Brother Suspended, Need Advice!

Northstarmom
Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:55:43 +0000

"As for the disciplinary aspect of the story, I have no idea. All I know is that I saw the report and it seems that being hospitalized twice is very very serious at Syracuse. That obviously would make sense, but I don’t understand why the University didn’t at least put him on probation first. "

Being hospitalized even once for an alcohol problem is very serious because the problem could have resulted in your brother’s death. Being hospitalized twice indicates an extremely serious problem. I think that the college wants your brother to face up to his alcohol problem and get some kind of help before he dies due to an overdose.

I haven’t read the whole thread, so I don’t know if anyone referred you to the CC member who died of alcohol intoxication last year. The student had posted even on the parents boards saying that he drank heavily, but felt he could handle it. Parents – including one who is a doctor who has dealt with alcohol intoxication – told him that he was risking death. The student scoffed at the parents, saying he knew how to handle his liquor, and anyway, his friends would help him if his drinking caused a medical problem.

The student (who went by the name “Lucifer” plus some numbers afterward) ended up dying of alcohol intoxication while visiting friends at University of Virginia. The student was a Cornell freshman. You probably can still find the actual news stories about his death (including one that detailed his long history of alcohol problems) by Googling. You also can find info in the CC archives.

It’s wonderful that you love your brother and wish to help him. As part of your help, please let him know that his drinking is causing serious problems, and could lead to his death or other serious health problems. You also may wish to check out Al-Anon, the free, anonymous support group for people who are concerned about a loved one’s drinking.http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/english.html