Addiction

[Herr Tubthumper]

I was reading today that Phil Collins suffered from alcoholism, is now recovered BUT still drinks albeit in moderation (if you can call 3 glasses of wine a day moderate).

I have often wondered if anyone with an addiction can recover to control the issue and drink, gamble, take drugs "normally."

Is it really possible? Has he really recovered?

Yours curiously.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

How can you have 'recovered' from alcoholism and still drink?

Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

 

[GT49er]

Was he an alcoholic though, or just a very, very heavy drinker? There is a difference.

 

[whitelion]

It's an interesting one. I attended AA for four years from 2007. I realised I couldn't be totally abstinent and in fact lapsed three times during those four years.

I now have three or four bottles of beer once a week on a Friday night or Saturday whilst listening to the match. I only drank three yesterday and have a bottle of Young's IPA within my eyesight but I don't feel the urge to drink it. I do feel currently that I have curbed not cured my addiction.

 

[knocky1]

He is the equivalent of a marathon addict giving up, recovering and then running 5k every day instead.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

How can you have 'recovered' from alcoholism and still drink?

Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

I'm not sure it is. Alcoholics don't drink alcohol as their addiction makes it too dangerous. Recovery from alcoholism implies rediscovering the ability to drink in moderation. Whether that's possible I don't know.

 

[studio150]

I was always under the impression that addicts were only ever recovering and could never be said to have been 'cured' to enable them to return to their addiction but only partake in moderation.

Personally I would not consider 3 glasses of wine a day moderation, with the size of wine glasses today that's a bottle a day.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Was he an alcoholic though, or just a very, very heavy drinker? There is a difference.

He claims "alcoholism". I'm not sure of the exact definition of alcoholic, or even if there is one, but he certainly had a big problem with booze.

 

[BensGrandad]

One of my young relatives was a confirmed alcoholic who was diagnosed when in hospital for a kidney related illness. He was put on a program by counsellor and has been told to not stop drinking but to reduce it to 3 or 4 standard measures of vodka a day rather than a bottle plus. That will eventually reduce but it would not work if he stopped altogether apparently

 

[Surf's Up]

I smoke and believe me it's bloody difficult to stop and even when I have managed it it never left me and it only took a crisis to throw me back in. And yes, I do know it's killing me.

 

[T soprano]

Watching him trying to stand up last night singing "against all odds"on Jonathon Ross show I'd have guessed he may have sunk a few before going on
He may be best of sitting down behind his drums in future
Looked an old man struggling to sing, think he'll struggle doing 5 nights at the royal Albert hall next summer, that's if he makes it to his STILL NOT DEAD TOUR bit of a weird title seeing as David Guest did a similar wording with his tour and passed away before it had begun

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I was always under the impression that addicts were only ever recovering and could never be said to have been 'cured' to enable them to return to their addiction but only partake in moderation.

Personally I would not consider 3 glasses of wine a day moderation, with the size of wine glasses today that's a bottle a day.

Goodness, big measures in your house !!
Is that consumed via a straw ?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Californian (longtime ex-pat) friend of mine has convinced herself that she's an alcoholic, aided and abetted by all her over-concerned North Californian friends who are all over her in an effort to empathise and offer earnest overwrought support. Alcoholic my arse! She's a moderate drinker by UK standards and a bit of a drama llama. Makes herself feel better by claiming all us Brits are 'functioning alcoholics'.

 

[Sheebo]

Surely terms like alcoholic are still always going to be down to opinion? There must be many who have problems but may not be considered alcoholics? Anyway, that's a bit of a head ****!

Essentially yes I do believe you can fully recover from addiction. Just look at the amount of people who were addicted to smoking and stopped completely - case closed imo...

 

[ManOfSussex]

I was reading today that Phil Collins suffered from alcoholism, is now recovered BUT still drinks albeit in moderation (if you can call 3 glasses of wine a day moderate).

I have often wondered if anyone with an addiction can recover to control the issue and drink, gamble, take drugs "normally."

Is it really possible? Has he really recovered?

Yours curiously.

Alastair Campbell does the same too. I saw him do a Panorama in which he said at social functions he drinks 2 glasses of wine, no more, just so he feels he's in control of it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Essentially yes I do believe you can fully recover from addiction. Just look at the amount of people who were addicted to smoking and stopped completely - case closed imo...

But stopping smoking completely is total abstinence. My question is could someone just have a few fags from time to time and never take it up regularly again.

 

[atfc village]

Chocolate and Diabetes i feel the pain.

 

[Javeaseagull]

I was told the definition of an alcoholic was someone that drinks more than their Doctor.

 

[Sheebo]

But stopping smoking completely is total abstinence. My question is could someone just have a few fags from time to time and never take it up regularly again.

I do exactly that personally as it goes. Normally with a drink - doesnt bother me one bit, in fact I'd take that for life. Problem for me is I'm vaping which is why / how I stopped smoking. So I guess that doesn't really answer the question as I'm still addicted to nicotine either way..

 

[el punal]

I was reading today that Phil Collins suffered from alcoholism, is now recovered BUT still drinks albeit in moderation (if you can call 3 glasses of wine a day moderate).

I have often wondered if anyone with an addiction can recover to control the issue and drink, gamble, take drugs "normally."

Is it really possible? Has he really recovered?

Yours curiously.

I can only relate this to my brother in law. Nearly ten years ago he was in a dreadful state. He would start drinking wine from 8.00 in the morning and everything else after that. So bad was he that he was incapable of attending my daughter's wedding. The writing was on the wall and we, the family, felt that it would be weeks, not even months, before he killed himself.

Then, a road to Damascus moment, he went to the doctor to see what help was available. He was referred to a drink rehab site in Devon. However, he was in such bad shape that he was admitted to hospital for four days to "dry out" before he was fit enough to go.

Once in rehab the transformation was unbelievable. He started eating properly, put on weight, did a lot of walking and eventually regained his strength. He was there for three months and at the end of his treatment left a new man. From that day onwards he has not touched alcohol, but goes to the pub to socialise and only has soft drinks. The amazing thing is that he has never had the urge to hit the "hard stuff".

Why is this a success story? I suppose it's all down to the individual and their will to fight their demons and overcome them. It must be hard. For my brother in law the spark, catalyst, call it what you will, to change his life came from his daughters. The fact that he had something precious to cling on to must have been the tipping point in his decision to accept help rather than face oblivion. I am so glad that he did.