Hello Alan,

How very sad for your friend. It must be terribly difficult to bear witness to what is happening with him. Two recent ICU admissions are certainly alarming.

I agree your friend needs treatment but he has to be interested and invested in it, often difficult with alcoholics. The best way to reach him may while he is in the hospital. This might be only the time you can talk with him while he is sober and you have the support of staff. It may be possible to set up a plan of care meeting with his doctor, a case worker or social worker and his brothers to discuss the need to quit drinking and get help.

Without insurance, the treatment options may be rather limited but there are often publically/grant funded treatment centers and/or charity beds at private hospitals.

As the others said, PM is going to be hard to get with the level of drinking going on, so alcohol treatment really is the first step. If he can start it immediately after discharge from the hospital, while he is already detoxed, that would be ideal.

Thanks for being such a good friend. Just remember to take care of you too. I hope your friend finds relief and healing soon,