Deb I missed your posts! I'm so sorry....prayers indeed.
Thanks all for the prayers....I will relay them to my son to let him know that people are praying for his step brother. They are pretty close.
My son called last night after he left the hospital. J is going to stay in the hospital for another day or two then going to a detox unit. He should be there about 10 days, he is then supposed to be going to a residential drug/alcohol rehab facility. He has some damage to his liver and pancreas, that may or may not recover. He was at the point were his liver was not even processing the alcohol because it was so saturated. Hopefully he was scared enough by the seizure to realize that he cannot drink again. The drs told him it will kill him if he does. However, he has to
want to quit, he can't be
forced to quit. He told T last night that he thought he had it under control. T told him he obviously didn't. This is coming from my child who has also had his issues with alcohol.
I truly believe that alcoholism is a hereditary problem. My dad was a highly functioning, though quite violent alcoholic. While I drank like most college kids...too much...I have always been very conscious when my alcohol consumption became too frequent for my comfort and it has always ripped my intestional tract when I over indulged. My half brother drank alot in college too, but has been very careful as an adult. My half sister, may have a bit of a problem. My son has had a problem, but age and a DUI and having to attend AA as punishment, made him wake up. My ex's mother was, his brother had a severe drug problem, yet he doesn't (he has other issues

). His wife is a recovering alcoholic(sober 8 yrs...

) and her son has a problem but her daughter doesn't. My sweet of heart's mother did....and he has now been sober 3 yrs (

)
I think if many people really looked at their families...in harsh light...it might help us predict that a problem could easily develop with our children. I honestly thought that because of our family histories that they were witness to...my children would be smart enough to not fall into the trap of addiction. Instead....I should have been hyper-alert and vigilant. It's never been an issue for my daughter. For my ex's niece it has been, but not for her brother.
It doesn't seem to be gender specific...it has to be a chemical thing within the body....and it certainly doesn't have anything to do with economic status or amount of/lack of education....like all those statisticians try to tell us it is. If that was the case...not one of those individuals would ever have had a problem!
I mention all of this because so many here have younger children. If what I have said helps protect just one child....then that's a good thing.