john@staustell wrote:Surely he was being treated for alcoholism? Is that a mental illness, or is it just going on the piss every day? There are times in my life I've drunk every day, when I was younger especially. There are also times when I've got to play County 'B' squash by sheer application, and football, not drinking. Surely most people have had stages in this and certainly mates that go OTT- you need to pull yourself out of it. Root causes of it are having nothing to do/no interest, the time available and the money to pay for it. He had all, but not the mental drive to get fit and avoid it. I'm pretty sure the injuries were caused by lack of application after other injuries - as suggested by his 'treated for some years'.
Some people can, some people cant, it's all about character.
I agree with some of your post but I think this entire "pulling yourself up by your own boot straps"-thing is overrated, or at least not applicable in every moment of one's life. In my experience, it's often the pulling yourself up part that leads to increased depression and continuation of one's misery. Accepting one's one weakness and just laying low, resting, talking those shit boring long walks and letting oneself take the time to heal is equally useful, depending one the case.
Pulling through depression and mental illness, or alcoholism, as a general method for getting better, does not work.
In fact, trying too much when you're exhausted from depression or whatever psychological illness that you may have, is what slays people. Really.
