Hi,

I posted a thread last spring about my friend. He moved to Nashville got sober, came back and went back to drinking. He then got some kind of severe pink eye, then he went to jail because or disorderly conduct, then his father left him in the middle of the night. Then he got evicted from his place. Next we found him a new place across the street from his work. Well a couple weeks into working he sliced his thumb open and is now unable to work. He declined the drug test for workman's comp because there was alchohol in his system. Now he's talking of suicide again and is totally dillusional. His mother has come down to help him. He tells me of bad dreams. Please any advice is helpful. What do I do!?

Hey Hemp, there's some other threads on alcohol addiction here, hope you read them. Sounds like your friend needs a serious intervention. Does he have health ins? Can you and his Mom team up and haul his butt to a rehab?
Be open & honest with him. Make him realize just how bad he's gotten and he must get help, if not for himself, than for Mom and you? Just throwing some things out there.
Good luck,
JB

Dear Hemp:

Does your friend think he has a problem? Does he want to stop drinking? Does he want help? Does he want your help?

Some people, no matter how bad it gets, cannot or will not quit drinking. I personally know of at least 10 people who have died from alcohol related deaths including my father and I am only 43 years old.

I have been sober for almost 8 years. I have gone to AA and it has helped me stay sober. I have seen people go in and out of rehab 8-10 times and they still go back to drinking. There is nothing you can do, or this person's mom can do, to make this guy stop drinking. He has to want it for himself.

Also, depression and alcoholism are closely tied together but he needs to sober up at least 6 months before any diagnosis of depression can be established. I know I was suicidal in my drinking days.

It is heartbreaking to see a friend, or a sister or a father be unable to stop dirnking. You watch them get sober for a few weeks and then go back to drinking and their health gets worse and their life gets worse and you watch from the sidelines knowing there is nothing you can do except pray to whatever God you believe in.

I would suggest learning a little bit about alcoholism so you know what you are dealing with. It's not a matter of willpower. It's not a weakness. The only thing you can do for your friend is try and point him in the right direction (I would start with AA). He will have to find his own way eventually.

It is hard to face one's demons without the help of alcohol but it can be done and life does get better.

Good Luck.:wave:
Treelover.