The Gooner Forum

He obviously suffers from a level of alcoholism that is clinically a disease. It's nothing to do with demons or upbringing, or bad advice, or bad friends or any of that. It is a disease on the genetic level, like cancer or ALS. My mate Al suffered from this. He drank himself to death aged 38. Looked exactly like Gazza in those photos. You cannot help anyone that has that disease at that level. It is unfortunately only a matter of when, not if, they drink themselves to death. Our group of friends and his family did everything in our power to save Al over a period of a decade but all to no avail. The thing that will always haunt me was the look of low panic, desperate loneliness, and pain in my mate Al's eyes for the last year or so of his life. He was dead long before he died.

Fuck, sorry. That is quite fucking deppressing.

DB10GOONER wrote:He obviously suffers from a level of alcoholism that is clinically a disease. It's nothing to do with demons or upbringing, or bad advice, or bad friends or any of that. It is a disease on the genetic level, like cancer or ALS. My mate Al suffered from this. He drank himself to death aged 38. Looked exactly like Gazza in those photos. You cannot help anyone that has that disease at that level. It is unfortunately only a matter of when, not if, they drink themselves to death. Our group of friends and his family did everything in our power to save Al over a period of a decade but all to no avail. The thing that will always haunt me was the look of low panic, desperate loneliness, and pain in my mate Al's eyes for the last year or so of his life. He was dead long before he died.

Fuck, sorry. That is quite fucking deppressing.

Sorry to hear that, mate.

I know a bloke who is suffers with alcoholism to such a degree if he stops drinking daily he would actually die. He has been drinking so long (he is over the age of 50) that any attempt to stop would cause a massive shock to his system. It is tragic.

DB10GOONER wrote:He obviously suffers from a level of alcoholism that is clinically a disease. It's nothing to do with demons or upbringing, or bad advice, or bad friends or any of that. It is a disease on the genetic level, like cancer or ALS. My mate Al suffered from this. He drank himself to death aged 38. Looked exactly like Gazza in those photos. You cannot help anyone that has that disease at that level. It is unfortunately only a matter of when, not if, they drink themselves to death. Our group of friends and his family did everything in our power to save Al over a period of a decade but all to no avail. The thing that will always haunt me was the look of low panic, desperate loneliness, and pain in my mate Al's eyes for the last year or so of his life. He was dead long before he died.

Fuck, sorry. That is quite fucking deppressing.

Your friends story is an all too sadly familiar one, and as you say, its an illness, nothing to do with lack of will power or intelligence, its one that afflicts people from all sorts of backgrounds and lifestyles.

I'm a recovering alcoholic (sober for just over a year) with a programme that helps keep me sober one day at a time - Many others arent so fortunate, relapse and suffer as Gazza has, five of the people I was in treatment with a year ago are now dead, very very sad and terrible for the families that are impacted.

It's an illness that can be beaten though

remigardeshair wrote:

DB10GOONER wrote:He obviously suffers from a level of alcoholism that is clinically a disease. It's nothing to do with demons or upbringing, or bad advice, or bad friends or any of that. It is a disease on the genetic level, like cancer or ALS. My mate Al suffered from this. He drank himself to death aged 38. Looked exactly like Gazza in those photos. You cannot help anyone that has that disease at that level. It is unfortunately only a matter of when, not if, they drink themselves to death. Our group of friends and his family did everything in our power to save Al over a period of a decade but all to no avail. The thing that will always haunt me was the look of low panic, desperate loneliness, and pain in my mate Al's eyes for the last year or so of his life. He was dead long before he died.

Fuck, sorry. That is quite fucking deppressing.

Your friends story is an all too sadly familiar one, and as you say, its an illness, nothing to do with lack of will power or intelligence, its one that afflicts people from all sorts of backgrounds and lifestyles.

I'm a recovering alcoholic (sober for just over a year) with a programme that helps keep me sober one day at a time - Many others arent so fortunate, relapse and suffer as Gazza has, five of the people I was in treatment with a year ago are now dead, very very sad and terrible for the families that are impacted.

It's an illness that can be beaten though

I'm glad to hear you are beating it mate. Straight up - well done.

And I don't want to tell you something that you have far better knowledge of than I, but I would say there are two types of alcoholics. People like TA6 (and I'm assuming yourself) that could function through the disease. And then there are the ones that can't. My mate Al couldn't. He lost everything. His job, home, family and most of his friends. He could not beat it, and it wasn't a willpower or strength thing. It killed him on a genetic level just like cancer can kill someone. I don't even know if I'm explaining this right tbh but I hope I haven't offended you in trying.

