Texasblind

You're right Taz. Consumption is not a competition. Still, this guy is over the top and needs some professional help.

gutterman317

First off you have to realize that you are not unique. You know what the problem is, now you have to make a decision. I always doubted AA and the 12 steps, but I was foolish and full of pride. There are no guidelines for specific beliefs in AA. Admit defeat, surrender to something more powerful than you, and get going or die.

Things that are "no doubt" more powerful than you; alkies in recovery!

Don't try to detox on your own, it can be fatal. Talk to someone more powerful than you about detoxing; a doctor!

hello-kitty

I saw your thread when I was in the general forum. I don't normally post here but you touched my heart this morning. God bless you. You are in my thoughts and prayers this morning.

There is hope Teeth. Don't give up before the miracle.

hope45

I agree that getting caught up in the questions of numbers and "war stories" is a slippery slope, particularly if you didn't (or don't) drink enormous amounts relative to others. It is very easy for me when I hear about people who drank mouthwash, who were also addicted to heroin, who spent time in jail, etc. to think "gosh, these people are really in a bad way, I'm nothing like that." It's important for me to remember that it's just a matter of degrees. Our fundamental problem is the same. Here's to all of us beating this thing!

hope45

Actually, let me rephrase that last post about "beating" alcoholism. In light of all the very wise posts about surrendering rather than fighting, let me say "here's to all of us finding peace."

tiburon88

This is an example of extreme alcoholism. A doctor can write you a script for valium or librium to help with the withdrawal. You will have a hard time detoxing without outside help. Yikes! 60 beers in one day?

CarolD

Let's hope he will return to read these replies.
So many don't and that's heart breaking.

Thanks everyone for sharing...

warrens

I agree, Carol.

27 replies. How many hours does that equal? A lot of people care.

No responses. No "thanks."

I feel the old "resentment" trigger when that happens. I'm glad to recognize that. It's not healthy.

Perhaps that is the value in these unanswered post. They serve as a reminder of where we don't wish to return.

I do hope he is OK and in treatment and thus, unable to respond.

And thanks for your post, Taz... It meant a lot to me. For too long I "minimized" because I compared. On a "bad" weekend day, I'd work like hell to down 10 beers. Most days it was 2-4 beers. Part of the reason that I felt compelled to try "normal" again.

I don't think quantity matters in the least. Aside from the detox factor, that is. And perhaps the first few weeks of withdrawal. Beyond that, it is the same disease, I think. And we all face the same stuff. I wish more "newbies" were aware of that. I cringe when I read the first posts of people who already dream of returning to "normal." They won't learn by the words of others. I didn't. But they will fall prey to the same psychological and spiritual processes that we have. And they will be back.

warren

Texasblind

Carol...if it weren't for this forum I'd be dead. Thank you for having this for us. If people don't want to use it, they're missing out.

tiburon88

I agree Texasblind. This forum has helped me to some degree. CarolID seems to do a lot of work on this message board.

Tiburon

steve11694

A word about ER's;

See which hospital also has an alcohol detox unit and try to go to that hospitals ER. The reasons are; they can admit you with priority over transfers from non detox hospital ER's.
they can admit you for medical stabilization first (if your tests, vital signs, etc, are ominous, then transfer you to detox.

Non detox hospital ER's have significant problems as they need to find an accepting detox center and arrange a transfer. this can be very complicated and sometimes there are no places available.

typically alcohol is replaced by medication as to avoid withdrawal. many others have done it and are fine and sober. nothing worse than the fear of fear itself

CarolD

Excellent idea ....Thanks Steve

tes

Your right about that. When I went to the ER at the local hospital after a rough binge I sat in there for over 12 hours before they finally found a place for me to goto. They told me that if I tried to leave they would be forced to call the cops because I drove myself up there, and I was too ashamed to call anyone to come and get me. They pretty much treated me like a waste of their time and just sat around ignoring me and giggling all day. ERs can be expensive, my hospital bill was almost $2000 for nothing pretty much. You've gotta be careful if you are on a really tight budget, with no insurance. They finally did manage to get me into a detox however, and there they kept me pretty sedated for the 1st 3 days or so. Best of luck to you, 60 beers a day is pretty darn bad. At my height I was at about 30 or so but then again I only weigh about 140.

Tazman53

No thread or effort to help a fellow alcoholic is a waste of any ones time, certainly someone will read this and see that they are not alone and there is help out there for any alcoholic who wants it no matter how much or how little they drink.

