Someone Stop this Merry-Go-Round: An Alcoholic Family in Crisis

Alberta Sequeira
Infinity Publishing (2009)
ISBN 9780741454157
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/09)


In “Someone Stop this Merry-Go-Round,” Alberta Sequeria tells the story of how her family suffered at the hands of her alcoholic husband.  Having been in a three-year relationship with an alcoholic, I found myself relating to her experiences.  Hers of course were much worse because he was in her life for much longer, she was married to him, and he was the father of her children.  Unfortunately, she also had to watch them suffer from his actions. 

My Master’s in Counseling Degree covered a huge portion on substance abuse counseling.  I found that I learned a great deal more by reading this story, than I did in reading textbooks.  Following along with Mrs. Sequeria as she rode the merry-go-round with her husband was a huge learning experience.  No matter what she did, she learned that she could not control him.  The only control she had was over her own actions and choices.  This was a painful learning experience for her because, desperate to keep her family together, she offered him many chances to pull it together, and he couldn’t.  Recognizing that alcoholism is a disease, she tried to get him help, but ultimately she discovered that he had to be the one to make that choice.

As the book concludes, she shares with us what is was like to lose him to the disease.  Even though they were divorced at this point, she still loved him and she also had to watch her daughters suffer horribly as they watched him slip away.

“Someone Stop this Merry-Go-Round” is a must read for counselors, alcoholics and family members of alcoholics. I would like to think that this book would be a wake-up call for an alcoholic.  Reading about someone who lost everything to the disease should be very sobering.  For the families dealing with an alcoholic, they will see that they are not alone and they will also recognize the common patterns in dealing with a person with this disease.  Hopefully this will also be a wake-up call to them to get out before there is a chance for violence to begin.

Ultimately it is up to each individual as to how they choose to deal with alcoholism. I honestly believe that if I had read “Someone Stop this Merry-Go-Round” by Alberta Sequeria years ago it would have encouraged me to exit my relationship with the alcoholic much sooner.  As I read about the pain that Mrs. Sequeira experienced, it brought back memories of my own.  Seeing how it only gets worse, it is truly motivating to get out now and let them get help.

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