When people get to Gazza's state??

woodoo · 03-02-2013 10:56pm #1

When people get to this state what can be done? I'm sure many people here have seen a friend or family member with serious alcohol problems get to the state he is in now. He won't have long left if something isn't done. I feel sorry for him. I'm sure he would like to be free of it all and happily sober but just doesn't seem to be able to.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4776338/Tragic-Paul-Gascoigne-on-video.html

Lots of people don't like the disease hypothesis. How else would you describe it? Mental illness? obsessive compulsion?

Omackeral · 03-02-2013 10:59pm

Thought this was another Israel bashing thread

Duckworth_Luas · 03-02-2013 11:01pm

It's the Israeli government, they never leave the poor chap alone!

Stained Class · 03-02-2013 11:04pm

I remember when he was a world class player.

Looking back, that was his problem really.

A very disturbed man thrust into the spotlight because he was good at playing Soccer.

Indulged at every turn because of it & spat out at the other end when his playing days were over.

He's only a year older than me & feels his life is over.

Very sad.

ejmaztec · 03-02-2013 11:05pm

I'm surprise he's lasted this long.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 03-02-2013 11:06pm

I remember when Gaza was a youngster... Don't they grow blow up so fast these days

Latchy · 03-02-2013 11:07pm

Stained Class wrote: »

A very disturbed man thrust into the spotlight because he was good at playing Soccer.

Indulged at every turn because of it & spat out at the other end when his playing days were over.

He's only a year older than me & feels his life is over.

Very sad.

That sums him up and if anything George Best dying the way he did could have been the wake up call for him .Very sad indeed .

Stained Class · 03-02-2013 11:17pm

Latchy wrote: »

That sums him up and if anything George Best dying the way he did could have been the wake up call for him .Very sad indeed .

I sometimes think the kind of attention he recieved from the media would have tested the mentality of the most sane & stable person.

A couple of years ago I read the book 'Gazza My Story' & it brought it home to me how disturbed he really was/ is.

A real lost soul.

NIMAN · 03-02-2013 11:19pm

He's on borrowed time.

woodoo · 03-02-2013 11:19pm

He seems obsessed with getting people to laugh at him too. Being the centre of attention and the joker.

He is a mess now.

Handsome Bob · 03-02-2013 11:28pm

It's hard to tell what comes first, the addiction or the mental health problem. It's different for each person. It's especially hard to judge in Gazza's case as while I think the drink obviously ruined his career, I don't think he was ever conditioned to handle the fame and pressure his talent brought him.

Stained Class · 03-02-2013 11:47pm

NIMAN wrote: »

He's on borrowed time.

S. De Sousa wrote: »

It's hard to tell what comes first, the addiction or the mental health problem. It's different for each person. It's especially hard to judge in Gazza's case as while I think the drink obviously ruined his career, I don't think he was ever conditioned to handle the fame and pressure his talent brought him.

From reading his book, I think he was a disturbed individual from almost day 1.

Personally, I'd never blame drink for anybody's downfall.

Most of us can have a drink & can overdo it sometimes, but yet carry on & have a normal life.

The question is, why did he drink so much in the first place?

Ruudi_Mentari · 03-02-2013 11:57pm

Gazza likes a laugh, a drink... cameraderie with the boys the archetypal clown I could only hope to be. You hear about life after football, or rather lack-of and gazza suffered alright -

his nervous system is destroyed from booze too. He's a mess...

Melion · 04-02-2013 12:00am

Trust that ****ing rag to use a "story" like that to sell papers. Absolute scum is all they are.

04-02-2013 12:06am

Stained Class wrote: »

From reading his book, I think he was a disturbed individual from almost day 1.

Personally, I'd never blame drink for anybody's downfall.

Most of us can have a drink & can overdo it sometimes, but yet carry on & have a normal life.

The question is, why did he drink so much in the first place?

Well, some people have a greater predisposition to addiction than others, all things aren't equal when it comes to addictive substances.

