Some Thoughts About Robin Williams Suicide.

[Mad_Cabbie]

People are still treating drug addiction as if it were a crime instead of the horribly debilitating medical condition that it is.

America agrees with the OP and drugs are a reason to throw tens of thousands of people in jail, annually.

Unfortunately, the drug problem continues, unabated into yet another decade, leaving broken families and destroyed lives in its wake.

If it were treated as a disease, it would shrink up and become much more manageable.

That will never happen as long as people refuse to think outside the box.

 

[Mad_Cabbie]

You are the fool and the troll. You just don't get it. You never will.

You didn't have to tell YesterdayBorn that/ I already told him. But thanks anyway.

Now try reading the thread, before you post again.

^^^^ This.

If you guys can't talk about the OP, please leave and allow the grown-ups to discuss this in an adult-like manner, thanks.


If you oppose Protectionist on this issue, then tell us why.

 

[WinterBorn]

Shut up, fool. Tried to say things about his addictions ? What the hell are you talking about ? He was addicted to cocaine and alcohol. I know as much as everyone knows. This is public knowledge. Except to you maybe ?

And NO, Judge WinterBorn. I am not trying to denigrate Robin Williams. Not at all. That is simply your MISperception which you have a chronic problem with, from one thread to another. My point is the anguish, and attention, and glory, and media yammering over him, while real heros like the ones I noted in Post # 68, go unnoticed, unheralded, and unhonored, even on days set aside for them, like Memorial Day. A day when so many of you gushing over Robin Williams, will be out at the beach or having backyard barbeques, without a single thought or word about those who died yesterday and today, to save your hides.

You tried to say his addictions caused his mental problems. But you have no actual knowledge of whether that is true or not.

You tried to say you have had to go thru so much worse than him, but that is based on no facts whatsoever.

And, as usual, you have tried to play the victim by accusing others of trolling.

The fact is, what you actually know is far too little to make the assumptions you have made.

And the attempt to bring in the brave men & women in our armed services is just you wanting to save face. You started this thread about Robin Williams. That people enjoyed his work does not say anything at all about how we feel about the losses our military has suffered. You started out trying to say one thing about Robin Williams, and ended up trying to denigrate everyone because you assume they do not care about military casualties. Utter bullshit. Per usual.

Try and get some real information and then come back.

Until then, stay on topic.

SHUT UP, FOOL/TROLL!! I know what I said. And I know you are a deranged, ego-tripped out idiot, who is only in this thread, because you can't handle the fact that I have handed you your wimpy, cowardly ass so many times, in this forum, you can't even count them any more.

As for the dumb stuff you're polluting this thread with, (one post is as dumb as another), they don't even deserve the dignity of a response, other than to just say that. You may now go to bed. Dismissed. Good night.

Yeah yeah. More of the same. Report me again. Blah blah blah.

 

[WinterBorn]

NO, it's NOT off topic. You just haven't figured out what the topic is. That's YOUR problem.

From the OP >> "I could have more sympathy for Robin if he had succumbed to injuries acquired on a military battlefield, as veterans are having happen to them on a regular basis."

The topic is Robin Williams' suicide. You started the thread. Now, after all these posts you suddenly want it to be about military casualties and your assumptions of what people do or don't do on Memorial day??

Try again.

NO. The topic is NOT Robin Williams' suicide. The topic is what the title is >> Some Thoughts About Robin Williams Suicide. And some of those thoughts are the overattention given to Robin (someone who had it easy in life), as opposed to others who had it rough (like in the military), and who died honorably, and got little or no attention at all.

Are you really this dumb ? You don't get to define what the topic is. I do. The author of the OP. Here is the pure refute of what you're saying right above your post, in the quote highlighted in blue. Suddenly ? HA HA > Again, it was in the OP, you idiot. Some people have to be told twice. Or 3 or 4 times.

"I could have more sympathy for Robin if he had succumbed to injuries acquired [B]on a military battlefield, as veterans are having happen to them on a regular basis."[/B]

Yeah, and the topic is how you have suffered much more than he did.

And the topic is that you somehow know that his addictions were the cause of his depression, and not the other way around.

And the topic is your ranting at anyone who doesn't run away from your threats.

And the topic is that you know what others do on their Memorial Day holiday.


