Given proper advice, George Best

could have drunk safely again



ONE of the tragedies of George Best's life was that, if he had been
made aware of the full range of alternative options, he could have
drunk alcohol in a safe, normal and responsible manner.

That is the claim of Scottish couple and former alcoholics Lilian and
Murdoch MacDonald, whose book on their recovery from
alcoholism "Phoenix in a Bottle" was published earlier this year.

Lilian and Murdoch say that, in common with many alcoholics, George
Best would have appeared to have been given the stark choice between
on the one hand carrying on drinking alcoholically, and on the other
embracing lifelong abstinence from alcohol.

But according to Lilian and Murdoch, there is a third choice.

They maintain that alcoholism is not an incurable disease as
Alcoholics Anonymous would have us believe.

In fact it is a self-harming behaviour problem rooted in childhood.
And if alcoholics are willing to identify and address their issues
from the past, there is no reason why most of them should not be able
to take a drink safely and responsibly again, if and when they so
wish.

In 1994 as a result of their alcoholism, Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald
were down and out, sleeping rough in the streets and parks of
Cambridge, the English university town where, a quarter of a century
before, Murdoch had studied for an honours degree.

Refusing to accept what they consider to be the outmoded myths and
dogma of Alcoholics Anonymous, Lilian and Murdoch set about searching
for the underlying causes of their self-harming behaviour problem,
which they discovered lay in childhood.

Although Lilian and Murdoch's upbringing caused their problems, they
themselves take full responsibility for their drinking, most
importantly because taking responsibility for one's own actions is
the starting point on the road to recovery.

As a result of their endeavours, the couple are today back home in
Ayrshire, Scotland, leading normal lives again, with their problems
of alcoholism and Lilian's associated eating disorder well and truly
behind them.

Controversially, they are also now able to drink alcohol responsibly
again, if and when they so wish.


Their book "Phoenix in a Bottle" is the story of their journey. It is
published by Melrose Books ISBN 1905226144 price £16.99.

Lilian and Murdoch's website:

www.alcoholicscandrinksafelyagain.com

Web links:

http://www.alcoholicscandrinksafelyagain.com/newpage32.html

http://www.i-newswire.com/pr51333.html