The guy seems to have rather delicate mental health, which might have come either before or after the fame and the addiction. It's very sad he feels his life is over but if he can recover from the addiction and get the right help his life is salvageable.

scudzilla · 04-02-2013 12:10am

Nope, i don't feel sorry for him in the slightest, he's had all the money in the world, been offered help countless times yet carried on drinking. Fcuk him, deserves all he gets

ArtyM · 04-02-2013 12:12am

I find this story so very very sad.
I just don't get how damaged he seems to be - the guy is only 45 and was a highly functioning athlete up until the age of 30 odd.
There are rock stars out there that have lived the rockstar lifestyle for decades and never looked as bad as Gazza does now. He looks like an ill 80year old.
I did see a documentary on him once with Piers Morgan where he admitted to living on nothing but whiskey and cocaine for weeks on end, no food.
He has tried so many times to break his addictions, it really doesn't look like he is winning even the fights, never mind the war.
I wish him well

04-02-2013 12:20am

ArtyM wrote: »

I find this story so very very sad.
I just don't get how damaged he seems to be - the guy is only 45 and was a highly functioning athlete up until the age of 30 odd.
There are rock stars out there that have lived the rockstar lifestyle for decades and never looked as bad as Gazza does now. He looks like an ill 80year old.
I did see a documentary on him once with Piers Morgan where he admitted to living on nothing but whiskey and cocaine for weeks on end, no food.
He has tried so many times to break his addictions, it really doesn't look like he is winning even the fights, never mind the war.
I wish him well

Professionally he functioned well, but in his personal life he was known to be highly physically and mentally abusive to his then wife, and suffered from OCD to a crippling extent most of his adult life. I think I saw that same documentary (or one similar).

He seems to have started from a difficult place and wound up somewhere worse, rather than starting off from a place of normality.

Poor guy seems to have never had a chance, or been able to give himself one. Its very easy to say its all his own fault be nobody knows what goes on inside someone else.

Ruudi_Mentari · 04-02-2013 12:26am

the state of Gazza is one thing but an actual State of Gazza?

Terrifying.. he'd probably employ Raül Moate as border control. Gazza's just nuts since birth I accept that

mewe · 04-02-2013 12:28am

scudzilla wrote: »

Nope, i don't feel sorry for him in the slightest, he's had all the money in the world, been offered help countless times yet carried on drinking. Fcuk him, deserves all he gets

Thats the most ridiculous post i've seen since i joined boards!
You obviously haven't a clue about alcoholism so shouldn't be making stupid posts on the subject or about people who are suffering with it. Whats him having money or being offered help got to do with anything. Your post is simply daft.

dd972 · 04-02-2013 12:30am

You always have to be a bit skeptical with this sort of tabloid coverage, he was pissed and worse for wear like millions of people across the four nations on a Saturday night, the next day he'd have been sober again, it's just that when you see 'GAZZA NEAR THE END' in big black inch high letters they're usually just trying to sell their 'newspapers'.

PhlegmyMoses · 04-02-2013 12:31am

ArtyM wrote: »

I find this story so very very sad.
I just don't get how damaged he seems to be - the guy is only 45 and was a highly functioning athlete up until the age of 30 odd.
There are rock stars out there that have lived the rockstar lifestyle for decades and never looked as bad as Gazza does now. He looks like an ill 80year old.
I did see a documentary on him once with Piers Morgan where he admitted to living on nothing but whiskey and cocaine for weeks on end, no food.
He has tried so many times to break his addictions, it really doesn't look like he is winning even the fights, never mind the war.
I wish him well

There is a difference between what a lot of these rock stars were doing and what Gazza was doing. Paul Merson was saying that when he moved to Middlesborough, he lived with Gazza for the first few months. He was saying that that they used to play this game where they'd keep taking sleeping pills and drinking copious amounts of spirits and whoever fell asleep first was the "loser". For a similar level of alcohol abuse in the rock and roll world, look at Ozzy Osbourne. He is probably where Gazza could be if he got his **** together - still alive but clearly affected by his past indiscretions.

scudzilla · 04-02-2013 12:36am

mewe wrote: »

