Hi I would like to ask if alcoholism is a mental health disorder my former husband is terminally ill in the UK he is now on a IV morphine drip he is 76 he has drunk since 18 years of age and was still drinking 7 pints of larger a day up to 6 weeks ago he had claudication of the lower limbs terrible pain they operated put stents in did laminectomy lower spin biopsy showed cancer he already has a colostomy for cancer also has sarcoidosis he was then put in to radiotherapy but couldn t do it and is now in a terminal care unit he s had a life time of booze and my son is having a hard time of it all no drink for 6 weeks this is not the time to go cold turkey and my son says he just has no feeling for his father so is it a medical illness or mental health that is the question myself I haven t seen the man for 32 years and I m upset its effecting all of the family that hes suffering so much