Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

Such a footballing genius, reduced to being detained in a mental health hospital.

Link

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

Sad, looks like the race between brain cells and liver function as to what will give up the ghost first is hotting up.

Perhaps Gazza just entered the Last Chance Saloon. :(

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

'Gazza Goes Gaga' might be a more appropriate thread title ;)

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

He's been in the wilderness since finishing football, he really needs some true friends around him to offer support.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

"Gazza has had undiagnosed manic depression for at least the last decade and is in serious need of help, support and understanding" might be more appropriate.

I have been doing a lot of research on mental illness recently and while I am far from being a psychiatrist, it is saddening to put down a textbook description of classic manic depressive* symptoms, then pick up this afternoon's Daily Record PM and read a big feature on Gazza that basically describes exactly the same pattern of behaviour - up to and including the alcohol abuse and wife-beating.

He has been sectioned and is in a secure psychiatric ward. This is the best place for him at the moment, as a diagnosis and treatment should be possible. In the long term, though, he is going to face a long road to recovery and he will need a close cohort of true friends around him. By which I mean, people who don't think taking him on a drinking binge to help take his mind off it is a good idea.

We can only hope, anyway.

* Professionals tend to call it Bipolar Disorder these days, I confess before I started reading I didn't realise manic depression and bipolar disorder are the same thing.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

There is good news with regard to treating the condition, so much so he could be leading as much a 'normal' life as the rest of us again in the future.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

Indeed - and I've met a couple of people this week who are doing just that. The thing is, it does require support and understanding from family and friends. I just hope Gazza can get that.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

Family and friends are often forgotten in the whole 'episode' in my experience - the more they are involved the better (provided they don't exasperate the situation).

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

Bipolar is a better name for the beast. If only because many lay people seem to think that manically depressed means extremely depressed. Bipolar is less ambiguous in that respect.

If it is 'bipolar' he is suffering from then my understanding is that some people on medication (litihum, usually) find the absence of the lows quite good, but they're less impressed with the absence of the highs. Basically, things become rather bland and boring (in their opinion).

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

I wonder how many of todays entertainers are bipolar? Just off the top of my head I can think of Stephen Fry , Robbie Williams and Britney Spears (suspected IIRC).

BTW, Stephen Fry's excellent documentaries on the subject are worth watching if you can find them, especially as they explain the pros and cons of Bipolar disorder clearly, the pros being (for him) that is a lot more funny when he is on a high, and suffers really bad depression (to the point where he has considered suicide) when he is on a low.

Hope Gazza is able to manage the illness well.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

Not quite as catchy though is it :)

I don't need to research it, one of my best friends suffers from it, to those that don't know him well he is the life and soul of the party, it's only those that really know him that see the 'other' side of it obviously. You're right though, it goes without saying that booze and non prescription drugs will only compound his symptoms.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7383640.stm

More trouble for Gazza :(

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

a great shame and a wasted talent if only gazza had better management he could of been the worlds best

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

Red headed


http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/sm3/m...AAEFA02DD2.jpg

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...008/05/106.jpg

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I thought last night's channel 4 documentary, "Surviving Gazza" was an excellent insight into the problem he faces, and particularly those his addiction has caused for his family.. Well worth watching if you can.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

I saw it last night and thought it was very sad indeed.
What can you do? What could the family do? I feel there is nothing more one can do, you have to help yourself to get better. Once an addict 90% of the time you are always an addict. :(

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

I watched this programme, and felt really sad for the family, but not Gazza, and it is really sad when some critics were saying today, Gazza has brought this on himself, he was a brilliant football, and he ruined his future from the day started getting himself drunk all the time, being a Spurs fan, and for what he did for Spurs, the club have offered help, but l think Gazza will go deeper and deeper into the problem, as from what l saw, he won't get help.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/tvshow...fe-beater.html

he beat up his wife didn't he?

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

Yes, and the programme did talk a little about that..

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

what goes around comes around?

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

eh?

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

he beat up his wife so why should I have any sympathy for his current situation?

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

You have no sympathy for him, fair enough. He has bought this on himself. What about his wife and kids? The documentary I watched wasn't designed to get sympathy for him. While it did document his brief recovery, must of it was about his falling off the wagon, and the impact on them.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

I didn't say I had no sympathy but asked why I should have any? I'm not sure how I feel about him. I asked the question because I'm surprised about the amount of love/sympathy he gets from the press and public despite what he did to his former mrs. It's almost like the press have forgotten what he did to his mrs.


On the one hand, I remember when he beat her up and thought I hope one day he pays in some way for what he did but on the other hand it's not nice seeing anyone in his state. and I dread that if he ever made a full recovery he'd go back to beating up women.

"What about his wife and kids?"
- he isn't married to her anymore? the kids... they are the ones who should be getting the most sympathy.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

What makes me laugh about Gazza's situation is when it was reported that he had a drink problem all his mates buggered off and left him.

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

his 'fair weather' friends did a runner.

(or as my g/f said in a text the other day "fair weathered friends"!)

Re: Gazza's Gone Loopy
 

He's back on the bevy again.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/8416507.stm