Approaching the doctor
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 88
Approaching the doctor
Sorry to create a second thread so short after my first, but the overwhelming response to my first thread was to say: Don't do that, talk to your doctor. So I'd like to ask people about their experiences approaching their doctor about help with detoxing safely.
Did you have any repercussions from your school or work? I've heard of alcohol issues going onto medical records and becoming an issue for people, but then I know, statistically, how many of us there are out there, so it can't be all that bad, can it? Did you get prescriptions or did they refer you to an inpatient or send you to the ER?
I'm reading everything I can and, of course, finding some amount of contradiction, but virtually everyone says: TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. So if things don't settle down, I guess that's what I'm doing, assuming I still have access after leaving my job (and insurance). I'm just nervous, I don't want to do in-patient. My only real concern about approaching my doctor is that I was treated for high blood pressure. The treatments have worked . . . still not great, but under the Stage 1 hypertension mark more often than not, but then I don't like the doctor's office and it tends to spike.
Did you have any repercussions from your school or work? I've heard of alcohol issues going onto medical records and becoming an issue for people, but then I know, statistically, how many of us there are out there, so it can't be all that bad, can it? Did you get prescriptions or did they refer you to an inpatient or send you to the ER?
I'm reading everything I can and, of course, finding some amount of contradiction, but virtually everyone says: TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. So if things don't settle down, I guess that's what I'm doing, assuming I still have access after leaving my job (and insurance). I'm just nervous, I don't want to do in-patient. My only real concern about approaching my doctor is that I was treated for high blood pressure. The treatments have worked . . . still not great, but under the Stage 1 hypertension mark more often than not, but then I don't like the doctor's office and it tends to spike.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,386
I agree with whoever said you're not going to be forced into inpatient - in fact you're not going to be forced into anything at all. You'll have a say.
I can;t help you with the work thing - I'm not an American - but I do know the odds are good you'll lose your job if you continue drinking.
as to what to say - just be honest. The Dr is there to help
D
I can;t help you with the work thing - I'm not an American - but I do know the odds are good you'll lose your job if you continue drinking.
as to what to say - just be honest. The Dr is there to help
D
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 88
Thanks Dee. I'm up in the air still between just going and doing it or giving it a few more days and seeing if I can come down like I have in the past first. New job is supposed to start a week from tomorrow though, so cutting it close. These shakes took me by surprise.
Do your best
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 67,047
Being honest with your Dr is a good start but since I'm not American I don't know how that plays out records wise hopefully an American will post with more info but being honest with a Dr is vital to recovery if you are nervous perhaps you could write out questions or short statements to help you with that ?
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 151
I'm American, and my alcohol treatment has never been an issue with my med records. Your med records are private. My insurance was not effected either. In fact, I had pretty crappy Obamacare insurance when I did my last detox, and the whole cost was covered. As far as telling your doctor, my advice is to just spit it out. Trust me, they've heard it all. The fear of telling your doctor is so much worse than actually doing it
Guest
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Northwest
Posts: 4,215
Your doctor has sat there hundreds of times with patients whose habits were killing them but they were askng the doctor to make the symptoms all better without having to change anything.
Walking in, saying "I drink too much and I want to quit" will be a breath of fresh air. Oh, and HIPAA laws protect your privacy.
Not sure how large a company you work for, but search on Employee Assistance Program on your company's website. It could actually save your job if Human Resources is aware that you are addressing this issue.
Best of luck!
Walking in, saying "I drink too much and I want to quit" will be a breath of fresh air. Oh, and HIPAA laws protect your privacy.
Not sure how large a company you work for, but search on Employee Assistance Program on your company's website. It could actually save your job if Human Resources is aware that you are addressing this issue.
Best of luck!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: baltimore, maryland
Posts: 463
Zip, I posted this in your earlier thread. I have detoxed at home with a prescription of Librium several times. Just be honest with your Dr. and if you aren't way off the charts ( sounds like you're not) you may be able to detox at home. The Librium is really cheap even without ins. and my detox's would last about 3-4 days. I was able to function and really got a lot done around the house lol. It really is the safest way to go about this...why not be comfortable. Best Wishes
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,183
In my experience, if you go to a doctor for help getting off alcohol, you'll be prescribed a small amount of librium and sent home. In that case, use it as directed until it's gone, do not drink a drop of alcohol, and you're on your own. There is nothing to keep you entirely free from withdrawal symptoms, it's the price you pay for having drunk yourself into dependency, but librium or a similar benzo helps and especially helps ward off seizures, which are very rare but can happen during withdrawal.
