |
| while driving. It was not until friends of Tina | | | | Their ritual for buying the alcohol would be to make |
| addressed her alcholism that she received help. | | | | trips to various liquor stores so as not to be found |
| Tina's friends said it became apparent that Tina | | | | out. They did not want others to know or see them |
| needed help. Tina would show up to functions | | | | drinking so they would drive around with the children |
| inebriated, and her behavior and mannerism changed. | | | | drinking alcohol in their coffee mugs. |
| Tina's friends organized an intervention telling her of | | | | The last lyric in the song "Mothers Little Helper" is - |
| their own experiences with Tina's alcohol | | | | No more running for the shelter of a mother's little |
| consumption. At the end of intervention friends sent | | | | helper |
| her off, with her packed bags, to a detox and | | | | They just helped you on your way through your |
| rehabilitation program in Florida. | | | | busy dying day |
| Mary who is celebrating her 20 years of sobriety and | | | | As these four women struggled in their daily lifestyle |
| was a teacher at Harvard when her life spiraled into | | | | of alcoholism they came to the decision to find their |
| alcoholism. She remembers one Christmas morning | | | | way to sobriety. They too were on their way |
| she was to bake pies with the family and she choose | | | | through their busy dying day. It was not until after 6 |
| to take a drive and consume a six pack of beer | | | | tries in recovery that Mary reached her twenty |
| alone. Mary wrote a book "Lit" describing her bout | | | | years of sobriety. Tina went back to drinking after |
| with alcoholism and how she hid her alcoholism so well | | | | completing the thirty day rehabilitation program and |
| for so long from her husband, family and friends. | | | | now looking for an outpatient program. Lynn is doing |
| Mary states to Elizabeth Vargas that, "I didn't look | | | | well and just received her four month chip of |
| like somebody sleeping under a bridge. But I had this | | | | sobriety. Stephanie is doing well in her recovery. |
| black hole in the center of me that I was pouring | | | | |