Thats the most ridiculous post i've seen since i joined boards!
You obviously haven't a clue about alcoholism so shouldn't be making stupid posts on the subject or about people who are suffering with it. Whats him having money or being offered help got to do with anything. Your post is simply daft.

i know plenty about alcoholism, the guy has had countless offers of help, could afford the best rehab clinics etc, but no, it was HIS CHOICE to continue to pour that crap down his neck, so tough titties

mattser · 04-02-2013 12:37am

mewe wrote: »

Thats the most ridiculous post i've seen since i joined boards!
You obviously haven't a clue about alcoholism so shouldn't be making stupid posts on the subject or about people who are suffering with it. Whats him having money or being offered help got to do with anything. Your post is simply daft.

+1 mewe. His goal V Scotland will live long after us and him. I wish him well.

GRMA · 04-02-2013 12:38am

Remember he showed up with the larger and the chicken during the Moat thing when your man went on a rampage?

PhlegmyMoses · 04-02-2013 12:41am

scudzilla wrote: »

i know plenty about alcoholism, the guy has had countless offers of help, could afford the best rehab clinics etc, but no, it was HIS CHOICE to continue to pour that crap down his neck, so tough titties

He clearly has mental problems, though. Lee Sharpe tells a story about him playing for England that's hilarious but also kid of sad, if looked at in light of everything we know about him now:

"Gazza's nerves would start creeping in three days before a game. He'd get easily bored and restless and he was hyper. We were in this huge posh hotel in Hertfordshire, and he's going stir crazy. He's down stairs playing table tennis with the kids in the hotel, talking to anybody who will listen to him. Anyways, on the day of the match Graham taylor calls a players meeting at 11a.m. About 10.30a.m. Gazza goes down to the hotel kitchen and gets 3/4 loaves of bread. He walks out of the dining room and through a door that leads into the gardens, and down to a pond outside which had a resident family of ducks. He picks at the bread and starts feeding it to them in the pond. Then, he starts feeding them outside the pond and makes a trail of bread which leads back to the hotel. The Ducks leave the pond and begin to follow the trail. Gazza all the time laying the trail of bread. The Doorman at the hotel doesn't know what to make of this as Gazza leads the ducks through the main entrance with all the guests looking amazed at what they are seeing. He lays the trail up to the room where Taylor is about to begin his team talk. His jaw drops as in walks Gazza, still laying the bread trail and these ducks are following him round the table squaking and ****ting as they go. The lads are absolutely rolling over laughing at him and Taylor yells at him telling him to stop pissing around and get them out of the place. Gazza fumes at Taylor and says "these ****in' ducks are me mates right, leave 'em alone. Don't you be so nasty to them". The lads are in uproar and he eventually starts the bread trail back all the way back through the hotel and back down to the pond. When they get back down there, the ducks jump back in the pond. Gazza, wearing his full England tracksuit was not going to be outdone, so in he jumped with them - he didn't want to be without his new found friends! He's a lovely guy but totally ****ing barmy!"!

Doc Ruby · 04-02-2013 12:50am

Alcohol is a painkiller, like most drugs. Lots of roads end in that cul de sac, many of them blameless, but the result is always the same at the finish. In his case I reckon he just doesn't want to look in the mirror anymore.

A quick primer for those who aren't aware:

Alcohol destroys your ablity to reach REM sleep, this is why recovering alcoholics have such terrible nightmares
Failing to reach REM sleep destroys your ability to remember things, leading to dementia in the long term
Alcohol leaves permanent scarring on your internal organs
Alcohol abuse can have enormous detrimental effects on your ablity to function with the rest of the world not to mention your health in an impressive variety of ways
Drinking a bottle of wine a night is alcohol abuse
Alcohol can be enjoyed responsibly, with friends and food, nine pints of beer in one sitting is abuse of the substance

Stained Class · 04-02-2013 1:32am

Candie wrote: »

The guy seems to have rather delicate mental health, which might have come either before or after the fame and the addiction. It's very sad he feels his life is over but if he can recover from the addiction and get the right help his life is salvageable.

I find it sad that someone my age feels their life is over.

God, I lived in England in 1990 & He was the biggest thing in thing world at the time.

