Impossible case?

[Karen]

I have a friend I am desperately worried about! I met him recently and he told me right away that he has a drinking problem. This have apparantly been the case on and off for 15-20 years. At the beginning it was not so bad, and in any case he kept it hidden.
But a couple of years ago he lost his job because of this, been arrested for drunk driving and he have been acting carelessly. Then he agreed to treetment at a clinic, after being admitted to hosiptal for detoxication.
After the treetment he was sober for almost a year (two relapses) and he also joined AA.
Since then he has began to drink again. This is the story he has told me.
I want him to go to treetment again or start to go to AA-meetings, but he says "that does not help me. I need someting else".
He sees a psychiatrist on a regular basis. I dont know if they have some kind of plan, but I have not seen any progress during the two months I have been seeing him. He takes a medicin that should reduce the craving for alcohol, but that doesent seem to help. He does exclusively drink beer - but everyday, and a lot of it. He seldom seems drunk, but I suppose that´s because his body is use to the alcohol.
In the last 1-1,5 years he has been sober for a maximum of two months at a time, then he always relapses. He is himself an experienced physician (doctor) I should add. That makes it even more difficult to discuss this problem with him. He says he already knows it all.
Can I do someting to help?
Is he an impossible case?

[Karen]

Unfortunatelly, that has already been done. When he was arrested for drunk driving his employer forced him to agree on some sort of contract, demanding sobriety at work and at home. But he relapsed, and was more or less fired.

[Linda]

I would suggest running not walking away from this person. He will only bring you misery, I know, I live with one like him.

[Barbara]

Why not have him try Naltrexone, if he has not tried it yet to help avoid relapse due to craving from the physical addiction?

[Barbara]

I forgot to add, that he may actually not be yet willing to admit he has a permanent problem with alcoholism and that he has to quit entirely. A.A. only works if and when the alcoholic finally comes to the realization that he/she is completely powerless over alcohol and must do without it forever.

Some professional folks have too much pride until they are really desperate. There is an A.A. for physicians on the internet. Maybe he would feel more comfortable discussing his problem with other alcoholics that are in the same boat.

I know from experience that alcoholics do not feel comfortable discussing their problem with non-alcoholics because they are often looked down on or belittled about the problem which only compounds it.

A.A really does work, if only he is willing to give it another try. What can it hurt? Only another relapse, which seems just around the corner anyway!

[Kathy]

Karen,
Barbara is right in some sense, and from what I have seen of her input, thru out the pages, she had it almost there, and gives good advice, but the one thing i just saw from Linda, yeh, if you were someone on a daily basis I dealt with as a friend  and watch the pain of this diease take over , I would say walk also, but I know better, before you think of that as an option, please sit in an Al-on meeting, you don't have to say a word, just sit and listen, now one will know you or what your purpose is to be there for, other than the fact it is abunch of huritng souls, who find relieve in "venting out" in a room filled with stangers,if you choose to go back and find a meeting comfortable, they will no longer be strangers, but you will meet alot of new friends.
The first step is walking thru the doors, and then let the rest happen.You might be amazed at what you also find out about yourself, I was, and hell I thought I knew everything!......(joking)...
Try it, you may find alot of answers there,
May you find peace within your self, so you can also pass it on to others,
Kathy H.