My wife's brother has HD. He is on Disability and he can no longer drive.
He has moved in with a friend who is just now realizing that the arrangement just might not be for him. My brother-in-law is an alcoholic along with having HD. Quick almost violent mood swings are becoming a real issue.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with the combination of HD and Alcoholism? Is there anything we can do to control the mood swings? He has no family other than my wife and me.

Hi Pop pop.

Unfortunately, dealing with alcoholism is even more difficult with HD involved than in an otherwise healthy person. While we were seperated, my husband was living with his brother and drinking constantly. The only way to stop is with his acknowledgement that this is a problem. For a while, we were able to get my husband to take antabuse, which would make him violently ill if he drank any alcohol. He wouldn't take it unless something was hanging over his head, like being kicked out or cut off.

It is a very difficult combination, but the solution needs to come from within.

Patty

Hello Pop Pop,

My mother in law was an alcoholic and the only way she stopped was by getting forced into a nursing home. My husband was listed as her POA in case there was ever a need. Wow! We never suspected what a need there would be! My husband and I live in a different state. A cousin called and said my mil wouldn't leave her bed - even to use the restroom. So, we called the police to do a welfare check. They called EMS and they took her to emergency. The ER doc sent her to a psychiatric facility and had her tested for HD. We had never heard of HD before and knew of no one in the family that had it. Of course, no drinking is allowed in the hospital or psych hospital. A month later she was transferred to a nursing home. A month later we got the results that she was HD positive. Then another month after that we transferred her to a better nursing home. So, she has been alcohol free since late October 2013...about 6 months now. She is doing SO much better! We can understand her when she speaks and she and her environment are much cleaner, healthier, and more positive with more social interaction. So, I am sorry to say that unless things get REALLY bad, you can't make him quit. I wish it were that easy. There are many alcoholics on both my husband's and my side of the family. It took many years and calls for welfare checks before we got a doc with a brain who said she was incapable of making her own decisions so that my husband could take care of things for her. We have realized that her father probably had HD, but the symptoms were masked by a stroke. Also, his mother was diagnosed with Parkinsons. Which was probably a misdiagnoses. I hope for the best for you. God will work it out. He has and is for us.

My uncle was in a nursing home and still somehow managed to bribe a nurse into buying alcohol for him!! It a very difficult battle to fight as alcoholism on it's own is overwhelming, and now with HD added to it.

If he is a danger to himself or anyone else, you can get him admitted without his consent.