So there's a balance here to manage. Stopping cold turkey works for the vast majority of people, but some will get seizures and a very small number will die. However, using fear of seizures to keep drinking seems far more common, the addict brain will "seize" on any justification to keep drinking, and continuing to drink addictively most certainly will eventually trash your life and kill you.
People mean well, and everyone has a story about so-and-so they know or read about somewhere, but if encouraging you to see a doctor means you don't see a doctor and keep drinking instead, then I'll encourage you to just stop. If shaking hands and jitters are the worst you've had, you probably aren't too far down the hole (yet). It's usually over in a few days max. If you can't sleep, try non-prescription sleep aids.
So there's a balance here to manage. Stopping cold turkey works for the vast majority of people, but some will get seizures and a very small number will die. However, using fear of seizures to keep drinking seems far more common, the addict brain will "seize" on any justification to keep drinking, and continuing to drink addictively most certainly will eventually trash your life and kill you.
People mean well, and everyone has a story about so-and-so they know or read about somewhere, but if encouraging you to see a doctor means you don't see a doctor and keep drinking instead, then I'll encourage you to just stop.
If shaking hands and jitters are the worst you've had, you probably aren't too far down the hole (yet). It's usually over in a few days max. If you can't sleep, try non-prescription sleep aids.
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
I'm American. You will definitely lose your career if you continue drinking. If you get well, you have a chance at performing in your job and keeping it.
Detox is not the same as inpatient rehab. Detox takes only a few days. Even if your doctor recommends detoxing in a hospital, it only takes a few days. You can do like me and tell people you went to the hospital with stomach pains and they kept you a few days for tests and observation.
If you will get your head around the idea that your condition is progressive and terminal unless treated, you will be able to get over the extremely trivial concerns about insurance and stuff.
When you call the doctor, use the words "acute alcohol withdrawal." This is what you're experiencing and the doctor will know to see you promptly. If the doctor tells you to go to the ER, do as he or she says. Medical help will 1) stop your suffering, and 2) keep you safe from a seizure or stroke.
Detox is not the same as inpatient rehab. Detox takes only a few days. Even if your doctor recommends detoxing in a hospital, it only takes a few days. You can do like me and tell people you went to the hospital with stomach pains and they kept you a few days for tests and observation.
If you will get your head around the idea that your condition is progressive and terminal unless treated, you will be able to get over the extremely trivial concerns about insurance and stuff.
When you call the doctor, use the words "acute alcohol withdrawal." This is what you're experiencing and the doctor will know to see you promptly. If the doctor tells you to go to the ER, do as he or she says. Medical help will 1) stop your suffering, and 2) keep you safe from a seizure or stroke.
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,760
I told my shrink I wanted to stop drinking but was finding it hard to get thru the withdrawal. He prescribed a low dose benzo for a few days to ease the symptoms (anxiety was the worst one).
I hope you can get help to get sober. It's uncomfortable at first but it gets better the longer you stay sober.
I hope you can get help to get sober. It's uncomfortable at first but it gets better the longer you stay sober.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 3,781
Ariesagain is correct, you're protected via HIPPA's Doctor /patient confidentially law.. In the USA.. glad you're going to speak to a professional!
Hold your head high, there's nothing wrong about wanting to get sober!! Wishing you the best!!
Hold your head high, there's nothing wrong about wanting to get sober!! Wishing you the best!!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 88
I'd seen so many stories on forums about nightmare experiences, but reading about Librium and it sounds like a dream. I have a high tolerance to opiates, but if it gets me over the shakes and insomnia and prevents any more serious symptoms . . . and hearing so many people say their doctor just forked over a prescription. I guess I was just being anxious and foolish. I'm very much considering going to the doctor tomorrow. I was going to call today, but ended up tossing and turning and having more to drink, then slept through the day. Not my brightest hour, but not my darkest, and I think I'm on the right path thanks to everyone's advice.
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 88
Originally Posted by Dave42001 
Librium is a Benzo not an opiate.. Very addictive by itself, be careful!!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 13
Originally Posted by UhZoomZip
Sorry to create a second thread so short after my first, but the overwhelming response to my first thread was to say: Don't do that, talk to your doctor. So I'd like to ask people about their experiences approaching their doctor about help with detoxing safely.