Yeah yeah, whatever. I'm sure, where ever Robin Williams is, he is heart-broken that you don't have any sympathy for him. I'm sure he would change it all (if he could) just because of that.

 

[WinterBorn]

You are the fool and the troll. You just don't get it. You never will.

You didn't have to tell YesterdayBorn that/ I already told him. But thanks anyway.

Now try reading the thread, before you post again.

^^^^ This.

If you guys can't talk about the OP, please leave and allow the grown-ups to discuss this in an adult-like manner, thanks.


If you oppose Protectionist on this issue, then tell us why.

I oppose anyone trying to belittle someone else's pain by saying "I have had it so much worse than he has". Especially when they don't know the person.

I also find it amusing that Protard went off on someone, basically saying "You don't know anything about me!!", and yet he has tried to say, several times, that Robin Williams was depressed because of his substance abuse, and that the substance abuse was not an attempt to self-medicate his depression or mental health issue.

I'm not a fan of reading people trying to sound like experts when they are idiots.

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Robin was sober for 20 years. His substance abuse problems were a symptom, not a cause of his mental illness.

Actually, according to reports, that is not true. He has fallen off the wagon a time or two, and has not been sober for 20 years as you say.

 

[ChrisL]

We can and should honor Robin for all his fine contributions to the world of entertainment, and any charitable endevours he might have had. We should also express condolences to his family, who now suffer his loss.

We should not honor however the way he wrecked his life, and those of his wonderful wife and family. I could have more sympathy for Robin if he had succumbed to injuries acquired on a military battlefield, as veterans are having happen to them on a regular basis. But this is a guy who did this to himself - with alcohol and drugs, and wound up hurting others in the process.

Depression ? This guy had fame, fortune, the admiration of millions of fans for his great talents, and a wonderful family. No way this guy should have gone out this way. Thousands of people are homeless and hungry, and they don't commit suicide. The Iraqi Tazidis are stranded on a mountain, in 120 degree heat, homeless, hungry, and surrounded by ISIS killer lunatics, and they're hanging in there.

Lesson to be had > KIDS. If you must drink, do it occasionally and in moderation, and don't do ANY recreational drugs, and take prescription drugs only if/whenever absolutely necessary.

Depression is a disease. He didn't CHOOSE to feel that way. He couldn't help it. You have to understand that it is a mental illness. You can have all the money in the world, and be surrounded by people who love you, but you can still suffer from chronic depression because it is a mental illness and has nothing to do with "things" but rather that you feel this way and you cannot make it stop.

Here are 5 myths about depression.

1. Depression is synonymous with sadness.

Many of Robin Williams’ acquaintances interviewed since his death have noted that they never saw him unhappy, yet he suffered from severe depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), many of those suffering from depression do feel overwhelming sadness, but many don’t feel any specific emotion at all. A better description would be a feeling of emptiness and apathy. And since anxiety often accompanies depression, many feel a constant state of tension that persists for no apparent reason.

2. Depression is a sign of mental weakness.

Part of the stigma surrounding depression is that others will see it as a sign of weakness. Yet we don’t accuse someone suffering from heart disease or MS of being weak; we rightly acknowledge those as illnesses that affect a wide range of people. Depression is also an illness—more specifically, it’s a complex medical disorder that has biological, psychological and social dimensions. Plenty of otherwise “strong” people suffer from severe depression, and the consequences of not treating it are just as real and tragic as those of other debilitating diseases. An illness that affects the chemistry of the brain and nervous system is no less an illness than one that affects any other part of the body.

3. Depression is always situational.


While depression often does have a situational trigger like the loss of a loved one or divorce, the underlying condition does not need any particular event to surface. Depression is typically diagnosed when someone suffers from prolonged episodes (at least two weeks) of hopelessness, emptiness and lethargy that have no apparent cause. These periods can manifest inexplicably, even when life events seem generally positive. (This is another reason why depression and sadness are not synonymous.)

4. Depression symptoms are all in your head.

While it’s true that many depression symptoms are of the nature we normally associate with the “head” (dark emotion, tension, etc.), the condition frequently manifests all over the body. Common depression symptoms include indigestion, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, and general fatigue. Some patients also complain of persistent muscle aches.

