# Are genuine alcoholics angry that Foley is faking alcoholism to explain his behavior? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 4, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246 "2006-10-04T14:50:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/1 "2006-10-04T14:50:08Z")
Re ex= Representative Foley pursuing young boys, it appears that now that he’s out of the closet as a gay man he’s dragging every “it’s not really my fault” excuse along with him (ie “I was abused by a Priest” - “I’m an alcoholic”.) Beyond this it appears that his [cred as a genuine alcoholic is thin at best](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15127157/). Should real alcoholics who have battled the disease be pissed that Foley is quite possibly using this disease as a convenient, explanatory fig leaf to cover his moral and behavioral indiscretions? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/2 "2006-10-04T15:08:51Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Re ex= Representative Foley pursuing young boys, it appears that now that he’s out of the closet as a gay man he’s dragging every “it’s not really my fault” excuse along with him (ie “I was abused by a Priest” - “I’m an alcoholic”.) Beyond this it appears that his [cred as a genuine alcoholic is thin at best](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15127157/). ? [/QUOTE] Not to defend that slimeball, but my Mom was an alcoholic (died of it, in fact) and until her later days, few knew it. From your cite:"_Another longtime friend, though, agreed that Foley had a drinking problem, and a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction noted that it’s not unusual for alcoholics to hide their drinking."_ ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/3 "2006-10-04T15:38:04Z")
Checking into treatment the minute this thing hit just reeks of spin to me as does the admission of childhood molestation. If he’s truly an abuse survivor and an alcoholic I guess you could describe this as his “hitting bottom” and finally getting help but it just seems awfully convenient to me. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/4 "2006-10-04T16:10:29Z")
[QUOTE=velvetjones] Checking into treatment the minute this thing hit just reeks of spin to me as does the admission of childhood molestation. If he’s truly an abuse survivor and an alcoholic I guess you could describe this as his “hitting bottom” and finally getting help but it just seems awfully convenient to me. [/QUOTE] Exactly. I’m addicted to many things, alcohol being among them, and I’ve never had even the slightest inclination toward the kind of behavior he’s exhibited. Not to say that alcohol can’t make it easier to act on inappropriate impulses, but you’ve got to have those desires / thoughts to begin with. This guy is as full of it as that other well known ,contrite alcoholic, Mel Gibson. ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/5 "2006-10-04T16:26:03Z")
Before I go on, I am not defending the guy here and in the other two Foley threads (in IMHO and the Pit), I see noone defending him as he is definitely not deserving of any sort of defense. But from your link: > [@](#): > > some of those who have known him for years were shocked and suspicious, saying they rarely saw him drink. There is another thread going on about alcoholism and most agree that the true definition of being an alcoholic is unknown. But it is pretty much known that some people do have drinking problems and it goes unknown by close friends and associates. When I was in the Marines I would find out years after being friends with someone that they had a little Southern Comfort in the their coffee every morning, and these were people I saw and spoke with daily. Of course the statement from his Roth (his lawyer) is pure politics, with Foley trying to get pin some reason for his problems and mistakes. But I wouldn’t say that it is fact that he is faking alcoholism. But HE IS A SCUMBAG and I wish the government will find a way to prosecute, if they can prove laws have been broken. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/6 "2006-10-04T16:43:36Z")
I got the faking vibe, too. What better place than rehab to avoid having to make personal statement? I was also annoyed by the “he’s an an alcoholic, he was abused by a clergyman and, by the way he’s coming out as gay, but he’s not making any excuses for what he did” spin on things. All that aside, though, I can confirm that it is entirely possible to be an alcoholic without having anyone ever see you take a drink. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/7 "2006-10-04T16:51:33Z")
I’m not yet assuming he’s faking, so I’m not upset about that. If he is faking alcoholism (uncommon but not rare), then I will be. QtM, Genuine. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/8 "2006-10-04T16:59:45Z")
I’m not assuming he’s faking yet, but I did describe his admission to rehab as a “chicken run.” I think the dude’s credibility as a genuine human being is thin at best, personally, and frankly, I hope whatever treatment center he’s in has someone who has some training in treating sexual addiction/compulsion issues. I think that’s the real issue, and the alcoholism is the socially acceptable thing to say. Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/9 "2006-10-04T18:05:35Z")
I wonder how many of his friends knew that he liked boys. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/10 "2006-10-04T18:19:18Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] I wonder how many of his friends knew that he liked boys. Regards, Shodan [/QUOTE] From the reports I’ve seen, everyone knew that he was gay and into older male teens. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/11 "2006-10-04T18:31:18Z")
“Everybody knew” in the sense that he was out? Or do you mean that the e-mails had been reported? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/12 "2006-10-04T18:53:55Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] “Everybody knew” in the sense that he was out? Or do you mean that the e-mails had been reported? Regards, Shodan [/QUOTE] [He was publicly “outed” multiple times](http://www.wonkette.com/politics/mark-foley/mark-foley--the-story-of-the-story-204627.php) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/13 "2006-10-04T19:00:49Z")
Just a WAG, but checking into a rehab clinic seems like a good way to go and get away from things for a period of time. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-genuine-alcoholics-angry-that-foley-is-faking-alcoholism-to-explain-his-behavior/375246/14 "2006-10-04T23:04:49Z")
**astro**. Try to phrase an OP such as you started here in a slightly different manner. If you are truly interested in trying to conduct a poll of who thinks he’s faking, then ask it that way. But, to start out by stating flatly in the title–“Are genuine alcoholics angry that Foley is faking alcoholism to explain his behavior?” that Foley is faking his alcoholism doesn’t fly. Had you used “possibly” in the title, then you’ve got a winner. Thanks. **samclem**