Alcoholic

[sunflower68]

I spent a lovely lunch with friends this week in a pub and a neighbour of one of the girls sauntered over to say hi.
Well he was off his box and continued to down pint after pint of Stella at the next table while we others chatted.
My friend later informed me this guy is jobless; understandable in this climate of course but he is also on incapacity benefit. What for?? Alcoholism!!
Now before I get myself in trouble let me make it clear I am completely aware that alcoholism is a disease and that it's many of its sufferers would gladly quit if they could. Just explain somebody why the Govt is giving this guy money for drink and not helping him get treatment?? I felt he should have bought me one as it is my money.

[Postdog]

Another side to that is some people who need it too cannot get any help (me). I feecking love this country!

[ummmm]

Because coming off alcohol can be dangerous.

[jno]

how do you know he's not being treated?

[sunflower68]

Redhelen it is the Government I am judging here for not helping him in a more productive way. He is not being treated jno, his brother, my friend and her mum have tried to get help for him but he is not ready to accept help and I don't think he will if he can afford the alcohol.

[VHG]

Is it really a disease?

My first wife was an alcoholic, and because of her unhapiness with life she drank her self to death.

I think it is a bit of an insult to all thoise with "proper" diseases like Cancer to say it is a disease.

[Postdog]

Thank you VHG, I'm glad someone else thinks that.

[JonnyBoy12]

That sounds like my sort of disability. What other conditions enable one to be on incapacity benefit, I wonder?

Can anyone enlighten us all here?

[AlBags]

^ Are you from this planet .. Earth?

[AlBags]

^ * JB12yo

[Postdog]

Johnnyboy avoid brain tumours which result in you not being able to walk or stand for more than ten minutes without falling over - they don't pay for that.

[plautus]

If alcoholism is a disease then so is smoking. I think we need to distinguish between disease and addiction.

[-kaffryn-]

I couldn't agree more - that being that the government don't help alcoholics. I have a close family member who struggles with this and there isn't help available. So much is out there for smokers but none for alcoholics.

[AlBags]

Quite ...

Many are addictions that CAUSE disease.

[NOX]

I am both an ex drink and drug abuser and I feel it's more of a response than an addiction or a disease. Once you re-learn and recondition your responses to negative stimulus you negate the need for whatever substance/ experience props you up. That being said until you are taught how to do that it can be an overwhelming compulsion, so much so that you're average person thinks that it's impossible to have a normal relationship with drink or drugs once you are yourself again, which I've found to not be true as now I can drink socially without the need to get off my head to obliterate the darker parts of my life, but it's easy to judge other people when you haven't been there.

[boxtops]

well said, NOX.

[masma]

As many of you on here know my son is an alcoholic - he has never been able to claim benifits because of his addiction, not that he's tried!
As for many of you saying it isn't a disease... when he was rushed into hospital following a seizure, that almost cost him his life, I was so angry with him that I was on the point of disowning him. A doctor came to talk to me and said if he'd had cancer people would feel sorry for him and he would be able to get help and, almost certainly, be cured. Because he's alcohol dependant he has to do it for himself. He's now on day 11 alcohol free. He's got a long way to go but please don't knock anyone without knowing the full story. My boy is lucky to have family support, a lot of folk don't have that.

[albaqwerty]

I think the user (or abuser)of drugs or alcohol has to reach their bottom depths, if they're are lucky to survive that and realise, then there is help available

First port of call is a good GP