5. If you are diagnosed with depression, you’ll be on antidepressants the rest of your life.

The ubiquity of antidepressant commercials and media coverage has had a backlash effect. Many people are fearful of being put on an antidepressant, even if they may benefit from one, because they think once you’re “hooked” you’ll never be able to stop. The reality is that not everyone benefits from antidepressants – by some estimates nearly 40% of those prescribed one will experience no benefits. Some people respond better to forms of psychotherapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), or a combination of medication and therapy. Even someone who gets good results from an antidepressant can, with medical supervision, eventually taper off the med in many cases.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Great comedy usually comes from a dark place. The person grew up abused or neglected then becomes an addict of sorts.

 

[Peach]

It would be interesting to find out how his two ex's dealt with his depression, and if it was a key reason for both of the divorces.
Living with someone with severe depression, can be hell. You get sucked down the rabbit hole along with the sufferer.
You tend to blame yourself much of the time, wondering why the person isn't happy being with you. It becomes a co-dependency.

My advice to anyone just starting out in a new relationship, if you see any signs your new girlfriend/boyfriend is depressed, don't sweep it under the rug.
Demand answers, get it out in the open, find out if he or she is suffering, and what they're doing about it.
If you jump in, and look the other way, you'll find yourself suffering later on and wishing you never started the relationship.

Our society tends to look at depression as a minor issue, but it's far from that.

We can and should honor Robin for all his fine contributions to the world of entertainment, and any charitable endevours he might have had. We should also express condolences to his family, who now suffer his loss.

We should not honor however the way he wrecked his life, and those of his wonderful wife and family. I could have more sympathy for Robin if he had succumbed to injuries acquired on a military battlefield, as veterans are having happen to them on a regular basis. But this is a guy who did this to himself - with alcohol and drugs, and wound up hurting others in the process.

Depression ? This guy had fame, fortune, the admiration of millions of fans for his great talents, and a wonderful family. No way this guy should have gone out this way. Thousands of people are homeless and hungry, and they don't commit suicide. The Iraqi Tazidis are stranded on a mountain, in 120 degree heat, homeless, hungry, and surrounded by ISIS killer lunatics, and they're hanging in there.

Lesson to be had > KIDS. If you must drink, do it occasionally and in moderation, and don't do ANY recreational drugs, and take prescription drugs only if/whenever absolutely necessary.

Depression is a disease. He didn't CHOOSE to feel that way. He couldn't help it. You have to understand that it is a mental illness. You can have all the money in the world, and be surrounded by people who love you, but you can still suffer from chronic depression because it is a mental illness and has nothing to do with "things" but rather that you feel this way and you cannot make it stop.

Here are 5 myths about depression.

1. Depression is synonymous with sadness.

Many of Robin Williams’ acquaintances interviewed since his death have noted that they never saw him unhappy, yet he suffered from severe depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), many of those suffering from depression do feel overwhelming sadness, but many don’t feel any specific emotion at all. A better description would be a feeling of emptiness and apathy. And since anxiety often accompanies depression, many feel a constant state of tension that persists for no apparent reason.

2. Depression is a sign of mental weakness.

Part of the stigma surrounding depression is that others will see it as a sign of weakness. Yet we don’t accuse someone suffering from heart disease or MS of being weak; we rightly acknowledge those as illnesses that affect a wide range of people. Depression is also an illness—more specifically, it’s a complex medical disorder that has biological, psychological and social dimensions. Plenty of otherwise “strong” people suffer from severe depression, and the consequences of not treating it are just as real and tragic as those of other debilitating diseases. An illness that affects the chemistry of the brain and nervous system is no less an illness than one that affects any other part of the body.

3. Depression is always situational.


While depression often does have a situational trigger like the loss of a loved one or divorce, the underlying condition does not need any particular event to surface. Depression is typically diagnosed when someone suffers from prolonged episodes (at least two weeks) of hopelessness, emptiness and lethargy that have no apparent cause. These periods can manifest inexplicably, even when life events seem generally positive. (This is another reason why depression and sadness are not synonymous.)

4. Depression symptoms are all in your head.

While it’s true that many depression symptoms are of the nature we normally associate with the “head” (dark emotion, tension, etc.), the condition frequently manifests all over the body. Common depression symptoms include indigestion, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, and general fatigue. Some patients also complain of persistent muscle aches.

