Expert: Rebos - 2/2/2007

Question
Im afraid to say it but she likes the alcohol too much to want to give that up.  She wont admit that though.  She drinks a lot of it in a very short period of time.  She will do this for several days and when she has had enough she will stop drinking.  However she cant stop drinking for too long.  Maybe a week at the longest.  She is mostly drunk than not drunk.  She tried AA but the second meeting she was kicked out because she had a couple of drinks before the meeting.  She was in alcohol treatment but she left because she said all the others were drugies.  I told her that there is no difference between alcohol and drugs.  Is there a way she can be put in the hospital so she cant get out so she can get the help she needs for the drinking and the weight obsession?  If she is a danger to herself and others can she be forced to go to a hospital?  Thank you again.  You have been a big help.

Answer
Good afternoon Katie:

Thank you for your follow-up question.

You do realize that addicted people will do anything and/or lie about everything to protect their right to use their drug of choice! In your friend’s case it is the abuse of alcohol… which makes her an alcoholic! In all of my years of knowing about AA I have never heard that a person was kicked out of a meeting because she had a couple of drinks before the meeting. Who do you think AA meetings are for? Drunk or sober alcoholics are NEVER kicked out of an AA meeting, with one exception, and that is if, (and that’s a big if), they become unruly and the police have to be called for their removal. I doubt that was the problem with her. Your friend is conning the pants off you and you are falling for it hook line and sinker! She is acting like a classic alcoholic… lies, lies and more lies… to protect her right to continue on drinking. When she left the treatment center because they were all druggies there… I doubt that very much, because (if you listen to their stories) there aren’t many drug addicted people in the purest sense of the word, who haven’t also abused alcohol. Once again your friend is lying to you and certainly cannot and will not listen to the voice of reason!

I can’t answer your question as to involuntary protective custody. You will have to check with the Allexperts Legal Experts to find your answer. I do know that the laws on that because they differ in every State and Country. However, if your friend does go involuntarily there is a good chance that she will drink the day she comes out. She has to hit her own bottom if she is to benefit from the experience. She has to be sick and tired of being sick and tired! You may want to re-examine your relationship with this woman. You aren’t doing her any good by coddling her and most likely becoming an enabler. She must be held accountable for her irresponsible actions. She has only one love in her life and that is her next drink. Alcoholics don’t have friends, spouses, children or family… they have victims and they take hostages. They are not capable of having a normal relationship with another human being while they are still drinking!

I’m sorry that I have come down on you so hard, but alcoholism is not pretty. I can only relate to you what my experience has revealed to me. Thank you, Rebos.