Bill is an alcoholic. Both sides of his family were filled with drinkers, but Bill grew up a successful young man. He went to college on scholarship and even while at school never touched alcohol. His first drink didn’t come until the age of 22. Bill went to his first bar then, and drank 13 drinks just to see what it was like. He found himself back in the bar the next day for more. Bill drank himself through medical school, and the dean eventually asked him to leave due to his drinking. He was prompted to seek help one day in November of 1963 when emerging from a blackout to news that President Kennedy had been killed.
