Having been admitted to a rehab clinic in Arizona, his vital organs are having 'withdrawal symptoms' and starting to shut down as he's obviously off the booze. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gazza-in-intensive-care-paul-gascoigne-1678935 Numerous people on twitter are pointing this out and '#prayforgazza is prevalent. However, if I was going to pray, it would be for Stiliyan Petrov, who was struck down with leukaemia in March 2012, not the latest casualty of self-destruction, in the mould of George Best. Of course I hope Gazza pulls through, but to me, cases like Petrov and Muamba last year are infinitely more tragic because they had no choice.
Cromer, when I moved down here to Weston nearly 13 years ago, I had no time for alcoholics and junkies as I believed their "conditions" were self-inflicted! When I was cabbying down here, one of our accounts was a large, successful rehab centre, we used to ferry these people to AA and NA meetings all over the county, and I got a real insight into what they were going through! Addiction is an illness that is very difficult to control, this is why so many victims slip back into addiction. I'm not having a go by the way, I'm just pointing out the realities of addiction!
I'm kind of in between on this subject. One part of my brain says, stuff him he has had every chance and don't give me the flawed genius excuse. But the socialist part of my brain says that he needs help and no matter how many times he falls we should lift him back on his feet along with every other vulnerable individual. I don't believe there is a God so I would never pray for anyone but I hope the poor sod pulls through and eventually finds some peace in his life. And I'm not one for harping on about sad events. Ever since Diana there seems to be this obsession with Brits to want to be a part of tragedy and sadness. I'd rather try and avoid and forget.
Gazza is a not a straightforward alcoholic, if such a thing a exists, he has multiple psychiatric disorders, including bipolar (can't be self inflicted, neurobiological/genetic disorder), OCD, PTSD, eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, all of which can be seen as excutive dysfunction- over active fronto cortical striatal pathways from amygdala, as well as ADHD (probably).Alcoholism is laid on top of all those problems, there is a level of impulsivity that is incredibly difficult to manage, even with the multitude of psychotropic medication and other psychological treatments that he seemingly attemtps to use.
I think what many people fail to realise is thatan addiction IS an illness. Whether it be alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling whatever. There are those with addictions that desperately want to give up but find it impossible without help. Jimmy Greaves openly admits that even after over 30 years since he last took a drink, he still wakes up every day wanting one. I speak as someone who lost his mother to lung cancer because she just couldn't give up cigarettes. What really irks me is the fact that wherever you look now, on TV, the internet or any social media, people are being encouraged to gamble left, right and centre. There really should be more strict regulation IMO as with nicotine and alcohol.
