Staying away from Doc today

I spent a long time yesterday talking to a very articulate woman here, a recovering alcoholic, who told me about her horrific childhood, one of the worst I have ever heard about. I have decided that I was destined to live so long in a HUD complex where so many younger disabled people are moving to. The more stable people among the populace here the less chance for some disturbing meltdown. I hear that Jack is in a hospital behaviorial ward which he has resisted before. I think the meltdown he experiences when he drinks indicates a petty severe mental problem which he has always avoided getting help for. He has tried to rely too much on himself, self help books, and friends, but sometimes they are just inadequate. I know I began to feel inadequate to help him quite some time ago.
The first step might be in acknowledging the severity of the problem before death and disaster can occur. I can no longer help Doc much. I have done all I could. However this does not mean that I think people should withdraw support from those afflicted with substance abuse problems. I think close family members should try never to give up on a troubled sibling with addiction problems. They can retreat to a distance, but need to keep a watchful eye on the situation to see if they can do anything to help at any time. Alchol abuse is such a big problem in our society, nobody can really retreat from it. All you have to do is drive a car on our fast highways and you risk running into a drunk driver somewhere sometime. If you get more in tune with the problem, I think that alerted senses can even help save you from meeting up with a drunk on the road. You need to have a heightened sense of the dangers out there, and younger alcoholics are the highest possible risk for wrecks. People can live in a safe protected world at home and drive out on the highway and encounter those who are definitely very dangerous to life and limb.