"Lesson in Tough Love"

I was so moved by the excellent Mrs Moneypenny in the Sept 19/20 weekend FT, I was going to post the alcohol dependency link and tease you in with the section where she addresses,

"Those of you who have someone in their family who is alcohol- or drug-dependent will know how emotionally scarring this is. You love them, you want to help, you try to help, but they are living in another world. In their world, they are not addicts; they believe that they could give up at any time.

They always have an excuse. Something is always just around the corner that will fix their problems – if only they could meet the right person/get the right job/have the right amount of money, everything would be fine. Nothing and no one ever prepared me for the self-delusion of the alcoholic. Every time they say they are going to get help, your hopes rise; and invariably they end up being crushed again."

But then I noticed that the piece is

"Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.

You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web."

And I respect the FT and Mrs Moneypenney and her uncharacteristic piece too much to flout it with my usual expansive insouciance.

So I'll leave it up for 48 hours only for the lucky ones who spot it and can benefit. Then I'll shove it in the draft basket for my salvation only.

Very nice piece, indeed.