Addiction, Brain Damage and the President

[SHRED]

It's my contention that his advisors and cabinet are made up of current drunks and these types:

-----------------------------------------------------

Addiction, Brain Damage and the President
"Dry Drunk" Syndrome and
George W. Bush

by KATHERINE van WORMER

Ordinarily I would not use this term. But when I came across the article "Dry Drunk" - - Is Bush Making a Cry for Help? in American Politics Journal by Alan Bisbort, I was ready to concede, in the case of George W. Bush, the phrase may be quite apt.

Dry drunk is a slang term used by members and supporters of Alcoholics Anonymous and substance abuse counselors to describe the recovering alcoholic who is no longer drinking, one who is dry, but whose thinking is clouded. Such an individual is said to be dry but not truly sober. Such an individual tends to go to extremes.

It was when I started noticing the extreme language that colored President Bush's speeches that I began to wonder. First there were the terms-- "crusade" and "infinite justice" that were later withdrawn. Next came "evil doers," "axis of evil," and "regime change", terms that have almost become clichés in the mass media. Something about the polarized thinking and the obsessive repetition reminded me of many of the recovering alcoholics/addicts I had treated. (A point worth noting is that because of the connection between addiction and "stinking thinking," relapse prevention usually consists of work in the cognitive area). Having worked with recovering alcoholics for years, I flinched at the single-mindedness and ego- and ethnocentricity in the President's speeches. (My husband likened his phraseology to the gardener character played by Peter Sellers in the movie, Being There). Since words are the tools, the representations, of thought, I wondered what Bush's choice of words said about where he was coming from. Or where we would be going.

First, in this essay, we will look at the characteristics of the so-called "dry drunk;" then we will see if they apply to this individual, our president; and then we will review his drinking history for the record. What is the dry drunk syndrome? "Dry drunk" traits consist of:

>>> http://www.counterpunch.org/wormer1011.html

[ananda]

1. and don't forget about..

.. the enablers.

That's us, folx.

Sue

[liberal N proud]

2. One day, sadly...

If the public (and politicians) could only see what Fulbright noted as the pathology in the politics. One day, sadly, they will.

[mopinko]

3. we need education about mental illness so badly

in this country. people just do not really know mental illness when they see it, unless it is the unwashed guy talking to himself in the gutter. we do not know anything about the symptoms, we know nothing about the effects, on the patient or on those around them. and let me tell you, there is precious little help available. even with money and insurance, there is no system in place that is useful.
i have an 18 year old daughter that needed a lot of help, and it was really hard to get what she needed. in the end, she got most of what she needed from the school system. how fucked up is that.
mentally ill people definitely stick together, so they don't have to admit there is anything wrong with them. if we had good education about this stuff, maybe these people would be working in a sheltered workshop where they belong.

[Maccagirl]

4. I've said this a million times

* MAY have changed his behaviour (not proven), but the emotional issues and his lack of good character remain. He masks it with a rigid and judgemental mindset. We have, and will continue to pay an enormous price for this.

[Lerkfish]

5. I'd buy this except that his speeches are prewritten, so

looking at the wording of them to diagnose someone as if the statements were made free form works against the process of using off the cuff remarks as indicative of underlying problems.

In other words, I seriously doubt he writes his own speeches. I think the analysis is really diagnosing Rove by proxy.