Hello FredG,
First let me say, Welcome to SR!
I can tell you that none of the individual forums here are physically closed to registered members. That said, there are separate forums for a reason--those for people who struggle with addiction to alcohol or other substances, those whose lives are affected by a friend or family member who is addicted, and separate forums for men and women.
Perhaps a few things to keep in mind for anyone who posts in a forum that is not on "their side", so to speak.
Please share from your own experience. If I let someone know what worked for me from my own experience, I am sharing. If I repeat myself over and over because someone just 'isn't getting it', then I'm trying to control that person.
If you are responding to a post, try to take the time to read the Original Poster's story. When I keep this in mind, for example, I'm not likely to tell a woman who has been emotionally, verbally, and physically abused by her alcoholic husband that she did not try hard enough to help him --merely because I have only read one of her posts.
I try to keep in mind that the people posting on SR are NOT the one(s) who hurt me, so it is not fair for me to take out any pent-up stress or anger on anyone here.
Ultimately, we all have the same goal--to have peaceful and joyous lives! In order to keep things peaceful, for now, this thread is closed.
Peace in the valley,
Hydrogirl