The etiquette of sacking an alcoholic.

[northernrampage]

Calling alcoholism an "illness" is just following the ongoing trend since the 60s of removing personal responsibility from people - if its an illness it's not your fault.
Yes its hard to stop drinking, just like it is to stop smoking, yet some people do it.
Is there any reasonable evidence to call it an illness or is it just (unfashionable concept I know) a weakness of character.

Got a couple of alcoholics and several heavy drinkers in my family... so I've done a fair bit of research on it and read about it when studying the brain. And driven myself paranoid while monitoring my own red wine intake

Think the jury is out. There is some evidence that certain genes mean some people can drink loads more than other people (which may not sound a big deal but means you're lacking a safety valve that tells you to stop e.g throwing up). Not sure about the other genes.

There are also certain chemicals in your brain that once you've activated them too many times (e.g. too much boozing over a sustained period) it can take years for them to be de-activated. You can then have a few sips and want to keep drinking, or doing something like smoking can trigger the urge as the pathways used for that activate other pathways associated for drinking. Which is why some addicts are advised to cut everything out.

Then again, I still think it's down the individual.... you make your choices, however I do think there should be more education on drinking. I speak to my American mates and they are horrified at the amount we drink here. A lot of the stuff now says "yeah, drinking every day is fine", but who sticks to the 1 or 2 units a day that's recommended for women.

A therapist I was talking to recently doesn't believe it's an illness either.. she reckons it's learned behaviour, you pick it up from others around you. But again, I guess you make your choices to not keep boozing like your family may have done.

And as for people taking time off... I had an ex-colleague take nearly 6 mths off (most on full-pay) for his alcohol and cocaine induced breakdown. He denied that to me though and said it was because his parents hadn't congratulated him on doing well in his career. While his work got covered by others

[BA to the Stars]

Don't let him have a leaving do at the pub then