Paul Gascoigne Addiction
While Paul Gascoigne was once known as one of Britain’s greatest footballers, his personal life and struggles captured the most headlines. His struggle with addiction was watched by the world back in 2014 when he attended rehab and later spoke publicly about how his alcoholism impacted his life. Gascoigne has spoken widely about the extremes he has gone to prevent himself from drinking again, including surgery.
While many celebrities are reluctant to talk about their addictions and time in rehab and recovery, Paul has been vocal about his journey in order to help others. The former football legend has given interviews and even written a book about his addiction to offer insight into addiction and mental illness.
Paul Gascoigne’s Addiction Story
Paul Gascoigne’s childhood was marred by significant tragedy and loss. His family struggled financially and with illness, as well as the deaths of several friends in his teens. He was also arrested for a driving offence and started gambling. It was gambling that was his first addiction and led him to commit crimes such as theft to fund his obsession.
Football Career
During his football career, Gascoigne remained a drinker and overeater. He would binge and then purge in order to remain in shape for games. However, this grew increasingly difficult, and eventually, his party lifestyle and public exposure of his drinking and eating issues led him to be dropped from the England team for the FIFA World Cup 1998.
Gascoigne and Rehab
This was the year that Paul would first attend rehab at the priory centre. Although he checked out early of the Priory and later returned to be sent to rehab in the USA, Paul Gascoigne was in and out of inpatient and outpatient care for the remainder of his life.
Coaching Career
Upon leaving the England team, Gazza, as he is known, started coaching with various different clubs. However, as always, his alcohol addiction continued to haunt him. His drinking is speculated to be the reason for at least one of his dismissals as a coach.
Gascoigne was arrested numerous times for driving under the influence of alcohol and abusive behaviour while drunk.
Despite trying many extreme procedures, such as having pellets sewn into his stomach to make him sick when he drank. A procedure widely believed to use the anti-alcohol drug Antabuse, Gazza also mentioned a treatment that bore similarity to Naltrexone.
Depression and Alcoholism Hand in Hand
Paul Gascoigne suffered from alcohol-related depression, as so many people with an addiction do. In rehab, Gascoigne would have received a dual diagnosis. This means someone with an addiction and mental health problems.
The Priory was the first to recognize and diagnose him with bipolar disorder. People with Bipolar are much more likely to have a drinking problem, with 60% struggling with problem drinking during their lives.
People like Paul Gascoigne may have been struggling with bipolar their entire lives. Alcohol can provide temporary relief to people with this condition, easing anxiety and mania in the short term. However, in the long term, drinking to excess makes the problem worse and leads to Gazza being sectioned more than once under the Mental Health Act for his own safety.
Continuing Struggle
Like many people with an addiction, Paul Gascoigne has continued to struggle with sobriety. His desperation to stop himself has been well documented in the press and his own books. Despite attending AA (alcoholics anonymous) and 7 times in rehab, Paul has had relapses. What he hasn’t done is give up trying. His resolve remains to stay sober for the rest of his life. When it comes to alcoholism, relapse is just another step on the ladder to sobriety.
Overcoming Addiction
Alcohol is one of the hardest drugs to quit. Not only is it very addictive, but it is legal and available to the point it seems like it is all around us.
While there is rarely peer pressure to take hard drugs in normal life, with alcohol, it is very common.
People like Paul Gascoigne often go to rehab to escape from temptation and from the strains and stresses of their lives. One of the main things in rehab is that no alcohol or drugs are allowed.
This gives you the space and freedom to explore sobriety without being exposed to alcohol daily.
Detox Plus can help you find a safe detox unit and rehab for yourself or a loved one today. Call us or chat with an addiction counsellor right now.