I guess my question is more biology-based – would he still have been having physical withdrawal symptoms many months after entering rehab? Or is it more likely that he fell off the wagon after completing some rehab and was having the withdrawal symptoms from a more recent bout of alcohol than the one that fueled his rage in the UConn cafeteria?
The latter. Physical withdrawal doesn’t last for months.
It’s unlikely he ever gave up drinking. Thirty days or even 3 months won’t work unless you want it to and since he was ordered into rehab it’s unlikely he wanted to be there. Most people I know, and unfortunately I know a lot, are not successful on the first attempt. Or the second or even the third.
I disagree. Physical withdrawal can last a lifetime
I think the judge is either incredibly naive or this is another blinding example of white privilege (or both).
This new article is sad. He is clearly extremely addicted and has a lot of mental health issues. Heartbreaking.
I have had a brother who has been in and out of rehab for years for alcoholism and he actually does want to quit. He does well for months and then something will trigger another episode. He says the rehab facilities are full of younger offenders that are only there because of the court system and they have no intention of actually quitting once they are released. They are there just to keep out of jail.
While alcohol withdrawal can be painful and debilitating for some serious alcoholics, it rarely lasts more than several weeks to a month according to my understanding from observation of a few relatives and talking with medical professionals.
One main barrier to alcoholics staying off alcohol is the fact many are predisposed to being addicted or became that way through exceedingly high consumption with YMMV variations depending on genetics, one’s environment*, etc.
Another is the somewhat popular saying and repeated by my pharmacology teacher and medical professionals I’ve known that once one is an alcoholic…it only takes one drink to slip back into the insidious pattern of alcohol abuse and going back to being an alcoholic.
Considering the popularity of alcohol in US/Anglo-American and many other cultures in many social and even professional occasions, there’s too many tempting opportunities for alcoholics to slip up. And to complicate things, this very factor is also a reason attempts to curtail/ban alcohol across society such as prohibition in the early 20th century did little to curtail this issue while facilitating the enrichment of organized crime and alcohol smugglers as the ban greatly increased the lucrative opportunities due to pent-up demand for alcohol.
- Growing up/being in an environment where alcohol consumption is commonplace and/or even encouraged among peers can greatly increase the chances of one slipping up.
Like many others, I watched the cafeteria meltdown of this kid last fall and shook my head. But now I just feel sad for him. He’s a sad, sad case and more worthy of pity at this point than condemnation. He is truly miserable.
I do wonder how someone that young becomes such a serious chronic alcoholic. I wonder if he started drinking in middle school. Perhaps being “cool” (or in denial) with your youngsters’ alcohol consumption is not a good idea.
Mac & cheese rant dude has been arrested again
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/06/former_uconn_mac_and_cheese_st_1.html
Looks like the same info as in post #98
Great minds think alike.
Very sad.
he does seem to have mental illness/addiction issues and if he was moved from a detox facility back to a rehab facility and this happened…I see him or his parents attempting to get him help and he had a set back. it is not like he was out at a club or something. I do feel sorry for him. (nobody chooses to be mentally ill or have an addiction.)
disease and illness comes in many forms and sadly many people do not get that a disease of the mind is medical.
prior to reading about the arrest at the facility i thought he was just a jerk
"
During a medical exam following his return to the Wellness Resource Center from the detox facility, Gatti was in pain and his vital signs were elevated, according to the police report. Doctors determined that he was going through withdrawal. Gatti asked for medication to ease the symptoms, the doctor refused, and Gatti became angry and left the facility, police said."
njsue…I agree when I first saw the video of the guy at UCONN. … I was thinking what a self absorbed pompous jerk . and he looks like a spoiled brat.now, I really do feel sorry for him now. I wish i understood why the doctor whose care he was under in this setting did not give him something to help. if there was a medical reason ok I get it but the way I read it …and I could be wrong, sounded like the doctor was unsympathetic or being a jerk.
How about something a little more “official” than observations of relatives and “conversations” with medical professionals?
http://americanaddictioncenters.org/withdrawal-timelines-treatments/alcohol/
It’s true that the acute withdrawal most often referenced with regard to alcoholics who suddenly stop drinking usually lasts from days to several weeks. But many will continue to feel physical urges “cravings” for many months or even years.
Acute alcohol withdrawal can be FATAL. Untreated withdrawal can result in delerium tremens, a very dangerous condition. I absolutely do not understand the rationale of a physician for refusing to prescribe the medical treatment that is a universally accepted standard of practice for someone in acute alcohol withdrawal. Hopefully he has a defendable medical justification for this refusal rather than personal bias.