[Mrluvaluva]

Paul Gascoigne is reportedly fighting for his life after suffering a reaction to alcohol withdrawal.The footballer is in intensive care after his organs began to shut down following his arrival at the Meadows Rehabilitation Centre in Phoenix, Arizona, five days ago, The Sun reports.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/...sive-care.html

Hope he pulls through.

[AnnieK]

Get well soon Gazza.....I hope he pulls through and this gives him the incentive to get clean.....

[Ammi]

..I hope he pulls through, with everything he achieved, his life doesn't seem to have had much happiness in it....

[arista]

Yes he was Drinking to last minute
before going into the place

[lostalex]

Most people don't know how dangerous alcohol withdrawal is. Actually its much more dangerous to come off of alcohol than even coming off of heroin. No one has ever died from heroin withdrawals, but it's very common for people withdrawing from alcohol to have seizures and die.

The brain actually gets used to operatting normal functions like brain funtions, heart functions and lung functions on alcohol, and if you suddenly stop, the body doesn't know how to deal with it, and can literally cause the body to go into shock cause yur body is like "i thought i knew what i was doing, and now all of a sudden things have changed. The body literally freaks out.

No one who is a heavy drinker should stop cold turkey.

[Cherie]

In some ways maybe it would be the kinder option all round were he not to pull through, if it is true he was drinking right up to going into detox he isnt particularly committed to stopping and he has put his family through all kinds of hell over the years.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Cherie

In some ways maybe it would be the kinder option all round were he not to pull through, if it is true he was drinking right up to going into detox he isnt particularly committed to stopping and he has put his family through all kinds of hell over the years.

That's a horrible thing to say. Of course he deserves to live. Everyone deserves as many chances as it takes.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by lostalex

That's a horrible thing to say. Of course he deserves to live. Everyone deserves as many chances as it takes.

It's my opinion, and no its not a horrible thing to say, I can say it as I am not involved with him one way or the other, I'm an outsider looking in so my view is totally unbiased. He has had many chances over the years hes blown every one of them.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Cherie

its my opinion, and no its not a horrible thing to say, I can say it as I am not involved with him one way or the other, Im an outsider looking in so my view is totally unbiased. He has had many chances over the years hes blown every one of them.

Have any of us ever lived a day perfectly? Has any one of us lived a day without making at least one mistake?

(i'd just like to point out that i have no idea who we are talking about)

[Omah]

"his organs began to shut down"

That process is not easily reversed.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Have any of us ever lived a day perfectly? Has any one of us lived a day without making at least one mistake?

Most people learn from their mistakes, we might make that mistake a second, third, or even fourth time, but eventually the penny drops. So you are going into detox for alcoholic addition, so you drink yourself stupid for one last time, does that look like he even wants to quit?

[Marc]

poor git, fame really can be awful

[AnnieK]

It just goes to show how dangerous alcohol addiction and once it has a grip on you it is so hard to recover from. So many lives are wasted by it... George Best being another uber talent that died too young from alcohol addiction. Until you have been addicted to something it's difficult to comment on getting clean.... Alcohol is like oxygen to alcoholics, they need it. And yes, he has had many chances and got himself addicted in the furst place but he still deserves a life. I just hope he pulls through and gets clean.

[Marc]

I don't think he'll live for long, even if he pulls through now, he'll have some (if not serious) damage. It won't be long, morbid I know but it'll be surprising if somebody who allegedly downed four bottles of whiskey a day becomes sober and healthy.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by anniek76

It just goes to show how dangerous alcohol addiction and once it has a grip on you it is so hard to recover from. So many lives are wasted by it... George Best being another uber talent that died too young from alcohol addiction. Until you have been addicted to something it's difficult to comment on getting clean.... Alcohol is like oxygen to alcoholics, they need it. And yes, he has had many chances and got himself addicted in the furst place but he still deserves a life. I just hope he pulls through and gets clean.

Of course he does, but if that life is going to be a continuation of what went before then it must be soul destroying for everyone involved. George Best got some poor sods liver and look what he did with it, someone else out there who was not quite as high profile died as a result and might have made better use of it!

[thesheriff443]

i agree with cherie!, everyone has had bad time's, he had a lot more chance's than most.

