Drinking Mouthwash=How Dangerous?

[CarolD]

Let's all chill please

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[smacked]

Originally Posted by tiburon88

What opportunities? You know my life from reading a message board? The right to destroy your life isn't a luxury but sometimes destiny.

tiburon

Course I don't know, that's why I said "might". I know you have internet access and from as drunk as you've said you've been lately regardless of the mouthwash, you seem to have usual access to alcohol, and ultimately 'free' medical care. That in itself is plenty that a lot of people would be blessed to have.

My point is that you have the right to completely destroy anything that you *might* be fortunate enough to have, that other people may not. And that is sad to me.

[tiburon88]

At least I get a real "professional" responding here. I want to thank you for your caring service to the alcoholic/addict in need.


tiburon

[Katie09]

Tib, just curious. You've mentioned the bipolar thing. Are you taking your meds? Do you have someone who follows this part of your problem? I know how things go...at least for me...I drink, "forget" my meds, figure I don't want that much damage to my liver, I go downhill and on and on. It truly is a prescription for a nightmare.
I am glad you find my posts to be of some value. I'd really like to see you get on track (and me too - last week was a bad week for me but I must just keep plugging along). Katie

[tallcactus]

Tiburon has send me 2 private messages. It was for my eyes only. WOW. I guess he did not like what I had expressed from my own experience and after all, just my opinion. I responsed to 1, honestly after he insulted me, the other, I couldn't after he had states his fill, then placed me on ignore.

If I was out of line, and if anyone feels that I spoke out of line and/or intentional hurt someone, than I truely am so sorry. Please except my apology.

I love this site, it keeps me grounded and sober. I love the daily support, encouragement and love that all share with one another.

[Pinkcuda]

I come here for advice & support.

And you get advise and support. Time and time again.
Let's start over. Since you're not interested in whatever you get here as far as answers there's only one thing to do.
Tell us what you want us to say to you and we'll take it from there.

[tiburon88]

Originally Posted by Pinkcuda

And you get advise and support. Time and time again.
Let's start over. Since you're not interested in whatever you get here as far as answers there's only one thing to do.
Tell us what you want us to say to you and we'll take it from there.

I estimate 15% of the responses I get actually help me. I usually get hit over the head with a hammer hoping that "tough love" and forced AA believes will get me sober. I must admit many of you folks here try to be helpful. The truth is I'm a difficult case and do in fact think I'm "terminally unique."


tiburon

[Katie09]

Originally Posted by tiburon88

I estimate 15% of the responses I get actually help me. I usually get hit over the head with a hammer hoping that "tough love" and forced AA believes will get me sober. I must admit many of you folks here try to be helpful. The truth is I'm a difficult case and do in fact think I'm "terminally unique."

Well, 15% is pretty good, hah? As they say, take what you need and leave the rest. Ignore button works too. I can relate to what you say in that I function better with a certain kind of support. I mentioned this is a previous post, but do you take meds? I've found it impossible to get better unless I am on my meds and do my best not to drink. And I too think every person, addicted or not, is unique. No two snowflakes are alike.

[sandrawg]

Tib, I'm kinda being an eavesdropper on this section of the forum. I'm a normie who just had to end a relationship with someone I love dearly because he chose the bar over me.

I've been reading posts on this part of the forum in an attempt to make sense of something I just can't get my brain around, which is why he would throw away someone he loved for alcohol.

I'm reading this thread and, while it's helping me because i'm seeing just how fatalistic people with this disease can be, of course it frightens and saddens me to think my axbf could ever possibly get to this point.

Tib, is there anyone in your life you've tossed aside for your addiction? Is there anyone who cares about you? Anyone at all? Anyone you can call for support, when you're truly ready to get sober? (cuz I honestly believe if you were truly ready, you'd be going about the business of doing it instead of flogging yourself on this forum.)

[Pinkcuda]

The truth is I'm a difficult case and do in fact think I'm "terminally unique."

