It's a crying shame.

I tell my friend Julie that she needs to fall in love. With herself. And a good start would be to stop drinking. To acknowledge that she's become an alcoholic. Because of her inability to cope with the rigors of caring for her dementia-riddled parents. They have both died. Which could be a blessing. For Julie. That is, if she got back to a normal way of living. Instead, Julie remains distraught and in depression. And continues to drink. It's a vicious circle.  The drinking drives her deeper into depression. And the depression prompts her to drink. Therefore, Julie's situation goes from bad to worse. Julie needs to go into rehab. For an extended period. But she refuses to go. My most fervent wish is that Julie be forced into treatment, By court order, if necessary. But that's not the way the system works. It's a crying shame. Julie will be allowed to drink herself to death. --Jim Broede