>Actually you can argue all day as to whether alcoholism is a disease.
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>What matters is that it tends to do well from specific treatment, often starting with an intervention to get people to put their first foot over the line.
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>Can people take the first step themselves? Some can. I believe some strong-minded individuals here could. But not everybody.
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>FWIW, Mike Beane is a gentleman. I was for with him for about a week in 2012. He was sober the whole time and was an absolute winner to have around- so much so that salespeople asked for his involvement again the next year. I'm hoping that somebody has a lever to get him into rehab and onto the path to redemption, because he is worth it.

While it's sad that hes fading like that, it's his life. Make him comfortable and allow him to end his life on his terms. There is no way he can bear what he has lost beeing sober. He seems not to run around with a gun, and he seems not to propagate to be a boozer. What is the problem?
And the alcohol is just a symptom.

Strong minded people might come to the conclusion not to start drinking that way from start?
While we have other alcohol culture here, I always found it a good idea to switch to water in moments of depression ...