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Of course he does, but if that life is going to be a continuation of what went before then it must be soul destroying for everyone involved. George Best got some poor sods liver and look what he did with it, someone else out there who was not quite as high profile died as a result and might have made better use of it!

I do agree....it must be awful for the families of addicts watching and being unable to reach out and save them.

[Kizzy]

It is really sad but I agree with cherie, the guy has lived his life exactly how he wanted and his actions have shortened it considerably.

[joeysteele]

Alcoholics cannot stop themselves drinking and they keep relapsing becasue they are alcoholics, they wouldn't be an alcoholic if they could self control it.

Paul has a hard road ahead and an extremely long one too, endless in fact. I only hope he sees it through as it has to be his decision really, moreso though I hope he gets and also chooses to surround himself with the right people once he makes any improvement if he is in any way successful.

Cast the aside the so called friends and others who will say, oh one won't hurt you or the even more daft friends who may slip some alcohol into a soft drink he may be having.

I really wish him the very best and I hope things turn out better for him eventually.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Marc

I don't think he'll live for long, even if he pulls through now, he'll have some (if not serious) damage. It won't be long, morbid I know but it'll be surprising if somebody who allegedly downed four bottles of whiskey a day becomes sober and healthy.

Yeah, even if it's not quite that much, the damage to his internal organs is irremedial - presumably, he's being "kept" alive at the moment, but once "shut-down" starts, the end of life is frequently near.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

Alcoholics cannot stop themselves drinking and they keep relapsing becasue they are alcoholics, they wouldn't be an alcoholic if they could self control it.

Paul has a hard road ahead and an extremely long one too, endless in fact. I only hope he sees it through as it has to be his decision really, moreso though I hope he gets and also chooses to surround himself with the right people once he makes any improvement if he is in any way successful.

Cast the aside the so called friends and others who will say, oh one won't hurt you or the even more daft friends who may slip some alcohol into a soft drink he may be having.

I really wish him the very best and I hope things turn out better for him eventually.

I disagree with you here joey, alcoholics can and do stop drinking 2 close friends have done it, and been sober as a judge for 12 and 4 years respectvely.
There is always the chance of relapse and ongoing support is beneficial, but with any addiction if you abstain and exhibit restraint and willpower you can control it.
Like you say avoiding triggers and drinking buddies is a given.

[Me. I Am Salman]

agree with Cherie

[Nedusa]

Alcohol addition is probably the worst addition to have even though most people think heroin is more dangerous . But addiction to alcohol is almost impossible to break as the drug occupies legally every area of our lives. It is seamlessly entangled with all our perceived notions of celebrating and partying. It is also a very dangerous drug as earlier posts in this thread have explained, but taken together with all the psychological problems of withdrawal it is easy to see how alcoholics are never completely cured and are always only one drink away from total relapse.

We sat and watched in the 90's as Paul Gascoigne started celebrating with a drink a little too often and today we see the end result as he battles for life.

I wish him well and hope he can get clean and find a life away from the booze, such a shame as was the best footballer of his generation by a long way.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I disagree with you here joey, alcoholics can and do stop drinking 2 close friends have done it, and been sober as a judge for 12 and 4 years respectvely.
There is always the chance of relapse and ongoing support is beneficial, but with any addiction if you abstain and exhibit restraint and willpower you can control it.
Like you say avoiding triggers and drinking buddies is a given.

I bow to that correction kizzy, I should have said a good number likely cannot stop themselves.

I actually was told as I said this point to a family member here with me today after I made the post,that they couldn't and they then too pointed out one of their friends stopped with no professional help at all although friends had rallied to help support them as to stopping.

I now agree with your comment and retract my original one. Thank you kizzy.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

Alcohol addition is probably the worst addition to have even though most people think heroin is more dangerous . But addiction to alcohol is almost impossible to break as the drug occupies legally every area of our lives. It is seamlessly entangled with all our perceived notions of celebrating and partying. It is also a very dangerous drug as earlier posts in this thread have explained, but taken together with all the psychological problems of withdrawal it is easy to see how alcoholics are never completely cured and are always only one drink away from total relapse.

We sat and watched in the 90's as Paul Gascoigne started celebrating with a drink a little too often and today we see the end result as he battles for life.

I wish him well and hope he can get clean and find a life away from the booze, such a shame as was the best footballer of his generation by a long way.

I agree with this. well put.