All these years later, I feel I have so much to live for & he doesn't.

It's really sad.

Lapin · 04-02-2013 5:35am

scudzilla wrote: »

Nope, i don't feel sorry for him in the slightest, he's had all the money in the world, been offered help countless times yet carried on drinking. Fcuk him, deserves all he gets

Thats a very heartless thing to say. Would you say the same thing about Paul McGrath ?

It may be true that Gascoigne brought a lot of his problems upon himself but he has always been a vulnerable figure who was badly managed while in his prime.

He was one of the best and most charismatic footballers of his time and always wore his heart on his sleeve. He owes nothing to the game and football was all the better for having him around whether you followed his clubs/country or not.

I really hope what happened to him wouldn't occur with today's generation of players. People may complain that they are spoilt and mollycoddled. But I'd like to think that some of that over protection is bourne out of the clubs ensuring their players are being prepared for stability after retirement.

Where are all Gazza'a 'friends' and other hangers on now? Those who were happy to leech off his success when he was doing well. And where are the great clubs and country he brought so much to? Surely they owe him some support.

scudzilla · 04-02-2013 5:42am

I feel very strongly against alcoholism, and anybody sucked into it, it's hit people close to me very hard. For someone who had chance after chance to get straight, and to carry on pouring it down his neck, i couldn't give a damn.

Heartless, maybe, realistic, most definitely

Lionel Messy · 04-02-2013 6:28am

He should leave England. It's not the place for him. He should move to Morocco like Ringo Star did, less temptation.

deco nate · 04-02-2013 6:33am

GRMA wrote: »

Remember he showed up with the larger and the chicken during the Moat thing when your man went on a rampage?

it was fish an chips an a can o newcastle brown ale

Mr_Spaceman · 04-02-2013 5:30pm

If you read his book, Gazza has had mental problems from an early age.

Now, with the lack of football and adulation, he really doesn't have a focus in life. I just hope he can fully focus on getting through this.

An addictive personality, an over-eagerness to please and the knowledge that he is yesterday's hero is taking it's toll, sadly.

He also admitted that he actually drank himself into alcoholism and wasn't much of a drinker in his playing days, particularly at the outset.

While George Best appeared to be a 'happy' drunk (if you can say that), with Gazza it's the opposite.

As a Rangers supporter, I loved watching Gazza. He lit up Scottish football, was part of a fantastic 9-in-a-row team and gave us moments we'll always remember.

The so-called agent who dragged him out to a public function in that state is an absolute disgrace and should be ashamed of himself.

It's all very, desperately, sad and I hope he can somehow get over this.

Good luck bonny lad.

Menas · 04-02-2013 6:16pm

His agent ,Baker, said that they tried to get him to not go on stage last thursdsy but there was no talking to him.

I do feel sorry for Gazza.It seems to me that he does not have the emotional intelligence or maturity to get to grips with his life and reality. I don't know if Jimmy five bellies is still on the scene but those types of hangers on were leeches.
He is looking fatter these days so perhaps he solved that bulimia problem that he had. He looked very skinny for a few years there.

Oranage2 · 04-02-2013 6:20pm

Couldn't watch that clip for more than 20 seconds, truly horrific.

As for gazza, I don't really have any sympathy for him, I always thought he came across very poorly in interviews or public appearances.

woodoo · 04-02-2013 7:56pm

dd972 wrote: »

You always have to be a bit skeptical with this sort of tabloid coverage, he was pissed and worse for wear like millions of people across the four nations on a Saturday night, the next day he'd have been sober again, it's just that when you see 'GAZZA NEAR THE END' in big black inch high letters they're usually just trying to sell their 'newspapers'.

If you look at the video he is not just a bit worse for the wear like millions of people. He has clearly been on the beer for a prolonged time, he is shaking uncontrollably, sobbing and confused, face and eyes puffed and bloated. He has himself poisoned and his nervous system is in some sort of withdrawals or the like. It looks like he hasn't given his body a break in a while.

Menas · 04-02-2013 8:39pm

He has checked in to some clinic in the US for treatment.

bluewhitehoops · 04-02-2013 9:17pm

The British media need to leave him alone, no chance of that happening!

