Gazza arrested again.....

[Raxscallion]

that includes all drugs, not just alcohol, class A or not.

That's not correct. Some substances can actually help. I've worked in the mental health and substance abuse field - I'm no expert, but I do have some knowledge.

Coke isn't one of them though, and neither are any other substances that are currently ranked as 'class A'.

This is all a bit of an aside though of course. It's a tragedy, I think we're all agreed on that.

 

[Azrael]

That's not correct. Some substances can actually help. I've worked in the mental health and substance abuse field - I'm no expert, but I do have some knowledge.

Coke isn't one of them though, and neither are any other substances that are currently ranked as 'class A'.

This is all a bit of an aside though of course. It's a tragedy, I think we're all agreed on that.

Which substances?

 

[Raxscallion]

Which substances?

For example - Some people find cannabis a useful way of replacing alcohol. They then find it far easier to cut down and come off cannabis (which is generally regarded as non addictive) than booze. As I said earlier, kratom can play a similar role (Kratom's legal though).

 

[Azrael]

For example - Some people find cannabis a useful way of replacing alcohol. They then find it far easier to cut down and come off cannabis (which is generally regarded as non addictive) than booze. As I said earlier, kratom can play a similar role (Kratom's legal though).

Well, I wasn't including legal drugs as it would be pretty stupid of me to make a statement that did so in view of the existence of anti-depressants!

As for cannabis use, short term maybe, but long term cannabis use has been shown to lead to depression and, let's face it, with Gazza the likelihood of it's use remaining short term is pretty slim.

 

[Spurger King]

Yup....and wasn't he just given a managerial job?

I suppose he's pissed that away (no pun intended).

He backed out of it I think.

It really is horrible to see, and like others I fear that it won't be too long before he ends up dead. Some people (whether through mental illness, circumstances, personality, or a combination of factors) get caught in a downward spiral of self destuction, and money, fame and opportunities are no safeguard from this.

If I was able to offer him any direct advice, it would be to get away from this country, get away from his circle of friends, and take some time to focus his mind elsewhere.

Sadly I doubt he'd listen to that advice, whoever it came from. I think he has a number of addictions, and I don't just mean substances. He's gone from being someone famous for his talent, to being famous for his troubles.

He just doesn't seem to have an outlet. He needs someone to put an arm around him and tell him that one of his biggest talents on a football pitch was his creativity, and that this is a sign of an inventive mind. He was hardly the fittest of footballers, yet it was his thought process that made him special (IMO).

I honestly think that his kind of thinking (when less inhibited) could be applied successfully to any number of areas other than football.

Anyway, Gazza, I hope you sort it out soon.

 

[Raxscallion]

long term cannabis use has been shown to lead to depression

It hasn't you know. The phenomenon of self-medication confounds a lot of the easy correlations. Correlation is not cause. Neither has it been linked to schizophrenia (that's an aside). There's an awful lot of misinfo out there.

 

[Spursbabe63]

I can't see him getting any better - he is another George Best I think. He's hitting the headlines all for the wrong reason's and yes it's tragic, but there comes a time when you have to step back and let them get on with it. Only so much sympathy you can give them.

I know 4 boys ( brothers too ) that all have been in jail for fighting/drinking/drugs related offences and all have come out and done exactly the same thing they got put away for! If they ain't going learn the first time, they ain't going learn at all!

And the above is what Gazza is doing :-(

 

[CosmicHotspur]

My daughter smoked cannabis on a recreational basis for many years, something quite usual in the music business.

When she gave it up she suffered from paranoia, panic attacks and agoraphobia and was very depressed. It took her the best part of a year to get over it. There's no question that it was giving up the habit that caused her problems.

 

[Azrael]

It hasn't you know. The phenomenon of self-medication confounds a lot of the easy correlations. Correlation is not cause. Neither has it been linked to schizophrenia (that's an aside). There's an awful lot of misinfo out there.

Well since I'm not expert I'll have to take your word for it. A bit of googling suggests to be that its still under debate. But obvious, the experts are far moe informed than I am.

 

[Raxscallion]

My daughter smoked cannabis on a recreational basis for many years, something quite usual in the music business.

