The doctor can at least give you meds so you can detox at home.
The funny thing is that I wasn't trying to quit when I had my first withdrawal. I was just taking my usual one or two days off from drinking. It was scary. I felt like I was dying! The heart palpitations, anxiety, fatigue...I mean, I had never had a "sleep disturbance" until I went through withdrawal. It's basically something like...you're sleeping or dreaming, when your heart suddenly starts racing and it wakes you up.
Once I figured out that those symptoms were withdrawals, I went through at least 5 or 6 tries half-heartedly trying to quit. I mean, it was to the point where I knew that I would withdraw the next day after drinking, but I did it anyway. And to me, it feels like being on the verge of death.
When I decided to finally and honestly try to quit, instead of trying to "manage" it, the withdrawals were bad for a couple of weeks. The first few days are the worst. Heart racing alot, hot and cold flashes, upset stomach, puking, anxiety, fatigue... After that, things get better, but you still might have sleep disturbances and night sweats.
Now that I am almost 2 months sober, I can tell you that I am thinking less about drinking. The only kind of memories I have of it are black outs, withdrawals, and the feeling of shame. Honestly, the withdrawals are why I will never want to drink again.
Just really try to relax and focus on getting through it to the other side. You gotta walk out of the fire to get to the other side. You will feel so much better when it is all over!