BraziliaNZ · 04-02-2013 9:28pm

scudzilla wrote: »

I feel very strongly against alcoholism

I have no idea what this means.

Mr_Spaceman · 04-02-2013 10:22pm

Trigger Happy wrote: »

He has checked in to some clinic in the US for treatment.

He has had treatment at a clinic in Arizona before.

Hopefully this will do him the world of good - permanently.

jaffacakesyum · 04-02-2013 10:31pm

scudzilla wrote: »

I feel very strongly against alcoholism, and anybody sucked into it, it's hit people close to me very hard. For someone who had chance after chance to get straight, and to carry on pouring it down his neck, i couldn't give a damn.

Heartless, maybe, realistic, most definitely

I'm sorry that alcoholism has affected people you care about and I'm not denying that is true at all

However, you still know absolutely nothing about alcoholism if your attitude is that if you have tons of money you can buy the best care there is and that's that.

It doesn't work like that my friend. I get the impression you know people who are still affected by alcoholism. If I gave you a million euro right now to help them that doesn't necessarily mean they would stay off the drink.

04-02-2013 11:09pm

Trigger Happy wrote: »

He has checked in to some clinic in the US for treatment.

Since this story was published?

I hope this is the time that works. Poor guy is in a very sad state and its getting very close to being too late.

cometogether · 25-10-2014 7:07pm

More bad news about Gazza, he's been sectioned and placed on an emergency detox program. You can't help but think he's not got long left in him. God love that man and his family http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/other-soccer/fears-for-gazza-as-former-footballer-placed-on-emergency-detox-30692235.html

dd972 · 25-10-2014 7:24pm

If smugfaces like Michael Owen or Gary Lineker had 20% of his problems and Gazza had 80% of their stability, it'd be a far fairer deal.

It's amazing how some people are trouble / controversy free zones from the cradle to the grave and then you get another character like John Terry who all the Gazzaesque stuff happens to and yet he seems to slope through it all impervious to everything.

Tarzana2 · 25-10-2014 7:38pm

cometogether wrote: »

More bad news about Gazza, he's been sectioned and placed on an emergency detox program. You can't help but think he's not got long left in him. God love that man and his family

That can't be him in the photo! :eek: Not only does it not look like him, but it looks like a man twice Gazza's age.

Its Only Ray Parlour · 25-10-2014 7:48pm

Tarzana2 wrote: »

That can't be him in the photo! :eek: Not only does it not look like him, but it looks like a man twice Gazza's age.

You'd think he on meth from that picture.

dmc17 · 25-10-2014 7:58pm

Tarzana2 wrote: »

That can't be him in the photo! :eek: Not only does it not look like him, but it looks like a man twice Gazza's age.

That's him unfortunately. Almost looks like a rubber mask. People trying to help him but it isn't working.

ceadaoin. · 25-10-2014 8:41pm

I think he is beyond help at this stage. He has been to detox and rehab many times. As well as his addiction he is obviously very mentally ill. His body and brain must be very damaged after all these years of severe alcohol abuse.

I just looked up how old he is, can't believe only 47. He looks at least 60 in that recent pic.

muddypaws · 25-10-2014 8:51pm

dd972 wrote: »

If smugfaces like Michael Owen or Gary Lineker had 20% of his problems and Gazza had 80% of their stability, it'd be a far fairer deal.

I think thats really unfair, people deal with things in different ways. Lineker had a very sick child when he was still playing, so he has had problems to deal with.

Being a Spurs supporter living in London with a season ticket, I saw Gazza play a lot, always admired him and am so saddened by what is happening to him.

My name is URL · 25-10-2014 8:54pm

GRMA wrote: »

Remember he showed up with the larger and the chicken during the Moat thing when your man went on a rampage?

I know what's happening to him is awful, but that was one of the most hilarious and surreal things I've ever seen reported

Smidge · 25-10-2014 10:22pm

Very sad to see anyone in that state.
Tbh it's a miracle he is still alive.

When people get to Gazza's state??

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