When she gave it up she suffered from paranoia, panic attacks and agoraphobia and was very depressed. It took her the best part of a year to get over it. There's no question that it was giving up the habit that caused her problems.

I don't want to turn this into a drugz thread, but there are many other factors at play here. The reaction your daughter had was very unlikely to be down to any physiological mechanism linked to cannabis. It was likely linked to something psychological that had caused her to use something to distract her in the first place, iyswim. Her decision to quit weed correlates with a decision to face what she'd been avoiding. It's also true that tokers enjoy the habit and can effectively 'manufacture' a withdrawal response in an effort to justify not stopping. There was a 'weed addict' I saw on a documentary who was basically just using it as an excuse not to sort himself out and get a job. He truly believed he was 'addicted' I'm sure, but people are actually very adept at lying to themselves as well as others. There are loads of other possibilities too. It's too big a discussion to do here, and the truth is that even those at the top of the field aren't agreed on it, but lets just say that it's not that black and white.

(and no, I don't smoke weed - any more)

 

[Matt C]

He needs full time sectioning where he can get forced help for his drink and drug and mental issues, he has shown he won't help himself so it is time he had no say in the matter.

Put him in a secure hospital until he has responded to treatment and shown hard evidence he has got his life back on track

 

[Azrael]

I can't see him getting any better - he is another George Best I think. He's hitting the headlines all for the wrong reason's and yes it's tragic, but there comes a time when you have to step back and let them get on with it. Only so much sympathy you can give them.

I know 4 boys ( brothers too ) that all have been in jail for fighting/drinking/drugs related offences and all have come out and done exactly the same thing they got put away for! If they ain't going learn the first time, they ain't going learn at all!

And the above is what Gazza is doing :-(

I would actually go one step further and say Gazza is in a worse situation.

George Best's condition was at least progressive and consistent and, but for his drinking, amanaged to lead some sort of structured life.

Gazza on the other hand is all over the place and only goes to get help, it seems, when others try to make him, so this slipping in and out of alcoholism and drug use is putting his body and mind under so much pressure that I really don't see him surviving, either my natural death or a mentally related death, such as suicide.

Its so sad that you wish there was something you could do.

 

[Raxscallion]

I would actually go one step further and say Gazza is in a worse situation.

I agree. Best became an alcoholic because he let himself play the bigtime charlie too much, for too long.

Gazza's problem isn't alcohol or drugs though. Gazza's problem is his mental health issues which he's had since a long time before he was a successful footballer. The drink and drugs are merely symptoms of the underlying condition.

 

[Azrael]

He needs full time sectioning where he can get forced help for his drink and drug and mental issues, he has shown he won't help himself so it is time he had no say in the matter.

Put him in a secure hospital until he has responded to treatment and shown hard evidence he has got his life back on track

Its happened before.

You can't force an alcoholic off the drink. As soon as he's out he'll head straight to the pub.

Only Gazza can get take himself off the drink. He has to want to make that choice for himself.

 

[Matt C]

Its happened before.

You can't force an alcoholic off the drink. As soon as he's out he'll head straight to the pub.

Only Gazza can get take himself off the drink. He has to want to make that choice for himself.

He was out quite quickly though, this time it should be for months or even years as he is a danger to others with his drinking aswell as himself.

Frank Bruno sorted himself out and became a respectable person again so Gazza should be sectioned for even a couple of years

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

The problem for Gazza is he's unemployable. When was the last time he had something concrete in his life which could keep him occupied for 8-10 hours a day?

He's got fuck all to do 24/7. No one in football would touch him with a barge pole cos he's clearly bonkers, and what other options does he have? He offers nothing to society at all, and that can't be good for his self-esteem which effects and feeds the perpetual substance-abuse cycle.

He needs something in his life to focus on (his kids would be a start, but that obviously don't work). Get a job Gazza, get yourself some focus and get your life back in order.

Otherwise we're all waiting on the inevitable breaking news "Ex-talented footballer Gazza found dead, gone tragically young" - a brutal mate of mine in work suggests he's "better off dead" harsh but his life as it stands is a fucking mess. He needs to get a grip of it before it's gone.