David Cassidy's Shocking Confession Before His Death: He Was Still Drinking and Never Had Dementia
In the last years of David Cassidy’s life, the former teen idol struggled with alcohol abuse, resulting in three DUI arrests in five years. After a 2014 trip to rehab, he told family and friends that he had stopped drinking.
But in a new documentary airing on A&E next week, the Partridge Family star made a shocking admission just two months before he died of organ failure on Nov. 21 at the age of 67. After being rushed to the hospital when he fell ill in a recording studio, Cassidy called producers to explain what had happened.
“I have a liver disease,” Cassidy explained to A&E producer Saralena Weinfield in a recorded conversation. “There is no sign of me having dementia at this stage of my life. It was complete alcohol poisoning.”
Cassidy then followed up with a shocking confession. “The fact is that I lied about my drinking,” he said. “I did this to myself to cover up the sadness and the emptiness.”
As it turned out, Cassidy was still abusing alcohol until the last months of his life, an admission that shocked producers of the docuseries. The bombshell is more devastating to Cassidy’s family, including his kids Katie, 31, and Beau, 27, who assumed he was living a clean and sober life.
More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/celebrity/david-cassidy%E2%80%99s-shocking-confession-before-his-death-he-was-still-drinking-and-never-had-dementia/ar-AAyi1OA
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So many people at AA meetings start their qualification with "I come from an alcoholic family." There's also a program for that ACOA, Adult Children of Alcoholics.
And I happened to meet David Cassidy once. It was back in the '80s when I was at Saratoga Race Track with my parents. My Dad was friends with the mayor and he sometimes borrowed his "box," the most exclusive place to sit at the track, you can't buy them, people inherit them. My mother seemed to run into the celebrities and she recognized David Cassidy, started a conversation and made a point of introducing me, LOL.
He was extremely nice, I think he was at a low point in his career, between the TV show and his stage appearances, and was pleased to be recognized. But I did get impression even back then that he was drinking. And more recently, he had a DWI in Saratoga County, I read that he was doing community service and had gone above and beyond what had been asked of him.
It's a very sad story, he was talented and should have had a wonderful life. 
Alcoholics learn to lie about their drinking, even to themselves. So many people go into AA hoping to learn how to "drink safely." But if you're an alcoholic, you have a different reaction to alcohol than non-alcoholics. There is no "drinking safely." But the disease causes you to crave it, against all common sense, since it can kill you. 
And if you're working a program, it requires "rigorous honesty." He seems to have gotten away with it to his own detriment.
He seemed like a nice and thoughtful guy, but he had that damn disease. He was in rehabs many times over the years, some court ordered. But contrast that approach with that of Patrick Kennedy, for example. He works a program everyday, it's a part of his life. Like they say in AA "It's a journey, not a destination." 
Some folks just seem to need stronger interventions to help them with the process.
Thanks, Miss R. I'm always impressed with your knowledge.
And a lot start with rehab, but that's just a beginning. The other thing that we hear a lot, especially at beginners' meetings, is the changes that you need to make - just everything! And that can be hard, habits are tough to break. That's where support from others comes in. 
As for rehabs, they're not all equal, too many are just in it for all the money they make. If you haven't seen it, John Oliver did an expose on them a couple of weeks ago:
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - Rehab
https://www.democraticunderground.com/11442419
i checked into rehab after i wrecked my car. it was a good place with great counselors. week and half in i walked out. on the way out the lead counselor said i should read siddhartha by hermann hesse. I've been sober since. 
Some of us take longer than others. Kudos!
yes there is no one size fits all cure. i still go to AA from time to time. I'm still on that journey as well. my very best vibes to you.
I need to keep up with it, my sponsor was big on service and you're not supposed to say no. I have a commitment to the beginners' group which helps "keep it green" for me - and sometimes just helps. I also belong to a women's group which has a lot of long-timers. Back in March I was at a celebration for a woman who has 50 years! She actually knew Bill W, has some terrific stories! 
John Oliver did a good thing with his expose, I agree that preying on desperate people is as bad as it gets, John mentioned that some of the people he spoke of had died. But it is a tough industry to regulate, even now. An old timer once told me that he drove a work colleague to a rehab in Florida - and when she came back, she looked as well as he'd ever seen her. So to celebrate, her husband bought champagne. I'm not kidding, some people just never get it. 
