Yikes

Delirium Tremens:  The most severe form of ethanol withdrawal manifested by altered mental status (global confusion) and sympathetic overdrive (autonomic hyperactivity), which can progress to cardiovascular collapse.

Alcoholism is no respecter of anything.

I've had coffee a couple of times with a man who came into The Fellowship in his mid-50s.  There are plenty of cases of alcoholics who have managed to control the consequences of their drinking for a long time - we're pretty crafty about fitting the alcohol in when we want to drink.  My friend had a long career as a school teacher, dancing in and out of trouble, until the music stopped and he was asked to go somewhere else.  At this point he really couldn't pretend that his drinking wasn't a problem and he began showing up at our morning meeting on a daily basis.  He was active in The Fellowship but not really working The Steps.  As we know, this is very popular.  Working The Steps is a big pain in the ass.

But here's the deal: alcohol is hard on the body.  That's why you don't see a ton of old alcoholics still practicing their craft.  It messes you up after a while.  It kills your ass eventually.  When my friend finally stopped drinking he had to be hospitalized and put on anti-seizure medication.  A fun fact to know and share about alcoholism and drug addiction is that you can kick most drugs on your own, all by your lonesome, without any serious medical warnings, although I do understand that you may wish that you would just die; weaning off alcohol dependence is another thing altogether.

Ten days ago I received a text from my friend's wife: his medication wasn't doing the trick; he had a series of seizures and his heart began to fail; the staff had to put him into a medical coma.  Intubation, IV drip, the whole bit.  He developed infections in his heart and lungs and there was no clear sign that he hadn't suffered neurological damage for the brain, you see, is most adamant about receiving a steady supply of blood.  It is not a compromiser, the brain.

I'm happy to report that he seems to be on the mend.  I'm always grateful for the lessons.