5. If you are diagnosed with depression, you’ll be on antidepressants the rest of your life.

The ubiquity of antidepressant commercials and media coverage has had a backlash effect. Many people are fearful of being put on an antidepressant, even if they may benefit from one, because they think once you’re “hooked” you’ll never be able to stop. The reality is that not everyone benefits from antidepressants – by some estimates nearly 40% of those prescribed one will experience no benefits. Some people respond better to forms of psychotherapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), or a combination of medication and therapy. Even someone who gets good results from an antidepressant can, with medical supervision, eventually taper off the med in many cases.

Interesting, I see much of the above in some I have known, my friend who took his own life did not want to "live on pills".

 

[Wildman]

We can and should honor Robin for all his fine contributions to the world of entertainment, and any charitable endevours he might have had. We should also express condolences to his family, who now suffer his loss.

We should not honor however the way he wrecked his life, and those of his wonderful wife and family. I could have more sympathy for Robin if he had succumbed to injuries acquired on a military battlefield, as veterans are having happen to them on a regular basis. But this is a guy who did this to himself - with alcohol and drugs, and wound up hurting others in the process.

Depression ? This guy had fame, fortune, the admiration of millions of fans for his great talents, and a wonderful family. No way this guy should have gone out this way. Thousands of people are homeless and hungry, and they don't commit suicide. The Iraqi Tazidis are stranded on a mountain, in 120 degree heat, homeless, hungry, and surrounded by ISIS killer lunatics, and they're hanging in there.

Lesson to be had > KIDS. If you must drink, do it occasionally and in moderation, and don't do ANY recreational drugs, and take prescription drugs only if/whenever absolutely necessary.

Unless you have experience depression for yourself, kindly shut the fuck up.

Thank you.

soooo, you are admitting you are in a state of depression ?

figures, for you whacked out libercrazies depression is a natural state of being.

need a belt ??

 

[ChrisL]

It would be interesting to find out how his two ex's dealt with his depression, and if it was a key reason for both of the divorces.
Living with someone with severe depression, can be hell. You get sucked down the rabbit hole along with the sufferer.
You tend to blame yourself much of the time, wondering why the person isn't happy being with you. It becomes a co-dependency.

My advice to anyone just starting out in a new relationship, if you see any signs your new girlfriend/boyfriend is depressed, don't sweep it under the rug.
Demand answers, get it out in the open, find out if he or she is suffering, and what they're doing about it.
If you jump in, and look the other way, you'll find yourself suffering later on and wishing you never started the relationship.

Our society tends to look at depression as a minor issue, but it's far from that.

Depression is a disease. He didn't CHOOSE to feel that way. He couldn't help it. You have to understand that it is a mental illness. You can have all the money in the world, and be surrounded by people who love you, but you can still suffer from chronic depression because it is a mental illness and has nothing to do with "things" but rather that you feel this way and you cannot make it stop.

Here are 5 myths about depression.

1. Depression is synonymous with sadness.

Many of Robin Williams’ acquaintances interviewed since his death have noted that they never saw him unhappy, yet he suffered from severe depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), many of those suffering from depression do feel overwhelming sadness, but many don’t feel any specific emotion at all. A better description would be a feeling of emptiness and apathy. And since anxiety often accompanies depression, many feel a constant state of tension that persists for no apparent reason.

2. Depression is a sign of mental weakness.

Part of the stigma surrounding depression is that others will see it as a sign of weakness. Yet we don’t accuse someone suffering from heart disease or MS of being weak; we rightly acknowledge those as illnesses that affect a wide range of people. Depression is also an illness—more specifically, it’s a complex medical disorder that has biological, psychological and social dimensions. Plenty of otherwise “strong” people suffer from severe depression, and the consequences of not treating it are just as real and tragic as those of other debilitating diseases. An illness that affects the chemistry of the brain and nervous system is no less an illness than one that affects any other part of the body.

3. Depression is always situational.


While depression often does have a situational trigger like the loss of a loved one or divorce, the underlying condition does not need any particular event to surface. Depression is typically diagnosed when someone suffers from prolonged episodes (at least two weeks) of hopelessness, emptiness and lethargy that have no apparent cause. These periods can manifest inexplicably, even when life events seem generally positive. (This is another reason why depression and sadness are not synonymous.)

