The UK television presenter Adrian Chiles has been quite public in recent years about his heavy drinking and the effects on his life.
He has recently written a book about his return to moderate drinking. I have little doubt that it will sell well as this is what so many people want to hear. An open question: will it do more harm than good?
Interesting subject for discussion, HeavyFoot. An important question….has the author ever said he was alcoholic? We know that alcoholics can’t moderate. If he is an alcoholic and is in the denial stage, he’s giving false hope to those who have the disease and need to stop. Thus he could be perpetuating a persons drinking, which is referred to as enabling. He, by doing that, is or could be responsible in part for any damage incurred to or by the person who reads his book.
A lot of people who have the disease of alcoholism will read the book, because the addiction is always looking for an answer to the big question. “ How do I control something I can’t control and have been trying to control for years and maybe decades.”
To your question……yes, I think the book has the potential to do more harm than good. Unless the person who reads it realizes the book doesn’t have the answer like all the other things they’ve read and done for so long and they finally look for the answer that actually can help them. The one thing they’ve never tried.
To me, a person who is familiar with the dangers of alcohol abuse, who writes a book like that, spent very little time in thinking of the consequences or doesn’t care about the consequences and is motivated by $ or fame. I haven’t read the book, so some of my opinions are based on speculation.
I read that he considered himself alcohol-dependent but not an alcoholic. 🤔 Go figure.
Agree with the wise Isinatra.
It doesn’t matter if he’s an alcoholic or not, it’s likely to cause harm in my view.
This is like “denial” in the grief cycle. For those on this journey, there is no half way house.
I’ll go with compassion and assume he’s trying to rebrand as he’s known for being a drinker. Sadly the culture is so poisonous if you openly come out as drinker, particularly in the public eye. It’s a sad world where you can identify as any gender, sexuality or mental state but you dare not come out as an alcoholic/alcohol abuser. You’re not met with the same compassion or understanding.
Thanks for this thoughtful question. I read the book yesterday. He says that moderators (people who can moderate their intake) will be very unpopular with 2 groups: Heavy drinkers and Abstainers. The Abstainers are the ones whose lives have been made utterly miserable by alcohol. They are unable to moderate. Giving up drink is a very good choice for them. The heavy drinkers are most likely in denial about what they drink. I was (am?!) one of those. My aim is to moderate (going well so far) because I don't want to give it up completely. So personally, this book was a really helpful read for me. There's plenty of books on giving up for good. AC wanted to write a book which helped people cut down. I think he succeeded. Any other thoughts on this anyone?
I haven’t read the book. But based on your review, there’s no need for me to do so. I’m in the abstaining group. But hold no ill will towards social drinkers. If someone can control their drinking, my hat is off to them. It’s just not something I can do.
I agree with you there. It seems that so many people are looking for a magic wand which will make them stop at one or two drinks. I’m not one of them.
Forgiving yourself 
