For the friends and families of problem drinkers, the 'Merry' in Christmas has a very different connotation. Unlike other folk, their holiday is fraught with fear and anxiety. Will their loved one ruin it for themselves and others? Will they end up in the hospital, or worse, dead? Will they injure or kill someone while driving drunk? End up in a police cell?

Only too well do these people know that, because holidays tend to exaggerate situations at home, in the office, and on the highways, tragedies can occur very quickly, so they are constantly on guard, waiting for a crisis to happen. Unable to relax and fully enjoy themselves, they hope for the best but fear the worst.

"People whose loved ones are problem drinkers tend to suffer anxiety whether or not actual tragedies occur," Al-Anon World Service Office information analyst Nicolette Stephens says. "Spending the holidays with your guard up is not exactly the same as having a great time. To help the drinker, you may need to help yourself first."

To that end, the more than 16,000 Al-Anon family groups throughout the North America and Bermuda have issued issuing a timely reminder that the organisation welcomes to its meetings anyone who has been affected by someone else's drinking.

For further information on local Al-Anon meetings, please telephone 236-8606 or visit website www.Al-AnonFamilyGroups.org.