What does that have to do with drinking? Time was that you somehow managed to get through life without drinking. That was from birth till the time you started. Therefore, this isn't unfamiliar terretory. You've been there before. Now's the time to go back and knowing you've been there before should make it easier on you. It can be done.
Believe me when I tell you that you're not going to get there by clicking your heels together three times. You have got to put the bottle down and probably spend some time sitting on your hands. Easy? Hell no it's not easy and you can't do it alone. It does get easier over time and attitude makes the difference. Find a place to stuff that "I'm different" chip you have and things will be even easier yet.
The reason AA is suggested so many times is because it's the most avaliable program there is. And it's free.
I would humble myself and walk in with a good attitude for no reason other than support. All spiritual God BS can wait until you're feeling comfortable with your new friends. Once you're physically in the room your mind will catch up in time. If you're walking in expecting instant results you'll be sorely disapointed. You'll still be spending a good deal of time grieving over your loss. This is perfectly natural.
A little bit of perserverance and you may just find that you're OK after all.

[flutter]

Originally Posted by tiburon88

I estimate 15% of the responses I get actually help me. I usually get hit over the head with a hammer hoping that "tough love" and forced AA believes will get me sober. I must admit many of you folks here try to be helpful. The truth is I'm a difficult case and do in fact think I'm "terminally unique."


tiburon

See.. that's the thing. You have to get you sober, or not.... Hopefully one day you might.

[johnstacey45]

Yep. I can relate to the OP and many of the posts in this thread. I recently began posting here and I wanted to add that I've also imbibed what are known as "surrogate alcohols". I have been raiding my parent's liqueur cabinet for the past three months but since I've been found out I've had to resort to other stuff. Also, since I'm 19 and not quite old enough to buy liqueur, I've been able to discriminately use products such as mouthwash, pre shave/aftershave lotion, and even hairspray to consume.

I have also been able to use money to purchase hand sanitizer (which contains 62% ethyl alcohol) and drink that too. I guess you could say I also need help, not to mention I've been drinking mouthwash AND hand sanitizer tonight. It's difficult to say much else here, other than the fact its an addiction and it has to stop, except I don't have much motivation to do so..

[Dee74]

Have you talked to your parents John?
Seen a Dr? counselling?
Investigated any rehabs? recovery programmes?

19 seems so very young to be throwing your life away like this.

D

[caleb76]

Originally Posted by johnstacey45

Yep. I can relate to the OP and many of the posts in this thread. I recently began posting here and I wanted to add that I've also imbibed what are known as "surrogate alcohols". I have been raiding my parent's liqueur cabinet for the past three months but since I've been found out I've had to resort to other stuff. Also, since I'm 19 and not quite old enough to buy liqueur, I've been able to discriminately use products such as mouthwash, pre shave/aftershave lotion, and even hairspray to consume.

I have also been able to use money to purchase hand sanitizer (which contains 62% ethyl alcohol) and drink that too. I guess you could say I also need help, not to mention I've been drinking mouthwash AND hand sanitizer tonight. It's difficult to say much else here, other than the fact its an addiction and it has to stop, except I don't have much motivation to do so..

That crap is terrible for you. Never looked into it but I would guess you basically drinking poison. Go get help!

[CarolD]

John....
You are drinking really dangerous solutions.
They can damage your mind and organs

I mean hospitals ...comas....dying.

Please do talk to a doctor and your parents.
Your parents know you were drinking their alcohol
so they need to be aware of this too.

[Believe808]

Oh John, please talk with your parents honey, I have a daughter 20 and a son 23, and I would be so lost if something happened to them. This is so serious what you are doing, I beg of you as a parent, I would be there to help my children, please give your parents a chance to help you.

[johnstacey45]

Thanks for the suggestions, but my grandmother recently confronted me about the depleted liqueur cabinet, and since my family has been undergoing a divorce and I haven't spoken to my (adopted) father for 18 months, one of my family friends is basically my legal guardian. He's a nice enough person, but obviously quite angry about me "stealing" from my parents. At this point, I simply drink this stuff out of boredom, and when I don't have it for a period of about three days, I get restless and panicky.

