Robin , Sorry to see he won't turn loose the bottle . As you know , I'm a drunk myself . I really don't understand his thinking either . Drinking to get away from feeling the pain ( Emotional or physical ) is the first thought that comes to mind but once you've been down the road of near death and still use that crutch it's kinda hard to see the reasoning . Another thought is that he has given up . If I dwelt on things ( and I have ) for any length of time about
the future the options seem very bleak and at minimal painful . Hard to get those thoughts out of your mind when they get started . Alcohol is a cheap legal pain killer for a alcoholic .
It's kinda like trying to tell a teenager that life goes on after a breakup or something . No matter how much you assure them this is just a chapter in a huge book , they think it's the end of the world . Of course Marks issue is a lot more serious and it is the end of his world as he knows it . Crying , Begging and pleading only makes him feel guilty for a moment and you can't keep that up for long before he figures it out . What to do ? I just don't know for sure . Leaving him to his own demise would be my first thought . That's always easier said than done . Things have a way of working themselves out and this is no exception . Generally speaking it takes most people a few hard whacks before they come to the conclusion they are fighting a uphill battle , I hope that isn't the case for you and Mark .
Ziff