The Dutch teletekst had an article about Ronnie Wood. This normally is a pretty reliable source, but I've got my doubts about this one..

This is a translation of the article:

Ron Wood, the guitarist for the Rolling Stones said he has lost his long lasting battle with alcohol. He sometimes manages not to touch the booze for a few days, but afterwards he always falls back into the addiction. Wood did manage to cut down his nicotine addiction by half.

Sounds real enough to me...

At the end of the day it is not easy to give up alcohol because it is socially acceptable. If you're in a rock n roll band your almost expected to drink!

I found it quite easy to give up cigarettes because nowadays in Britain, you are a social lepor if you smoke (although it was hard when I was down the pub after a few drinks). However, drinking is something else altogether.

Not a lot of people get it done the first time they try. If he is able to drink socially, all the power to him. I don't think he has the ability to keep it at bay, though. Hopefully he's taking care of himself.

I trust this source. It's a pity... but it's expectable. Most of us knew he wouldn't get it done.

He also still smokes a whole package of cigarettes a day. And all the extensive druguse he used to do(or maybe still does)... I think he'll be fortunate if he makes it to 60.

I hope this is not true. Ronnie is an inspiration to those of us who are sober and wish to remain so. The alternative is death and it isn't pretty.

There was a similar article in german newspaper yesterday. Seems like Woody said in an interview, that he gave up the battle against alcohol.
Sad but true...

Whatever, comparing Ron on Licks - some fine moments, in US, but lower in mix than KR (or CL) - & the opening show Sunday it is evident he has regained some confidence w/in the band. He never smoked that I saw during the 2 hour 15 minute show, was right out there in the mix w/ Keith, w/Leavell much lower than last few tours, & he was not goofing off or mugging, in fact there was much more communication/interaction w/ Keith. I hope Ron keeps it together because they sounded great & both RW & CW rejuvenated.

Alcohol is a psychological, not a physical addiction
like tobacco. I wish him well. A lot of it is in your
head. Let's hope he finds the focus to tackle this
demon, even though he might be suffering a relapse.

For what it's worth, he did look pretty drunk more
than a few times coming out of rehearsals.
Sometimes they even seemed to be propping
him up to get to the car. Other times
he seemd quite lucid, so who knows......

Didn't Mick once threaten to toss him from
the band if he didn't get a handle on this.......?

I think the source for this information was the german newspaper "Bild am Sonntag".

He was threatened in '81 or '82 when he had a serious freebase addiction.

>Alcohol is a psychological, not a physical addiction
like tobacco.

Just for the record: the newest opinion in pharmcological sciences is, that there is no difference between physiological and physical addiction. Neurological changes in tobacco addiction are identical with those in heroin addiction, which shows why it is so difficult to stop smoking...

Anyway, I wish him well too. Keep on rolling, Ronnie!

BILD AM SONNTAG is definitly NOT a reliable source. the interview or parts of it can be true, but don’t have to, if it comes from this gossip paper.

I hope this is not true, too, UGot2Rollme. Every few years we see articles saying that Ronnie is at death's door but fortunately he stays still with us.I know the problem is very serious, but is now Ronnie saying that his situation is so tragic, or not?

Ronnie we wish you the best. Be strong man...

I dunno Charlie, I had to quit both,
and with the tobacco you can physically
feel your skin crawl as you go thru withdrawal,,
and even years later never truly shake the urge.
With booze you may feel blah, but it passes,
and aside from social pressure perhaps,
its pretty easy going afterwards.
The improvement in the way you
feel and perform in life
is soon self evident,
in both cases perhaps,
but I think more immediately
once you quit drinking.Either
way, it's a question of will power,
but with the tobacco, there's an
actaul addictive substance in your
veins, not so with booze..................

Great to see Ronnie Sunday. Joking around. Reminds me of what Keith said at the Four Flicks. Something like: "Sometime we have to tell Ronnie that we're not supposed to be happy all the time". He is just one happy chap, sober or not!

Have fun tonight. I'm sadly back in Norway.
Now, how do I post pictures here...

TE
Oslo

I really hope this is not true and I agree with Klaus that "Bild am Sonntag" is definitely NOT a reliable source. It's like the German "Sun".

Buddy Young Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Dutch teletekst had an article about Ronnie
> Wood. This normally is a pretty reliable source,
> but I've got my doubts about this one..
>
> This is a translation of the article:
>
> Ron Wood, the guitarist for the Rolling Stones
> said he has lost his long lasting battle with
> alcohol. He sometimes manages not to touch the
> booze for a few days, but afterwards he always
> falls back into the addiction. Wood did manage to
> cut down his nicotine addiction by half.


This is such rubbish...

If you reach age 60 and you are "managing" your drinking, then how bad can his "addiction" be ??

If Ronnie has "lost his battle with alcohol" then what the ^%$#@! does that say about KEITH ??

Keith is 10x more screwed up than Ronnie, IMO.

They're 2 very functional alcoholics from what I can see...

Let em be and let 'em play !

This is the interview in "Bild am Sonntag"
(in german language):

[www.bild.t-online.de]

Davido, I happy that your alcohol withdrawl went so well, however, as an MD, I have to disagree with you.

