Nobody understands that by the time the addiction has set in the alcoholic is mandated to drink ... he cannot not drink! Nobody wakes up in the morning and says, 'Jiminy Cricket, I feel sensational! My life is really in great shape! I think I'll become an alcoholic!' I firmly believe that when a shaking-to-pieces alcoholic says he needs a drink or he will die, he means it.

I find it next to impossible to remain politely silent when people prate to me about the glory of being given another chance to live happily ever after!

I don't think I should have been married... to anybody.

I can choose to accelerate my disease to an alcoholic death or incurable insanity, or I can choose to live within my thoroughly human condition.

I believe in joy, but I believe in the flip-side, agony.

There are zillions of people who say that alcoholism is a disease, but not many of them believe it

I think The Exorcist was the hardest work I've ever done