Comments on: Top 10 Films About Alcoholics

By: peter8172

peter8172 — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:32:05 +0000

@ Mallory. I sympathize with you overcoming your addictions. I never once in my life did any recreational drugs nor did I ever abuse prescription medication. But booze was my problem. I could seriously think that I could drink Jim Morrison under the table, it was that bad for me. The sole reason as to why I chose alcohol is first, its classified as a DRUG, and more importantly, its the only drug that is LEGAL to purchase (unless your underage or getting behind the wheel of a car). I went completely “COLD TURKEY” on November 20, 2006. At that time, I was diagnosed previously from anxiety, insomnia, and high blood pressure. I had one of my anxiety attacks and was rushed to the hospital and they injected me with Atavin (for anxiety). I thought that I would be discharged the next day, but they kept me there for 8 days !! The day before my discharge, the doctor walked into my room with a concerned look on his face and told me that I had become a Diabetic Type 2 !! It did not stop there. I was then diagnosed with Edema (swelling of the lower legs), Mild Depression, Neuropathy and little damage to my Kidneys which I take medication for. The 3 main things that Diabetes Attacks is your vision (I wear Glasses now), your Kidneys (which I have control of) and your feet. Last April of 2011, I came down with very serious flu / fever like symptoms and my Temperature was 104.1. I told them in the ER that I am Diabetic Type 2. They looked at my feet and immediately said that I would be in the hospital for about a week. I had x-rays, MRIs, Cat-Scans, everything. The next day, a neurosurgeon came into my room and he did not get melodramatic or “sugar coat” the problem. He said that tomorrow, the Big Toe of your Right Foot has to be amputated. I had a funny feeling that it was going to happen. So, they did it and yes, I can walk and ride a bike, but I cannot literally run due to an imbalance from the amputation. I am on a steady diet, see my doctor regularly and I am on 11 different medications. I keep all of the print outs that are given at a pharmacy for the medication that you get. Since 2006, I have been on 33 different types of medication. I was curious and counted them all. This is what alcohol has done to me and I have been forced to live on disability. Two movies that I highly recommend and I hope that you like old black and white movies. One is on this list called “Days Of Wine And Roses” (No.8 on the list), starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick and the other one, which I found amazingly hard to believe that is NOT on this list is entitled “The Lost Weekend” starring Ray Milland and Jane Wyman. In that movie, watch the scene where he goes into Delirium Tremors and hallucinates about a little mouse and a big black bat. That scene will make you come to your senses. Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you, I am clean and happy as we speak and life has become much better being sober……..Peter

By: Mallory

Mallory — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:11:14 +0000

I have been a classifiable drug addict since I was 12 years old. Starting with weed to cocain to meth and then “sobriety” for several years. I only smoked weed for several years when I got preggo with my only child by a very respectable and sober man. So I dropped it all and raised my son. Then my doctor prescribed me pain meds for a medical condition I have not been able to get off of them, getting them legally or illegally. I was hoping this would be all be a “phase”, but this is my life. I’m only 25 and I’m extremely functional in my addiction (I’m a good mom who’s always there for my child, I work, go to school). I was born into an upper class white family where this isn;t socially acceptable, yet me and my only sibling (another girl) are the same way. The movie “TRAFFIC” to me seemed a very real in it’s form of insane behaviors that every addict does at some point, I understand the despiration and the feeling of dying if you don’t get “your fix”, for lack of a better phrase.
“Requiem For A Dream” is also very accurate in the choas drugs create in your life and how with those drugs (dunno about the diet pills) how your world seems like a blur for certain periods of using. I just wish my son will someday understand my struggles and choose a better way of life.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:38:18 +0000

Dudley Moore was NOT an alcoholic! His comedy partner Peter Cook was. Dudley showed similar traits to being drunk but it was the disease PSP very similar to Parkinson’s.

By: peter8172

peter8172 — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:20:29 +0000

Hello Chris. I just watched your short film “The Usual” and found it to be riveting and most compelling. I too, am a recovering alcoholic (5 years and 2 months without a drop of it) and your short film has a much different approach that I found to be fascinating. Here is what alcoholism did to me : Becoming a Diabetic Type 2, Insomnia, Anxiety, Edema (swelling of my lower legs) Acid Reflux, High Blood Pressure, Mild Depression, decline of my vision (due to the Diabetes) affection of my kidneys, many hospital visits and lastly due to poor circulation of my blood (again Diabetes), the amputation of my Big Toe of my Right Foot. And I will say in all due honesty that I don’t need to go to AA meetings for the simple fact that I am just literally scared to take a drink and the ramifications that ensue. When I was diagnosed with Diabetes (November 20, 2006), I went completely “Cold Turkey” with alcohol and dropped it like a bad habit, which of course alcoholism is both a bad and deadly habit. Thank You for sharing the movie with us. I hope that more alcoholics should watch your movie.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:08:39 +0000

Nice list. As a recovering alcoholic myself, I wrote and directed a short film about an alcoholic coming to grips with his disease. You can check it out on Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/26882564. See what you think….

By: Reverendbenzo

Reverendbenzo — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:02:46 +0000

Lost Weekend deserves a mention.

By: serena

serena — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:16:31 +0000

great to see that list. am a recovering alcoholic (1year sober) and am also fascinated by the disease. you left out When a Man Loves a Woman with Meg Ryan. you may think its a cheesy chick flick but its a very reaistic portrayal and very clise to my stort. it also shows andy garcia’s character struggling as the concerned person/partner very well. thanks for the list. lots of films to get my teeth in to!

By: peter8172

peter8172 — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:49:03 +0000

BobCantor. I cannot agree with you more. I am a recovering alcoholic (5 years last month of sobriety). In “The Lost Weekend” when Ray Milland was polishing off a bottle of Rye and sitting in his recliner totally inebriated, he starts to have delirium tremors and “sees” the cute little mouse on the wall of his apartment. Then the giant bat swoops down and you can see the shadow of the bat. he bat eventually eats the mouse with the blood trickling down the wall and he screams in absolute terror of what he is witnessing. That scene should be enough for anyone to lay off the bottle.

By: Janiis

Janiis — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:00:58 +0000

Good list but you forgot…”Lost Weekend”,”Drunk in Public”:,”I’ll cry tommorow”,”My naame is Bill W.”,”When a man loves a woman”,and a few more.

By: peter8172

peter8172 — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 06:43:02 +0000

I also forgot to mention that I also have High Blood Pressure due to alcoholism