Sorry about your brother Gunner. RIP. I lost a family member to drugs and booze as well. He wound up offing himself, but it was the drugs and booze that really did him in..By the time he killed himself he had used up everyone who cared about him, including myself. But the guy was a lost cause by then..I miss him, or rather I miss the person he was before he went off the deep end.
there are only 3 of us childhood friends left above ground or on this side of bars. its sad really. and there was a squad of us too.
Thanks for all the kind words guys. It's a Terrible thing watching someone die like that. It's even harder to swallow the fact that they did it to themselves, with seemingly no regard for anyone left behind. My remaining brother and I are ok but our mother is understandably crushed, which angers me to a degree that he didn't give a shit about her feelings as he carried out this process. In the end of it it was his decision to drink, his choice no one elses. Senseless. totally f#cking senseless. If anyone is struggling with this, and your life isn't enough to quit please think of the people you'll leave behind when it Kills you, and it will. Please, Just stop. My condolences to all of you who have lost people, and have people in their lives who are going down the same dead end street. prayers to you all. Sorry for the derail mtm. Good luck with your situation.
Condolences on your loss, and to anyone who has lost a loved one to this disease. This is a common view of those who have not been on the other side. Trying to rationalize why addiction happens is what is senseless. It's not a choice that someone makes. I am an alcoholic, I will always be an alcoholic. Addiction is a disease of the mind. The substance of abuse is only a symptom. I do not drink anymore, but I am not, and never will be cured. If you have the "willpower" to just stop, you never had the disease and should feel blessed. The disease consumes your every thought. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is replaced with nothing is important other than getting more of what you are addicted to. AA and meetings don't just talk about drinking, they talk about following the 12 steps and changing the way you live your life. Yes, you must want to get sober, and being around others who have overcome their addiction is the best way to reinforce the desire to stop using. I wanted to stop for years and could not. I've been to 6 inpatient rehabs, and without constant support to keep fighting the disease, I would be on the other side of the lawn right now. They say "keep coming back", and "it works if you work it". When you give up, it's over.