Did you have any repercussions from your school or work? I've heard of alcohol issues going onto medical records and becoming an issue for people, but then I know, statistically, how many of us there are out there, so it can't be all that bad, can it? Did you get prescriptions or did they refer you to an inpatient or send you to the ER?
I'm reading everything I can and, of course, finding some amount of contradiction, but virtually everyone says: TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. So if things don't settle down, I guess that's what I'm doing, assuming I still have access after leaving my job (and insurance). I'm just nervous, I don't want to do in-patient. My only real concern about approaching my doctor is that I was treated for high blood pressure. The treatments have worked . . . still not great, but under the Stage 1 hypertension mark more often than not, but then I don't like the doctor's office and it tends to spike.
Did you have any repercussions from your school or work? I've heard of alcohol issues going onto medical records and becoming an issue for people, but then I know, statistically, how many of us there are out there, so it can't be all that bad, can it? Did you get prescriptions or did they refer you to an inpatient or send you to the ER?
I'm reading everything I can and, of course, finding some amount of contradiction, but virtually everyone says: TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. So if things don't settle down, I guess that's what I'm doing, assuming I still have access after leaving my job (and insurance). I'm just nervous, I don't want to do in-patient. My only real concern about approaching my doctor is that I was treated for high blood pressure. The treatments have worked . . . still not great, but under the Stage 1 hypertension mark more often than not, but then I don't like the doctor's office and it tends to spike.
Whatever your doctor says to do. Do it.
Allow me to save you from really what is pretty much certain misery. Get the help you need and use what's available to you. Let work/school do whatever they want (and chances are, that will be nothing due to HIPPA laws) Jobs and classes com and go but if you're getting closer to the edge of addiction or alcoholism, you'll burn your way right through family.
Best,
Rob
Behold the power of NO
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: WA
Posts: 7,764
Be honest with you doctor. If you are concerned about your records (which should be kept private btw but in this day and age who knows) then make sure you pay cash for the medications and foot the bill without your insurance getting involved.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,614
UhZoom, I almost cheered when I read this post. You are really doing the right thing and I hope you will feel supported and reassured about getting sober. You are really giving yourself the best chance at getting through this initial period safely.
Just be honest with the Doctor about how long and how much, tell them you have physical withdrawals. They will help, it's what they do
Just be honest with the Doctor about how long and how much, tell them you have physical withdrawals. They will help, it's what they do
Life Goes On
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 6,069
Hey Uzz,
I second others who are being supportive of you seeing a physician. Mine prescribed a benzodiazepine + antianxiety medication and an antidepressant. Three months' of each. After reading up on benzos and gauging the responses of my psychologist and (new) addiction psychiatrist, I was happy to taper off the benzo in a week. This medication helped me a lot - withdrawal was still somewhat uncomfortable, but nothing like it was without. And I was able to sleep! I'm still taking the other meds and feel better (in my head) than I did even before the drinking troubles began.
The only thing I would caution about is that you might want to be sure that you are clear that you need help to stop drinking but you do not want a diagnosis on your medical record of alcoholism. I'm thinking of a time when you might be completing a health or life insurance application and you are asked if you've ever been diagnosed with one of these (many and several) medical conditions. To my knowledge, I've never had this diagnosis, so I would be comfortable signing a document where my response was "no" to that question. Just my two cents to take or leave...
I'm really glad that you are looking at doing something to ask someone to help you! It was scary for me, too, but I was quite relieved once I actually took the same step. Hope it works out the same for you.
I second others who are being supportive of you seeing a physician. Mine prescribed a benzodiazepine + antianxiety medication and an antidepressant. Three months' of each. After reading up on benzos and gauging the responses of my psychologist and (new) addiction psychiatrist, I was happy to taper off the benzo in a week. This medication helped me a lot - withdrawal was still somewhat uncomfortable, but nothing like it was without. And I was able to sleep! I'm still taking the other meds and feel better (in my head) than I did even before the drinking troubles began.
The only thing I would caution about is that you might want to be sure that you are clear that you need help to stop drinking but you do not want a diagnosis on your medical record of alcoholism. I'm thinking of a time when you might be completing a health or life insurance application and you are asked if you've ever been diagnosed with one of these (many and several) medical conditions. To my knowledge, I've never had this diagnosis, so I would be comfortable signing a document where my response was "no" to that question. Just my two cents to take or leave...
I'm really glad that you are looking at doing something to ask someone to help you! It was scary for me, too, but I was quite relieved once I actually took the same step. Hope it works out the same for you.
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