No offence taken at all, although I'm going to disagree.

The illness can manifest itself in many different ways in terms of impact (like your friend who lost everything) or to someone like me who functioned (for the most part) through the illness, but the net result is always the same, we are powerless against alcohol.

With treatment and a programme people in any situation can have a successful recovery, no matter what point they have reached (and my own was pretty low believe me!) to the point where one can even sit through the first ten minutes of an FA cup final and be 2-0 down to Hull and not think, fuck this, I'm having a drink!

remigardeshair wrote:

DB10GOONER wrote:He obviously suffers from a level of alcoholism that is clinically a disease. It's nothing to do with demons or upbringing, or bad advice, or bad friends or any of that. It is a disease on the genetic level, like cancer or ALS. My mate Al suffered from this. He drank himself to death aged 38. Looked exactly like Gazza in those photos. You cannot help anyone that has that disease at that level. It is unfortunately only a matter of when, not if, they drink themselves to death. Our group of friends and his family did everything in our power to save Al over a period of a decade but all to no avail. The thing that will always haunt me was the look of low panic, desperate loneliness, and pain in my mate Al's eyes for the last year or so of his life. He was dead long before he died.

Fuck, sorry. That is quite fucking deppressing.

Your friends story is an all too sadly familiar one, and as you say, its an illness, nothing to do with lack of will power or intelligence, its one that afflicts people from all sorts of backgrounds and lifestyles.

I'm a recovering alcoholic (sober for just over a year) with a programme that helps keep me sober one day at a time - Many others arent so fortunate, relapse and suffer as Gazza has, five of the people I was in treatment with a year ago are now dead, very very sad and terrible for the families that are impacted.

It's an illness that can be beaten though

Yes Remi, pleased to hear you are managing. I've not drank for about 7 years now since I woke up after one stupid binge too many as yellow as Homer Simpson and decided never again, but I know others that simply can't stop.

It is a horrible thing to live with as it ruined not only 20 years of my life but caused so much pain for others around me.

Unfortunately, Gazza looks like he has long since passed the point of no return.

wow he look very bad, even worse than the city..

I feel like I should be in a circle, standing up "my name is....."

Only kidding, have known some alcoholics too and most have died young, two of them were Irish and lived opposite us about 3 doors from each other, both very talented at their jobs but couldn't beat the booze, one was my dads friend and when he popped over to see us bless him, my dad always talked him into giving him his bottle of whiskey and would say "I'll save it for you here for another day mate", it upset my dad to see him like that, lovely bloke he was too.

Good luck to anyone that has beat this and is still trying to beat this terrible illness.

Was gonna sign off with "I'll drink to that" but thought better of it.

LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:I feel like I should be in a circle, standing up "my name is....."

You know why we sit in a circle at addiction meetings right?

Because we aren't allowed to do lines anymore.

remigardeshair wrote:

LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:I feel like I should be in a circle, standing up "my name is....."

You know why we sit in a circle at addiction meetings right?

Because we aren't allowed to do lines anymore.

oh dear you and lefty should get on like a house on fire, mate.

No It's because in a circle all are equal and there are no corners to hide in.

arseofacrow wrote:

remigardeshair wrote:

LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:I feel like I should be in a circle, standing up "my name is....."

You know why we sit in a circle at addiction meetings right?

Because we aren't allowed to do lines anymore.

oh dear you and lefty should get on like a house on fire, mate.

It is actually to do with familiarity, as in, it's your "Round"

LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:I feel like I should be in a circle, standing up "my name is....." .

Never had you down as a big fan of Slim Shady/Eminem, lefty.

I Hate Hleb wrote:

LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:I feel like I should be in a circle, standing up "my name is....." .

Never had you down as a big fan of Slim Shady/Eminem, lefty.

I'm down with it bruvver, although you can't beat a bit of "The Sugar Hill Gang"

As some of you know, I have never had an alcoholic drink of any kind I know that it is a rarity to have a non drinking Irishman ( ) but I grew up in pubs (my parents ran a pub in finchley rd and my aunt had one in shepards bush and both came home and bought pubs to go along with the 2 other pubs my mothers family owned ) and I have seen what an abuse of alcohol can do to the nicest people and it ain't pretty Closer to home there have been a few alcoholics in my mothers family and I have seen close hand what that does to families.

After saying all that, I will add that I have two sons of my own and I don't want them to be pioneers like their old man and I look forward to bringing them for a pint in years to come