Alcoholism and psychosis

[IrnBruAddict]

I just wondered if anyone had any experience of this they'd be willing to share. My brother (35) has been an alcoholic for at least 15 years, has had countless hospital visits, is divorced from his wife and has been unable to work for 4-5 years now. He was taken in by my parents about 4 years ago (when his wife left him) where he has (IMO) not had to face up to any of his problems and their consequences.

Anyway, he's been admitted to hospital tonight suffering from paranoid delusions - I should say that my info is from my parents and is still rather hazy and vague and not yet fully diagnosed, but I wondered if anyone had experienced this side of alcoholism? I'm fairly certain he hasn't been attempting to stop drinking, and so it's probably not caused by withdrawal.

I'm about 300 miles away from him and my parents and am going round in circles trying to work out what's happening to him (and desperately trying to avoid Dr google)!

Any stories to share really would be appreciated.

I don't really have a story to share but wanted to say I am so sorry that your family is going through this.
I knew a guy some years ago who couldn't drink at all ever, because he suffered from psychosis - and if he did drink it all got very out of hand very, very quickly.
This situation sounds long-term though and what he is suffering could well be long term damage to his nervous system and his brain from the drinking.
Equally he could have a dependency on drink due to his psychological problems.
Can you speak to the hospital? Can your parents?

I'm so sorry your family including your brother are affected by this awful disease ,there is still so much stigma and judgement attached to it .

I don't have much help to offer but wonder if the Al Anon society for relatives of alcoholics could offer any advice or support
www.al-anon.alateen.org/

Good luck and keep strong ,I do feel for you .

Thank you both for your replies. I haven't heard any news this morning so I don't know if that's good or bad. It's so hard being so far away from them!

I keep meaning to go to an Al-Anon meeting but then putting it off for some reason. I'll need to try again, I think.