Doug Thorburn on Early-Stage Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Journalists could help the public “get” alcoholism if they would stop writing news stories backwards.

September 11, 2007 at 4:33 pm · Filed under 1 - Top Stories

The "nobody gets it" story of the month: The 26th paragraph of a Los Angeles Times story on the murder of Neal Williams and his two small sons by his wife, Manling Williams, of Rowland Heights, California, reported that a neighbor said Manling "was barefoot, wearing boxer shorts and smelled of alcohol" when she ran from her house screaming that her husband was hurt. The first 25 paragraphs reported on the impromptu memorial set up by caring neighbors, donations collected to pay for the three funerals, the charges against Manling (including special circumstances of multiple homicides and lying in wait), incriminating statements made by Manling to officers, incomplete autopsies with toxicology tests and descriptions of the Williamses as "happy and outgoing" ...

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Nautilus inventor Arthur Jones: Alcoholism would explain his life.

September 11, 2007 at 4:32 pm · Filed under 1 - Top Stories

Sometimes, it takes a (likely) addict: Nautilus inventor Arthur Jones, the "flamboyant" entrepreneur whose weightlifting machines were instrumental in creating the health club industry, dead at 80. At various times in his eclectic career Jones operated an airline in South America, collected big game for zoos and circuses, worked as a pilot, produced movies and hosted a syndicated animal show, "Wild Cargo." Jones' 600-acre estate in Ocala, Florida (part of a series of estates that Jones developed consisting of fly-in only properties, the most famous resident of which is actor John Travolta), included 90 elephants, 300 alligators, 400 crocodiles, a gorilla, three rhinos and a collection of poisonous snakes and insects. He was self-taught in most of his careers, including physiology, ...

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Law enforcers who get into accidents should be alcohol/other drug tested. Every time. Especially those who make or enforce the law.

September 11, 2007 at 4:31 pm · Filed under 6 - Public Policy Recommendations

All law enforcers involved in accidents should be tested for alcohol and other drugs in the system The Seattle Post-Intelligencer published a series in early August entitled, "A broken system works in favor of cops busted for DUI." Inspired by a state anti-DUI ad warning, "Drive Hammered, Get Nailed," investigative reporters Eric Nalder and Lewis Kamb found that some police officers are exempted from such consequences. With the caveat that the sample size of police officers didn't compare with that of ordinary citizens, the reporters found the likelihood of a citizen having his license suspended was twice that of cops after a breath test indicated a blood alcohol level over .08 per cent. For those who refused a breath test, the ...

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Why the fact that alcoholics really do change is important.

September 11, 2007 at 4:30 pm · Filed under 3 - Dear Doug...

Dear Doug: An addict in recovery Dear Doug: I dated a heavy drinker with a violent criminal history who repeatedly lied to and cheated on me. When I understood how deep his issues were, I dumped him. Now, over two years later, he contacts me, admits he is an alcoholic, tells me he has been sober for two years and wants to see me again. I don't want to be conned yet again, but he was funny, intelligent and a joy to be with when he was on his good behavior. Do people really change? Signed, Cares about an addict . . . . Dear Disenabler, Some columnists might respond with a flippant remark such as, "Do you really care?" and suggest that being with a drinking, ...

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Does jealousy cause murder–or does alcoholism cause jealous rage?

September 11, 2007 at 4:29 pm · Filed under 4 - Alcoholic Myth of the Month

Is it jealousy--or is it psychotropic drug addiction-driven jealousy that is the leading cause of murder? "Jealousy is possibly the most destructive emotion housed in the human brain. It's the leading cause of spousal murder worldwide, according to analyses I did of data over the last century." So said David M. Buss, professor of psychology at the University of Texas, in explaining why astronaut Lisa Nowak tracked down and threatened her romantic rival after driving 900 miles in a diaper. It just goes to show, you can prove anything with statistics. I was reminded of this myth when recently reading that Nowak, awaiting trial on charges of attacking her romantic rival, was allowed by the court to remove her ankle bracelet (intended to ...

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She was fired for drinking on the job, then she almost killed someone

September 11, 2007 at 4:25 pm · Filed under 5 - Amazing Alcoholic Antics

Story from "This is Trus" by Randy Cassingham, with his "tagline:" "WE DELIVER: A woman drove her car through the front window of Papa Murphy's Pizza in Carson City, Nev., hitting a customer who was reading the menu. She then backed out and drove off, witnesses say, and then crashed broadside into another car. After she left that accident, too, police say, a passenger decided she had enough and bailed out of the car, rolling to a stop in a parking lot. Police finally pulled the car over and Nicole Andrews, 23, blew a blood alcohol reading of .264 percent -- more than three times the legal limit. "Please don't let this go on my insurance," she begged of the officer ...

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How to screen roommates, so you don’t end up with a roommate from hell

September 5, 2007 at 9:22 am · Filed under General

A querier asks: "What are the best ways to pick a roommate? And what relationships make the best roommates? Are there certain personalities who should just live alone?" The main concern in personal and professional relationships alike: might the person with whom I am becoming involved on a fairly intimate basis be an alcohol or other-drug addict ("alcoholic")? If so, steer clear, because a non-addicted roommate could end up victim to theft of personal belongings, the sole payer or rent, or worse. Roughly 85% of domestic violence results from alcohol or other-drug addiction ("alcoholism") in one or the other or both. Severe non-violent strife is not very different; therefore, we can ascribe similar odds of alcoholism in such situations. If we can ...

