Archive for November, 2005
Society's icons are often alcoholics
Stories from "This is True"by Randy Cassingham, with his "tagline:â€
"THE DRUG-DRIVEN LIFE: After Brian Nichols grabbed a deputy's gun and shot his way out of the courthouse in Fulton County, Ga., killing four people, Ashley Smith was hailed as a hero. Smith, who Nichols took hostage in her own apartment after his rampage, told police how she convinced him to surrender by talking about God and reading aloud from the book, The Purpose-Driven Life. Now, Smith is putting out her own book which details how she really got Nichols to cooperate: she gave him her supply of crystal methamphetamine. Smith admits she was a meth addict and had used the drug hours before she was taken ...
Inappropriate Blame as an Indicator of Alcoholism, not as a Need to Avert Harm
"The human impulse to blame grows out of the evolutionary need to avert harm.â€
So explained Ohio University professor Mark Alicke, who researches the psychology of blame, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. However, the author of the piece, Jeffrey Zaslow, doesn't differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate blame in describing Alicke's views. A group of prehistoric men blaming a member of the group for a threat to their survival for not carrying his load may appropriately point fingers. Someone stubbing a toe on a chair kicking and cursing the chair is reacting inappropriately and childlike. Such behavior is an excellent indicator of alcoholism, suggesting that the human impulse to inappropriately blame grows out of this disease and not ...
Lynda Carter Relapsed because She Could
After husband Robert Altman's reputation was ruined when he was accused of taking bribes in a bank scandal, Wonder Woman Lynda Carter, "unable to keep up with her TV character's clean-cut image, hit the bottle.â€
So said a report in the National Enquirer on the now sober Carter. As usual, cause and effect is reversed. If she was sober, she relapsed"stress will do that to alcoholics. If she wasn't, she merely spun into more obvious alcoholism. Either way, she hit the bottle addictively because her inborn biochemistry allowed her to.
Prince Harry Needs to get Sober
"Royal watchers…predict (Prince Harry's 21st birthday) may mark the maturing of the royal family's most wayward son.â€
So claimed a news report in the Los Angeles Daily News on the wild child, Prince Harry, who frequently appears in British tabloids with a cigarette and beer in hand. Sorry to disappoint, but he will not begin to mature emotionally until he is in a program of sobriety.
Abusive Ex-Boyfriend and Likely Alcoholism
Dear Doug,
Since I moved away from my ex-boyfriend several months ago, our relationship has taken a turn for the worse. He verbally abuses me over the phone, threatens to beat me and has promised to ruin my life. He tells me he wants me back and loves me and, in the same breath, tells me he hates me. Could his verbal abuse turn into something worse?
Signed,
Afraid
. . . . .
Dear Afraid,
While other columnists might say that "people who love each other do not treat each other"this way and that your ex- has become obsessed, the truth of the matter is that sober people do not treat others this way and that alcoholics, in the active stages of their disease, are ...
Immature Parents–an Indication of Alcoholism
Dear Doug:
My son and daughter-in-law, after neglecting their twin toddlers for the first three years of their lives, are now divorcing. While the mother went out drinking and cheated on him, our son did what he could to feed and bathe the children. Because there was often no food in what was usually a filthy house, my husband and I helped with the groceries and cleaning.
My son is experiencing bouts of depression while the mother, who is supposed to bring them to us for babysitting in a shared custody arrangement, takes them to the YMCA. Contrary to court order, she frequently brings her male friends to her home when the kids are there. This can't be good for my grandchildren: ...
Bush on the Couch: Psychobabble and a Failed Attempt at Mind Reading
Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President, by Justin A. Frank, MD
Dr. Frank's well written if overly complex book suffers from two fatal flaws and numerous lesser ones. First, he views everything President Bush says or does through his admitted (pseudo)liberal bias. Despotism aside, mixing psychological and political analysis is fatal to an accurate diagnosis of psychological state and alcoholism. One of Frank's unstated but recurring underlying themes is that those with views differing from his must be psychologically disturbed. This is particularly true of those who would cut government programs aiding the poor and hungry, as if government creates food and other wealth. Frank leaves no room for agreeing to disagree.
Second, in arguing that Bush ...
Has President Bush Relapsed?
The U.S. has survived a number of Presidents who were alcoholics. Could this time be different?
The United States has had several obvious alcoholic Presidents. In The Secret History of Alcoholism, James Graham identifies Andrew Johnson and Franklin Pierce as having been active alcoholics while in office. Ulysses S. Grant was in recovery by the time he was elected President. As Graham points out, all held office in the nineteenth century and none had much of an opportunity to abuse others while in office. Although their ego-fueled need to wield power capriciously may drive them to abuse that power, alcoholic Presidents are stymied from taking full advantage of such privilege in an open society that has a system of checks and ...
Dissension on Dr. Gene Scott
I barely had the exchange between me and Harry Van Twistern on the blog when an "old-timer" (i.e., a long-time senior recovering alcoholic) wrote:
"I am somewhat amused by Scotts supporter. When I drank my daily fifth of vodka with my daily case of beer, while working, nobody knew that I was drinking or drunk. The gentleman doesn't know us functioning alcoholics! I've watched Gene Scott while I was an active drinker and in retrospect there is no doubt in my mind, he was an alcoholic. The old adage, "it takes one to know one". You may quote me on this."
Harold
I know Harold and his own incredible story well. When he speaks about alcoholism and alcoholics, I pay heed.
Who was the addict in Pastor Gene Scott’s life?
I recently had a fascinating exchange of ideas with a friend of Pastor Gene Scott. I mentioned his February 2005 passing in the "Under Watch" section of the www.addictionreport.com in March 2005, for reasons mentioned in the exchange. Dr. Scott's friend, Harry A. Van Twistern, gave me permission to publish our exchange without the usual altering of names and minor details.
Dear Mr. Doug Thorburn:
I found the following item in the Thorburn Addiction Report of March 2005:
"Televangelist Gene Scott who, as a young man, rebelled against the strict teachings of abstinence from alcohol that he grew up with as the son of a fundamentalist preacher and subsequently married three times, dead at age 75 from prostate cancer."
I think you should know ...
Tragic Addict
Dear Doug:
Do you have any suggestions on how to help a long-term alcoholic (started age 12, is now 38). He is the father of my 4-year-old grand-daughter and currently in rehab for the 10th time. My daughter is not married to him. He doesn't see my grandchildren.
--Lupe
Dear Lupe,
My heart goes out to you, Lupe. Some cases, especially of multiple drug addiction, are surprisingly tragic for the afflicted person at a young age. OTOH, ten times in rehab is not the record before sobriety somehow came about.
Do anything you can to coerce abstinence and insure there are no more enablers left in the addict's life. Unfortunately, government acts as enabler of last resort, but do what you can. Miracles happen.
Because every ...
Someone didn’t read the Caveats for the Addiction Indicator
I have take great care to emphasize certain points when using the online Thorburn Substance Addiction Recognition Indicator. Unfortunately, a few do not carefully read the caveats. Here's an example:
Doug:
Out of curiosity, I looke over your addiction signs test. Then, I had my husband take it for me. There were only 'yes' answers to three questions: 1. I smoke; 2. I am an extremely good liar; 3. I have intense mood swings.
You indicated in your evaluation that you found that 80% of people with this pattern were addicts; and, strongly suggested that the ones who were not were suffering from some other mental illness. As it happens, I am neither an addict nor am I mentally ...