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Life & Arts

Alcoholism may return even after treatment

Get Well

Ron Douthitt

The ravages of alcoholism are all too familiar to many of us who have an afflicted family member. Yet in our society where social drinking is so accepted, many alcoholics delve deeper into their addictions, placing themselves and others at risk for a plethora of potentially deadly situations and health risks. 

Case in point: My uncle has been struggling with alcoholism since I can to remember. He has had many struggles, one of them being the psychological and emotional torture that comes with active duty in any war, but most certainly the Vietnam War. While some are mentally and emotionally equipped to handle such situations, many are not. This is no excuse for his continued struggle with his inner demons and his refusal to take responsibility for his situation. It's always how one handles the cards he's been dealt that affects the outcome.

I just received word Tuesday that my uncle is in Brooks Army Hospital in San Antonio, receiving the best possible medical care for his current inability to take responsibility for his disease. 

He had been in terrible physical and mental shape and he went through countless drug treatment programs. After that, I watched him recover in his forties, work on and perfect his body to the point that I was extremely envious of him, and be one of the nicest and most pleasant people to be around. He was also extremely beneficial in assisting others in 12-step programs. But apparently this is the case with many alcoholics. He no longer is able to trade addictions with a workout regimen and a 12-step program that gave him the fulfillment he needed to keep those demons at bay. I've watched him slowly deteriorate, although not too slowly, over the last year. 

After my uncle drank too much and grew into a snot-slinging drunk, he fell face-first onto the floor inside his home and fractured his C2 vertebra. 

This is the vertebra that Christopher Reeve fractured while falling off his horse. Once it snaps, the body is not able to breathe on its own, nor walk for that matter. So his prognosis is uncertain. He's never had such brutal consequences from his alcoholism. However, if he does not take this seriously, the next step could easily be a respirator. 

In my opinion, death would be kind as opposed to living paralyzed and on a respirator as a result of his actions with alcohol. It seems simple, but apparently it is so hard. When something is stronger than you, it's best to just back away. Apparently this is much easier said than done.

I think God loves drug addicts and drunks. He appears to give them hope and chances that so many others don't get. Perhaps it's because of their will, the bigger plan or his will to give the truly diseased some bigger breaks. The medical profession probably continues its fascinating work because of these people, instead of having a calloused attitude toward them. I say this because I have spoken to many physicians who say the work is fascinating at times, partly because they see people recover from situations for which there is absolutely no medical expectation that they should recover.

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