<p>Mel Gibson has the disease of addiction. He has a brain disease recognized by the medical profession. It is not the same as mental illness. I have no idea if he also suffers from a co-occurring disorder (eighty percent of people who have addiction do).</p>
<p>When people are drinking or using, it can take some time for them to stabilize. That Gibson was not slurring does not indicate he is in recovery. His words and actions do not mean that he is evil. He is a sick man (no doubt about it). </p>
<p>Don’t take your limited view of alcoholics, your thoughts on old Uncle Harold who was sweet when he staggered, and think that applies to everyone. You also haven’t spent every waking moment with dear Uncle Harold, so you have no idea where his path has taken him. Everyone is different, but Gibson’s behavior is not at all out of the ordinary for someone who has been struggling with maintaining recovery for decades. AA rooms across the globe are filled with people trying to make amends for the wrongs they committed before achieving sobriety.</p>
<p>This is what addiction looks like, folks. The whole dopamine/reward system completely out of whack. Not enough dopamine receptors. The mid brain highjacking executive functions and turning someone into a monster. A high percentage of people sent to prison have this disease. THEY ARE NOT BAD PEOPLE. They are sick people. Most domestic violence and crime involves alcohol or drug use. We are all paying for it, at the very least financially.</p>
<p>Something good can come out of Mel Gibson’s troubles. The public can become educated on a disease which affects TEN PERCENT of the population at some point in their lives. No one can say that they have been unaffected by the disease of addiction, either directly or indirectly.</p>
<p>Instead of throwing Gibson in the pond to see if he floats, why not focus the outrage by making a financial contribution to organizations which are researching this disease?</p>