4. Depression symptoms are all in your head.

While it’s true that many depression symptoms are of the nature we normally associate with the “head” (dark emotion, tension, etc.), the condition frequently manifests all over the body. Common depression symptoms include indigestion, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, and general fatigue. Some patients also complain of persistent muscle aches.

5. If you are diagnosed with depression, you’ll be on antidepressants the rest of your life.

The ubiquity of antidepressant commercials and media coverage has had a backlash effect. Many people are fearful of being put on an antidepressant, even if they may benefit from one, because they think once you’re “hooked” you’ll never be able to stop. The reality is that not everyone benefits from antidepressants – by some estimates nearly 40% of those prescribed one will experience no benefits. Some people respond better to forms of psychotherapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), or a combination of medication and therapy. Even someone who gets good results from an antidepressant can, with medical supervision, eventually taper off the med in many cases.

Interesting, I see much of the above in some I have known, my friend who took his own life did not want to "live on pills".

Sorry to hear about your friend. There is a HUGE difference between suffering a "situational" depression and suffering from a "chronic" depression. A situational depression is usually only temporary. These people don't normally take their own lives. The chronic depression is the one to worry about. These people may not even display any kind of "sadness" at all, but they find that they cannot get any joy out of life. A lot of them feel as if they simply exist. They also feel that they are a burden on their loved ones, and a lot of times they think they are doing everyone a favor by ending it all.

I'm pretty familiar with these things because, for one reason, I'm a medical transcriptionist and I type reports about people who are suffering from chronic depression every single day. Anyway, it's really sad about Robin Williams, and depression is very difficult to treat because there is no one size fits all treatment.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

We can and should honor Robin for all his fine contributions to the world of entertainment, and any charitable endevours he might have had. We should also express condolences to his family, who now suffer his loss.

We should not honor however the way he wrecked his life, and those of his wonderful wife and family. I could have more sympathy for Robin if he had succumbed to injuries acquired on a military battlefield, as veterans are having happen to them on a regular basis. But this is a guy who did this to himself - with alcohol and drugs, and wound up hurting others in the process.

Depression ? This guy had fame, fortune, the admiration of millions of fans for his great talents, and a wonderful family. No way this guy should have gone out this way. Thousands of people are homeless and hungry, and they don't commit suicide. The Iraqi Tazidis are stranded on a mountain, in 120 degree heat, homeless, hungry, and surrounded by ISIS killer lunatics, and they're hanging in there.

Lesson to be had > KIDS. If you must drink, do it occasionally and in moderation, and don't do ANY recreational drugs, and take prescription drugs only if/whenever absolutely necessary.

Like many you're completely ignorant about clinical depression. Mr. Williams suffered from a medical condition which caused an imbalance in his brain, making things you and I might have been able to cope with seem overwhelming. If I whack you in the head with a tire iron and you then suffer from physiological/organic mental illness is that your fault or mine? If you spend the rest of your days in yor home never coming out until you die of sheer indifference and apathy was it you just bemoaning your lot, or could it be there was something amiss inside your head?

To put it another way: is a veteran who comes back from war suffering PTSD just a wimp? Or is there a reason for their condition best left to mental health professionals to help them cope with and overcome?

 

[dilloduck]

I'm mesmerized by this statement

He later told The New York Times that he hadn't confronted the underlying issues at the root of his addiction.

"There was still, in the background, this voice, like, 'Psst,'" he told the newspaper. "So when I relapsed, I went back hard. The one thing I hadn't dealt with was, how honest do you want to live?"

what was so hard for him to be honest about ?

'It Lays in Wait' _ Robin Williams' Lifelong Fight - ABC News

Who really knows....some mumbo-jumbo therapists throw around during AA meetings to get the discussion rolling.

Possibly--or it could have been a lucid statement indicating that there was a very specific issue that he was avoiding or keeping secret from the world. I think it was quite revealing not that it will matter in his life anymore. Might encourage others to deal with things honestly--who knows ?

 

[mal]

Maybe he was just done living...

At least he didn't do it in front of anyone or make a cop do it for him.



peace...

 

[WinterBorn]

I'm mesmerized by this statement

He later told The New York Times that he hadn't confronted the underlying issues at the root of his addiction.




what was so hard for him to be honest about ?

'It Lays in Wait' _ Robin Williams' Lifelong Fight - ABC News

Who really knows....some mumbo-jumbo therapists throw around during AA meetings to get the discussion rolling.