Ever hear of delerium tremors? That is the medical term for "seeing pink elephants." As somone that has had to work with the addicted in various points of my careeer, let me tell you that for the seriously long term heavy drinker, withdrawl of alcohol is indeed a very physical and emotional event. Of all the addictions that are regularly treated, the only one that is considerd a PHYISCAL THREAT by health care providoes is alcohol. Cessation of drinking can even cause violent siezures, and detox units are prepared for this. It is common to have a long term alcohlic hallucinate, shake, sweat, or any other of a number of physical symptoms.The ethanol molecule is a foreign substance in your blood that is very addictive. But teh addiction is insidous. The actual phyiscal addiction comes only after the person is often known as the local or family drunk, And in fact, in my teachings from Medical School through Residency, we were told that alcohol withdrawl on the rare occasion is violent enough to be fatal.

Really, relapse is to be expected. It doesn't mean that he is a lost cause, even if it is true. To truly give up drinking or drugs forever takes quite a number of tries before it sticks for good.

Keef telling Ronnie he had a drinking problem is akin to Gregg Allman telling Dickie Betts he had a drug problem. The pot calling the kettle black!!!

Kahoosier!

Thanks for sharing this insight. I suppose like some people
my age I quit as I started to notice serious problems,
but for those who cross that line and keep on
going, it would seem that the effects,
as you describe, can be a lot worse.

Do you think Keith and or Ronnie would experience
the alcohol withdrawal as described?

davido Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kahoosier!
>
> Thanks for sharing this insight. I suppose like
> some people
> my age I quit as I started to notice serious
> problems,
> but for those who cross that line and keep on
> going, it would seem that the effects,
> as you describe, can be a lot worse.
>
> Do you think Keith and or Ronnie would experience
> the alcohol withdrawal as described?


Davido:

Your drinking pattern may have been more like "binge drinking" than "daily alcoholism" for lack of a better latter term.

I think that binge drinkers don't have as strong a withdrawal symptomology as the steady daily drinkers do.

Bingers may have more of a psychological pattern to deal with.

One guy's opinion.

I recently heard that drinking a little too much regularly is worse for you than occasional binge drinking... or was it the other way around???

now playing: "let's go" - the cars

Not necessarily. I got sober on the first try, and celebrate 10 years of sobriety in October. The secret weapon for me was AA. For celebrities, I guess it's harder to go that route, but not impossible. Anyway, it's a shame about his relapse, if true, because no matter how "creative" one may think chemicals make one, it (1) isn't true, and (2) one's health is going to suffer and it WILL eventually kill. I wish Ronnie all the best... Jimmy

Yes! we certainly only wish him
the best, and hope he still has
many years to rock and roll
with the Stones!

bigbang!

Someone once explained it in terms of colours.
Booze or drugs make everything very bright, loud
in colour, and thge high may seem stunning. But
it lacks subtleties. Once you stop using the
artifical stimulants, your life may seem
colourless at first. But unhindered
the colours will return, if not
even more vibrant and healthier.
You can see/ feel / hear them
on your own, they are everywhere,
in good times with friends, even
a concert, a favourite tune, whatever
it is that naturally turns your crank.
You are no longer destroying yourself,
and your senses too enjoy this buzz,
and you can turn it on and off,
you are in charge, not it.....................

A little too abstract perhaps. Does this make any sense?
Well anyway, works for me. I think if anything I enjoy
the natural high, for example a Stones concert,
more now, and I don't get in so much trouble,
and I can remember everything the next day. ;-)

I wish him well as well.
And even if he relapses, it doesn't mean he has lost the battle.
As long as there's life, there's hope!

If what Ron has told us about the doc's diagnosis, then IMo it is more than important for him to quit 100%. The way he was drinking he had to go through some serious withdrawal had he really quit for good cold turkey. I bet Keith too would feel pretty adventurous would he just cut it out tomorrow.
Kahoosier, I have also worked with addicts and saw that addictions to specifically a) Methadone (Not Heroin), and b) Xanax are taken VERY seriously bt the medical staff. In a physical sense. Seizures etc.

Ron should get real,about this. As much as I love him I don't have much patience with someone who has all the starting advantages, plus who has seen firsthand what havoc it can wreak.

My guess is that Keith would definitely need to be watched for 72 hours IF he were to go completely alcohol free. I beleive at the very he would least develop some shakes. Hazarding another guess, I would bet Ronnie already went through at least one tough detox, maybe not all the way to hallucinations and seizures, but maybe he did and it has been kept quite. Most of the big centers such as the one he used wth medical supervisison have a "detox unit" or wing. The lingo is that you are not sober until clean for 1 year, and you cannot be clean without detoxing, and standard detox , while not written in stone, is about three days. If you can go three days in detox without the bad physical side effects, then you are usually ready to "enter the mileau, the therapeutic community," so that now you can begin to pick up the emotional and intellectual tools needed to stay clean.

Most centers, including from what I hear the place Ron used ( and I forget the name) use tradional 12 step programs, AA, NA, etc. Two decades ago...opps longer I forgot how old I was hahaha, I went the route of what is called Rational Recovery, a bit less precehy and long winded. Each person has to find his own solution.