Brought up by The Booze

I finally got around to watching this programme yesterday. I was off sick as I've been back to having mild - moderate vertigo attacks again which is flipping annoying.

Anyway this documentary was about Callum Best the son of legendary football and drinker George Best and was a Children in Need special about the effects of alcohol abuse on the children of the alcoholic.

I'd recorded it as it had been promoted within the AA fellowship. However I'd sort of expected something very typical without much substance. I was very very wrong. It was brilliantly done. Unfortunately as it was over a week ago it doesn't look like it is on the iPlayer which is a shame - they have space for so many complete series of popular things it is a shame that they can't find space for this one programme.

Any how - Callum Best talks very candidly about his relationship with his Dad and how alcohol affected it. He meets the children of active and recovering alcoholics and people working in the support of families and at treatment centres etc. One of the best documentaries on this topic that you are ever likely to see if you ever get the chance.

I hope they repeat it / make it permanently available on the iplayer site.

There is a short piece here about it from the morning news show.

Powerful stuff - I've lived the side of this equation as the active alcoholic and seen the damage it has inflicted on my kids - I'm very very lucky in that I stopped at a point where my relationships with them had something left still to salvage and very grateful that they were willing to be part of my sober life.

It's been a few days of mixed emotions being a bit ill again with the vertigo and attending the funeral of a friend in AA who died too young from cancer - died sober mind which was a great tribute to her. The chapel where the service was held was packed with people and it really was a great celebration of her life which was also nice. Her children were there remembering their Mum making jokes about her personality and again nice to see a family that could have easily been broken apart by alcoholism bound by such obvious love to the very end of her life. Another day I feel a bit Furtheron...

Comments

  1. I drink like a fish (as the saying goes).

    The 'change' in my personality is minimal.

    Caz likes a few glasses of wine. She's 'careful' as too much can 'turn her' and she realises and accomodates accordingly.

    Jax seems to take after me.

    I am actually rather worried here.

    I'm nearly 52 so WTF? If the booze gets me I'll drink a toast.

    Jax is 20.

    How do I approach her with a 'slow down babe' sort of chat?

    She can handle it big time but, at 20, she shouldn't be....if you get my drift.

    OMG!!!! The word very thingy is 'PORING'...I kid you not!!!

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  2. You can point anyone you have a concern about at http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/newcomer/videoh.shtml



    bottom line is people will drink what they like. For me the problem was how I needed booze and how it muck me up emotionally... or rather how I used it to cover up emotions. So the amount you drink is to me almost not that important in answering or asking whether you are an alcoholic or not... "is it costing you more than money?"



    Also the 12 questions isn't a bad place to start at http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/newcomer/isaa4u.shtml

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