Such a shame

Yes indeed a shame. Remember George Best another great sportsman in his day but seemingly unable to kick the alcohol habit.

 

I agree, feel sorry for him he can't seem to get any focus or structure in his life.

Val

 

Interestingly, I read today that recent research suggests that alcoholism begins in the womb ... I'll go find the link ...


Ok, found the link: "Alcoholism may begin in the womb"

 

I sometimes wonder if this hampers any research into ways to help those afflicted.

I am positive it does, having battled and almost won against my addiction to nicotine ( 4 months now, but still get the urge) it`s not thought of as being too threatening, it`s accepted socially, it is just not regarded as an 'illness"
Drinking gets the nudge ,nudge one too many attitude.
Drug abuse is regarded as being anti-social as so many crimes are caused by its use.

They are all addictions but not given the same treatment as other life threatening illnesses, I suppose people regard them as self inflicted.
So are less sympathetic, and more judgemental.

 

Now there is food for thought! It is a known fact that heroin addicted women give birth to heroine addicted babies and the babies have to be weaned off the addiction from day one.

Mind you, I must be honest, I am a little sceptical of this particular research because it is pertaining to modern living. So, it has no "historical" basis to draw upon.

Other research (and I'm really not in the mood for hunting it out) suggests a link between invaders and plying indigenous people with alcohol to make them compliant and the indigenous people became alcoholics quite easily. But, to understand if that was also a result of a high sugar/fat diet may be pushing things a bit.

Let's take a different example: my FIL grew up with alcoholic parents. During *their* upbringing, it would be most unlikely that they had a high sugar diet during pregnancy (high fat is another argument here) due to economic and geographical standards. Now, while *he*, through experience and determination, veered away from alcohol in principle, it is fair to say that 2 out of his 3 offspring, became alcoholics. Now, that may suggest that it is a hereditary/genetic thing? (as with the indigenous people?)

Or, put another way: some people are more prone to addictive tendencies than others? It is the reasons *why* they are more prone to it that is the root of research. Nature? Nurture? Circumstance? Influence? Peer pressure? Access?

Certainly, in the case of George Best, it is documented that his mother was a secret drinker (suggests a genetic link?) But, it is also documented that the pressures of "stardom" was a trigger factor too. Is this the case with PG? Was he thrust into a limelight he couldn't cope with without some "crutch" (be it physical or psychological?)

Whatever, (I'm just speaking out loud); the very sad fact is, for whatever reason, this man is hurting. Be it psychological/egotistical/inherited/crept up on him/physical/whatever ... he does not like himself. He does not care enough *about* himself to stop: he's hurting! And *that* ( in my limited experience) is the reason for any addiction! People develop, gradually, into an addiction: it creeps up and is never a definitive decision - which makes them *forget* their perceived pain/self doubt/self loathing/insecurities and merely boosts (albeit temporarily) their sense of worth/or forgetfulness/eases any pain - imagined or real)

It is heart breaking because, in his day, he was top of his game and rode those waves of glory (as did George) ! But, we're seeing what happens to someone when they have to face the fact, they are not a "God" and the hero worship moves elsewhere, in line with the times?

 

As a gaming machine service engineer, I met George Best in an Edinburgh ale house and I must admit, I bought him a few, then took him on my rounds for a day

Next on the list was Autism, on my rounds I met many ROCK STARS and 90% of them had autistic children, They were heavy into the cannabis, thus I reckon that contributes to the illness

However my wife goes ballistic when I bring this up, she was a special needs teacher with Autistic children and will not accept that there is a connection
I asked has anyone asked the parents if they actually used it, No it would be insensitive to ask

Her best friend has one of three children Autistic, I worked with the father of that child (ex husband) and he was so into cannabis the whole office new
The other two children to a new husband are fine ?

This seems the case of all Heavy Users IMHO

Jack McH

 

I feel sorry for Mr Gascoigne if after all that money he earned, he still needed his friends to bail him out and pay for rehab. Big question is though, and its a genuine question not meant to be sarcy because I have no experience in these matters, but if his friends felt it necessary to get him rehab, why did they not intervene before it got that far and just be his friend?

In my late teens, early twenties, I went a bit crazy for a while. I couldn't go anywhere without at least one of my friends randomly turning up. I remember at the time being quite frustrated by it, as I could hardly get any time on my own. After some time, I started to function a bit more 'normally' again, and my mates gradually allowed me a bit more freedom. I found out a few years later that my best mate, who'd seen what was happening to me, had considered that I was a danger to myself and others, so as he was a bit of a well connected chap, he'd put the word out that I was to be 'watched'. I quite literally couldn't walk down town or along the sea front or anywhere without bumping into someone. Actually, now I think about it, how would they have known I'd even left the house? I'm now inclined to suspect that my dad, who also saw what was happening to me, and who I still lived with at the time, may have been in on the 'supervision'.

 

Just to clarify my previous on Autism, I am not inferring ALL cases are due to substance use
Just my observation, that some appear to be

Apologies to anyone who found the post upsetting

Jack McHammocklashing

 

On the money side: maybe he drank/squandered/gambled it all?

On the friends side of it: who is qualified to say (let alone notice) the line where it becomes "that far"?

Drinking initially is a social thing; a celebratory thing; a "club" thing.
And is socially acceptable.

Alcohol dependency: more of a creep up on you while you weren't counting type of thing. It isn't instant, it evolves. Equally, anyone who has tried to "reason" with a drunk knows it simply isn't possible ... and come morning, denial becomes a factor

Alcoholism is a secret thing, something the person recognises, denies to all and sundry but goes on covertly - as much as possible - in addition to the overt drinking. So, friends may witness the overt drinking but would have no calculation of the covert drinking.

My ex was a master of the covert: Baileys Irish Cream in his coffee upon waking = covert; vodka and lemonade disguised in a "lemonade" bottle during the working day = covert
and then the social, after work, "pint with the lads" = overt.
So, 2/3rds, if not 3/4, was not visible. Any mood swings were excused as work/stress related (or worse, projected onto the recipient as *their* fault), so 'mind games' and manipulation are at play too.

My question wouldn't be regarding his friends intervening; rather, I'm surprised he had any genuine friends left at all!

And bravo to them for the rehab fees Unfortunately, I believe, it is too little, too late and the poor man is too far down the road to be led safely back again :(