Good television.
Redmayne
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Manchester, England, UK.
Posts: 1,543
Good television.
Last night, Fri. channel Five Star television, here in the UK, broadcast a late night program titled,'My name is .... I'm an alcoholic' which was for me 'Good television' i.e. it filled the criteria of being educational, informative and entertaining...
Apart from the initial information it provided, that there are estimated to be 8 million drink dependent people in the UK, with 1,400, 000 registered as such, noting that the former were estimated. Personally I'd suspect the actual figure is much higher...
It had eight people, four men and four women drawn from all walks of life who were both articulate and intelligent taking turns as their progression through the various stages of their descent into 'alcohell' and their eventual recovery progressed.
Covering their drinking, what it cost them, in every area of their lives, hitting their 'rock bottom', recognition and acceptance and their, in all cases, allowing for the odd 'slip', no big deal, get over it, right! Here and there and their eventual path to recovery, which was successful and a credit to them all!
Two things I noted from them all were the initial feelings of hope, once they got into recovery when they realised they were not alone. Second, highlighted by one who used to be the editor of one of our national daily newspapers , the sense of identification he got, which came from no one else, when talking to another alcoholic. You can't buy or fake that and certainly in his and my view it isn't available anywhere else!
It was, perhaps, highlighted by another of those on the program who pointed out that prior to and in his drinking day he never 'fit in' until he got into recovery with others surrounding him that shared his alcoholism.
For me the great joy in watching this program was in the honest, open simplicity in it's presentation and those involved, who, not surprisingly it was reported. Are now nearly all engaged in some sort of activity, in sharing their experience, strength and hope in supporting others suffering from alcoholism.
There wasn't one person, as so often in the 'meeja' (media) of those who live in a fantasyland of their own imagined, self serving, patronising superiority who know all the answers but none of the question. It really was, on a subject close to the heart of many on here, including myself, that rare but unique thing, really good television. A credit to all those who took part in it...
Apart from the initial information it provided, that there are estimated to be 8 million drink dependent people in the UK, with 1,400, 000 registered as such, noting that the former were estimated. Personally I'd suspect the actual figure is much higher...
It had eight people, four men and four women drawn from all walks of life who were both articulate and intelligent taking turns as their progression through the various stages of their descent into 'alcohell' and their eventual recovery progressed.
Covering their drinking, what it cost them, in every area of their lives, hitting their 'rock bottom', recognition and acceptance and their, in all cases, allowing for the odd 'slip', no big deal, get over it, right! Here and there and their eventual path to recovery, which was successful and a credit to them all!
Two things I noted from them all were the initial feelings of hope, once they got into recovery when they realised they were not alone. Second, highlighted by one who used to be the editor of one of our national daily newspapers , the sense of identification he got, which came from no one else, when talking to another alcoholic. You can't buy or fake that and certainly in his and my view it isn't available anywhere else!
It was, perhaps, highlighted by another of those on the program who pointed out that prior to and in his drinking day he never 'fit in' until he got into recovery with others surrounding him that shared his alcoholism.
For me the great joy in watching this program was in the honest, open simplicity in it's presentation and those involved, who, not surprisingly it was reported. Are now nearly all engaged in some sort of activity, in sharing their experience, strength and hope in supporting others suffering from alcoholism.
There wasn't one person, as so often in the 'meeja' (media) of those who live in a fantasyland of their own imagined, self serving, patronising superiority who know all the answers but none of the question. It really was, on a subject close to the heart of many on here, including myself, that rare but unique thing, really good television. A credit to all those who took part in it...
Redmayne
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Manchester, England, UK.
Posts: 1,543
Nb.
I've just done an online check on the critics response to the program, it's described as 'groundbreaking' and not being to technically minded. Hey, I'm an 'alkie' right! I think you can watch the whole or part of it on one of those You Tube thingies, worth, for those interested, having a look...
Redmayne
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Manchester, England, UK.
Posts: 1,543
Thank you...
Thank you, one suggestion to help you is that if you Google the title of the program, 'My name is.... I'm an alcoholic,' there are links on it to the programme together with the critical response, which is quite positive in it's praise .... for it and the participants...
Redmayne
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Manchester, England, UK.
Posts: 1,543
Well worth watching...
It really is well worth watching, not least for the credibility of the men and women, in recovery who took part. Proven by the fact, as one of them says in the programme, one alcoholic can identify with another can do, you can't buy or fake that...
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