Possibly--or it could have been a lucid statement indicating that there was a very specific issue that he was avoiding or keeping secret from the world. I think it was quite revealing not that it will matter in his life anymore. Might encourage others to deal with things honestly--who knows ?

I think this is one of the few positives from such a tragedy. It gets people talking and spreads information that may help others. And this is also why I am so adamant in my arguments.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

AA is a religious cult. Let's not confuse it with proper counselling or therapists.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

"All told, more than five million people recite the Serenity Prayer at meetings across the United States every year...

Peer-reviewed studies peg the success rate of AA somewhere between 5 and 10 percent. That is, about one of every fifteen people who enter these programs is able to become and stay sober. In 2006, one of the most prestigious scientific research organizations in the world, the Cochrane Collaboration, conducted a review of the many studies conducted between 1966 and 2005 and reached a stunning conclusion: “No experimental studies unequivocally demonstrated the effectiveness of AA” in treating alcoholism. This group reached the same conclusion about professional AA-oriented treatment (12-step facilitation therapy, or TSF), which is the core of virtually every alcoholism-rehabilitation program in the country."
The pseudo-science of Alcoholics Anonymous: There?s a better way to treat addiction - Salon.com

I applaud people addicted to something seeking help, but would suggest proven addiction-recovery programs, or at least something with a greater than 5-10% success rate. The 'spontaneous' recovery rate is 5% so it's basicly within the margin of error whether it's actually doing anything real. Reason likely being alcohol-addicition is physical and psychological, yet 'talk therapy' is only psychological treatment.

 

[HUGGY]

Robin Williams was bipolar.

He dealt on a daily basis with more monsters than you will in a lifetime.

For the benefit of those who do not want to remain ignorant:

NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness - Mental Health Support, Education and Advocacy

Regards from Rosie

1. You don't know what I deal with.

2. I deal with far more than Robin Williams ever did (bipolar or no bipolar)

How interesting that you were a friend of Robin Williams.

Rarely does a loving public get an accurate first hand take on the pain that leads up to a celebrities suicide.

Do tell.

 

[deaddogseye]

A couple of things -- i see that a lot of "fans" are upset that too much detail in their opinion was given out about the details of his suicide. I'm not all that in to this story -- candidly im surprised its getting as much attention as it is -- but i disagree with their position. The public has a right to know these details with him just as with anyone else. Dont want to see or hear it? Dont watch; dont listen.

also on al esser point im i reading things right that apparently he and his wife were sleeping in seperate bedroom? she says she got up and left thinking he was still asleep -- that would be hard to miss if they were sleeping together. so in addition to the alleged financial prob;lems could their have been marital problems as well? am i putting too fine apoint on this?

Na-nu Na-nu! Shazzbut!

ps -- i also heard that he ahd come to refuse to talk about Mork because he felt it was beneath the serious actor he had become -- much like Fred Gwynn would not talk about Herman Munster -- anyone ever hear this and knoows if its true?

 

[Peach]

"All told, more than five million people recite the Serenity Prayer at meetings across the United States every year...

Peer-reviewed studies peg the success rate of AA somewhere between 5 and 10 percent. That is, about one of every fifteen people who enter these programs is able to become and stay sober. In 2006, one of the most prestigious scientific research organizations in the world, the Cochrane Collaboration, conducted a review of the many studies conducted between 1966 and 2005 and reached a stunning conclusion: “No experimental studies unequivocally demonstrated the effectiveness of AA” in treating alcoholism. This group reached the same conclusion about professional AA-oriented treatment (12-step facilitation therapy, or TSF), which is the core of virtually every alcoholism-rehabilitation program in the country."
The pseudo-science of Alcoholics Anonymous: There?s a better way to treat addiction - Salon.com

I applaud people addicted to something seeking help, but would suggest proven addiction-recovery programs, or at least something with a greater than 5-10% success rate. The 'spontaneous' recovery rate is 5% so it's basicly within the margin of error whether it's actually doing anything real. Reason likely being alcohol-addicition is physical and psychological, yet 'talk therapy' is only psychological treatment.

Actually, the big book of AA has a chapter for atheists, not a relgious cult; works for as many as the other competing theories. That does not equal 100% success, first the individual must acknowledge the problem, then desire to control it, there is no "cure".