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40th anniversary of Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein’s death

August 22, 2007 at 2:04 pm · Filed under General

A journalist asks, "Aug. 27 is the 40-year anniversary of Beatles manager Brian Epstein' s death. How would we analyze his life, assuming that his personal life was in disarray and yet he was obviously an extraordinary over-achiever?" Epstein was a raging pill-popping alcoholic. This would explain a paradox common to the lives of addicts: the personal life is often in disarray, yet they frequently excel in their professional lives. This seeming contradiction is explained when we recall from my book, "Alcoholism Myths and Realities" that alcoholism causes egomania, which requires the wielding of power over others. Addicts exercise such power by abusing family, friends and other others with whom they come into contact and also, perversely, by overachieving at work. ...

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What is the common theme that underlies most murderers?

August 21, 2007 at 1:50 pm · Filed under General

"Is murder mainly a function of demographics, economics, or broken families?" Murder is usually, when we get right down to it, driven by a need to wield power. Wielding power capriciously (which murder is nothing but) almost always is rooted in alcohol or other-drug addiction. Such addiction happens to markedly increase the rate of broken families. Then how do we know that alcoholism and not, say, broken families, is the cause of most murder? For one, we know that alcohol (or other-drug addiction) is the only attribute shared by almost all murderers. Second, long-recovering addicts tell us they were capable of "anything" while using. Third, there is no difference in psychopathologies of children who later become alcoholics and those who ...

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What attracts sexual predators to college?

August 21, 2007 at 1:33 pm · Filed under General

A reader asks, "What makes colleges such a hotbed of sexual crimes? What can students do to protect themselves?" I introduce evidence in my book "Drunks, Drugs & Debits" that almost all crime is due directly or indirectly to alcohol or other-drug addiction. I also explain that the form alcohol or other-drug addiction takes is a function of circumstances and environment. Early-stage alcoholism causes egomania. Egomania compels the alcoholic to wield power over others. Rape and assault are crimes not of passion, but of power. Ergo, rape and assault are rooted in alcoholism. College campus environments encourage both drinking and the wielding of sexual power, ranging from the relatively benign (serial Don Juanism) to the horrific. Students who want to be safe should ...

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What is the role of adolescent psychology and drunk driving by teens?

August 17, 2007 at 9:11 am · Filed under General

Addiction causes changes in psychology and behaviors, not the other way around. To understand DUIs, we need to understand addiction, as that drives everything else (and most DUIs are addicts). Underlying psychology is irrelevant. This is true for young DUIs as well as older ones. The typical recovering alcoholic informs us he or she triggered addiction during the first drinking episode--average age, 13. Actress Drew Barrymore tells us she drank addictively at age 8. Most alcoholics are in the throes of functional early-stage alcoholism by the time they are licensed to drive. Non-addicts have a difficult time functioning at high blood alcohol levels. They don't think they're God or act recklessly while under the influence; they may act silly and loosen up ...

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Should I get back with my ex-? I’m over 40 and don’t want to goof up the 2nd half.

August 17, 2007 at 8:54 am · Filed under General

Since roughly 40% of divorces involve an alcohol or other-drug addict on one side or the other, the first and foremost issue is to determine if the ex- is an addict and, if so, is he sober and for how long. If he's not sober, forget it. If sober for only a year or two, tread very carefully. Date. Watch to see if he's going to meetings. If he's not, figure he runs a high risk of relapse and act accordingly. I can't speak as directly to the other 60% of divorces. However, in many cases a child of an alcoholic learned some bad behaviors from the alcoholic parent that may have contributed to the domestic strife. Alcoholism, therefore, has a ...

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The Mortgage Mess, the Real Estate Bubble and the Role of Alcoholism

August 6, 2007 at 9:37 am · Filed under 1 - Top Stories

The Mortgage Mess, the Real Estate Bubble and Alcoholism This may seem a stretch, but humor me while we celebrate our third anniversary. We'll get to plenty of real life stories in which alcoholism is proven in the "Runners-Up" and other sections below (rarely have alcoholism-fueled antics so filled the news). This month's top story is based on theory, anecdotes and understanding how the mind of the alcoholic works and the consequential behaviors. While theory comprises proven hypotheses and anecdotes are real-life stories, extrapolating theory and individual stories to herd psychology hardly meets the criteria of scientific proof. However, this is a good time to make the attempt because it's becoming obvious that we are witnessing the hissing sound from air ...

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Loads of runners-up: two politicians’ progeny, four celebrities, two sports stars and one now infamous mother

August 6, 2007 at 9:36 am · Filed under 1 - Top Stories

Al Gore lll, arrested for possession of marijuana and illegal prescriptions, including the opioid (synthetic opiate) Vicodin, the sedative-hypnotics Valium and Xanax, and the amphetamine Adderall. His brush with the law, which resulted from being pulled over for driving at 100 mph in Orange County, California at 2:15 a.m., was not his first. In August 2000 he was ticketed by the North Carolina Highway Patrol after doing 97 mph in a 55-mph zone; he avoided a charge of reckless driving by agreeing to a suspension of driving privileges in that state. Moving over to Virginia, military police arrested him for DUI in September 2002. He slipped into Maryland, where he was arrested for marijuana possession in 2003 and later ordered ...

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Under Watch: Att’y Stephen Yagman and NFL pro Michael Vick

August 6, 2007 at 9:34 am · Filed under 1 - Top Stories

Civil rights attorney Stephen G. Yagman, 62, convicted of 19 felony counts of tax evasion, bankruptcy fraud and money laundering. Yagman, a pioneer in police brutality cases, brought hundreds of suits against law enforcement agencies and broke legal ground by holding Los Angeles City Council members personally liable for damages stemming from the actions of bad cops, who readers will note are usually alcoholics. (Unfortunately, he didn't focus his energy on making it easier to fire such civil servants.) However, the justice system frequently pits addict v. addict. Police accused him of making false accusations against officers, supporting their contention by pointing out he won very few cases. Yagman was twice suspended by the California State Bar for charging clients ...

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