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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
Does anyone have any good info on alcoholics and how their disease affects their ability to deal with other people, either in real life on on the net (on message boards and the like)? Do some alcoholics develop paranoia? Or does paranoia lead to alcoholism?
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Hi, Anna--I've had a little training in it, but asked my hubby your questions, since he actually worked as a drug and alcohol counselor (paid staff, not volunteer). He said that clinically, no, alcoholism does not cause things like paranoia--until the final stage, when Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS) sets in.
But common sense says heck yeah, alcoholism certainly affects peoples' ability to deal with others. Obviously people say things when they're drunk that they wouldn't otherwise. But even when sober, the need to try and cover up can make them see accusations and attacks where there are none. Does paranoia lead to alcoholism? I shouldn't think so, unless the person was predisposed to it anyway.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
Mental illness of many kinds can be a predisposing factor for substance abuse since it makes life more difficult to deal with and can cause some people to seek a chemical escape from their troubles. Not so much "the space aliens running the world are after me" paranoia but the "no-one likes me, the other people at work are ganging up on me, I need a few drinks to help me relax" scenario.
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
True, Zed. And of course the sad fact is that this in turn often contributes to greater feelings of paranoia, which feeds dissociation from stabilising human interactions, which in turn contributes to feelings of low self worth, leading to greater reliance on the false relief of chemical escape...
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Speaking of mental illness--I can tell you from direct professional experience that people with bipolar disorder tend to go off their medication; if they happen to abuse substance(s) as well as going off their med., that can lead to real trouble.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
Thanks, y'all, for your input.
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
You're very welcome, Ma'am.  You know what? I sure am glad I know you.
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 114
member
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member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 114 |
You know what? I sure am glad I know you.
Me too, Jackie.
We need to have more people like ASp around here who will acknowledge informed input, such as your own, with a simple "thank you", rather than gratuitous insults.
The practice of good manners should not be reserved for those who are favored by the elite.
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