When I was a year old I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which is a condition some of you may be familiar with. My guardian is aware that this may be a cause of my alcohol abuse. At this time I'm also trying to get my driver's license, attend college and find some type of job. I have a lot to do, and I simply don't know where to begin at this point (besides finding help for the alcohol problems of course!)

Also, this isn't the time I started drinking. I remember I began when I was approximately 16 years old, my first drink being Carter's Nut Brown Ale. I lived with one of my parents for 18 months, and made a friend there whom I drank a lot with. That included beer, Jack Daniel's, gin, and other liqueurs. The time I moved back to my hometown is when I began stealing from the booze cabinet.(!)

[CarolD]

Regardless of anything else John
you are doing risky actions.

I certainly hope you will quit
and find a sober future.

[Dee74]

I agree with Carol, John.

The essential point here is this is very dangerous behaviour.
I urge you to seek help about this ASAP.

D

[Asta1]

The only experience I have is when I was in rehab many years ago. They searched your luggage thoroughly. I remember one guy who tried to smuggle in Listerine. They kicked him out. There are a lot of other avenues if you really want to get high. I'm hoping you don't but please leave the Listerine alone. I really care and so do everyone else here. My liver enzymes are high too. I am abstaining for an undetermined amount of time. I just take it a day at at a time. Give it a try. I don't pray as I am an atheist, but I really have you in my thoughts and hope you stop self medicating for a while. PLEASE give it at least a week.

[Asta1]

to Johnstacey45: I'm now almost 60. I started stealing from my parents liquor cabinet before I was 16. My drinking was "social" for many years. Then the turning point came when I started hiding the amount I was drinking. Hiding bottles in so many weird places. You are so young. Please STOP now. Alcoholism really is a progressive disease. Look at your family. My immediate family had a LOT of alcohol problems. And I do too. I probably am still in denial to a certain extent but I am really trying to stay sober one day at a time. Can't fathom the rest of my life but I can for one more dayl I have a daughter now 28. She has seen me at my worst. Would like to think of you as a "kid" of mine and hopefully not make the same mistakes I have. Everyone here cares. Please care about yourself.

[ClosetExtrovert]

I have this friend, Betty. She's eaten her way up to 400 pounds. She can't walk anymore. She has diabetes and high blood pressure and a ton of other stuff. She just walked past my office with a cane- huffing and puffing - and I just wanted to choke her and burst into tears. I'm frustrated with her and can't figure out why she doesn't just lose weight. It makes no sense to me, just as my drinking made no sense to her.
I'm frustrated right now with you but I understand it a little better than Betty and her cheeseburger addiction. When you've had enough, the discomfort won't matter.
I pray you'll have enough soon because life is so much sweeter from this side of the road where you're not knee deep in your own self-created crisis.
Frigging addiction. We point that gun at our own temples. WHY?!?!

[soidog]

I had a friend from Saudi Arabia - where alcohol is basically against the law for practicing muslims - who told me that alcoholics there will drink stuff like mouthwash, medication, and so on since they can't get beer or wine except on the black market. He said drinking these high alcohol content things are very very dangerous and definitely not something to mess with.

[December15]

I read an article recently. Here in the UK certain hospitals had to install additional hand washing bottles in the toilets due to the swine flu epidemic - but they had to remove them because alcoholics were coming in to drink out of the bottles.

[OzSandy]

I'm 36 years old and at one point would drink anything I could get my hands on, including dangerous liquids.

I've got Asperger's too, but it wasn't diagnosed until my late twenties and hence never managed properly. I think that people like us tend to like a lot of structure, it helps us feel safe, and you can find that in a structured support program such as 12 steps. You don't have to do anything at a meeting that you don't want to or are not ready to.

I think that the reasons why we drink go further than a reason like just that we are bored or a lifestyle reason. It may seem like the reason to drink at the time but the essential thing is that we have an physiological addiction and a thought disorder. Throwing a simple solution at a true alcoholic doesn't really stick. It usually requires a deeper workover. Hope you will consider seriously all that everyone has said.