No matter how much an alcoholic drinks, if they continue to drink it only leds to one or 2 of the following places:

Death
Institutions
Sobriety

I pray that just one thing any person said in this thread helps one of our alcoholic bretheren to find the road to sobriety.

jazpoppy

Teeth;

You have got some great advise from many caring people here! I was so moved and saddened by your post, I just had to reply. I really believe you are a VERY smart person. You should be a writer (if you are not one already!), you write so well. Writing may be a way of helping you quit drinking. Try journaling. Keep a log of each day of your life, the drinking, the times you don't drink or try to quit. It will help a lot. Writing helps me tremendously. You can get FREE help. Its out here. No one wants you to suffer and die from this awful disease. Please go to the ER and check into the hospital. Most hospitals will let a severe alcoholic detox under their care, don't worry about paying for it now, there is medicaid or other state specific health programs uninsured people can apply for and once you are granted, they go and pay retro (go back and pay for your hospital stay before the insurance became active). PLEASE do that! You and your family are WORTH the effort!

Luv

Jaz

teethoflions

It's been a long time since I made my original post and this is the first time I've come back to check.

I just wanted to thank all of you who cared and/or prayed and thank all of you for the positive support you gave to me.

A few days after I made that post, I was so sick I could barely move (well, just enough to chug my beer heh). I couldn't stand the pain anymore and my wife talked my into going to the ER.

The doctor's were real compassionate. Everything is really a blur. I just remember being really out of it.

They told me I had pancreatitis and extensive damage to my liver and admitted me to the hospital. My wife was with me the whole time and at some point my condition was so bad they put me into the intesive care unit and diagnosed me with pancreas necrosis.
Which is where I stayed for over 2 weeks.

I don't really remember much. I was utterly delusional from the alcohol withdrawal...not to mention they had me on a Dilaudid drip and a combination of Ativan/Valium/Comparal. It was all like some weird dream to me. Which I guess is a good thing depending upon how you look at it.

I was in the hospital for nearly a month in total.

I do remember every couple days being visited from people I didn't even know trying to convince me to attend AA meetings after my release. I have no clue how they found out about me. All they said was "someone at the hospital" let them know. I know for a fact it wasn't my family. That's fine with me, but made me question the hospital's confidentiality a bit.

Well...I did stay sober for nearly a month. Yet that entire month I was on really heavy doses of Dilaudid so I'm not entirely sure I'd say I was sober. I was sober from alcohol anyway.

However, I relapsed a little over a week ago.

First it was just a beer. Then 2 beers the next day. Then a 40 the next day. Then a 6 pack. Then a few 40s. Then a 6 pack of tall boys. Then a 12 pack and a couple tall boys. Etc..I'm nowhere near where I was but I am drinking a good amount a day.

I just wanted to reply to let everyone know I wasn't ignoring or saying "the hell" or "screw 'em" with everyone who replied to my original post. I was in the hospital and really haven't gone on the internet in a long, long time.

I don't want to die young. And probably will if I stay on this path. But alcohol has such a strong pull on me and no matter how close to death I was and no matter how much my family reminds me of it...I just can't say no.

Thanks again everyone.

caraway

Thats a very sad post teethoflions. Have you thought of going to AA meetings since your release?

DSodaNow

Teeth- I just read this thread. I am very sad for you right now. I think that if you really wanted to quit drinking that you would seek out AA or any of the other programs out there for help in not drinking.

You just spent a month in the hospital. People just spent a month of their time helping you. You said you had no insurance.... so I am assuming that the tax payers also just paid for that visit.

I would think that you would have enough gratitude for that help to continue seeking help and at least go to an AA meeting. Have you ever been to one? You seem to be judging them without even really knowing what they are.

No... I don't think you really want to quit drinking.

I hope that you find some help soon. Because I doubt very much you are going to make it much longer.

Ananda

guilt and all that never really hoped me.

I had pancreatitis...though not as bad as yours it sounds.

I was lucky enough to survive 3 or 4 hospital stays in the last 8 mos I drank. Please don't count on that.

I was convinced aa wouldn't work for me. had been in before. outpatient didn't help.

I finally gave up and went to treatment. I discovered that there was hope for me. that it was possible that i might get sober. alot of people never gave up on me and i am not giving up on you.

I'm glad you let us know where you were. I have to remember that i never know why someone disappears from my life and i shouldn't take it as rejection.

There is hope for you, and there are many forms of help available to help you to get and stay sober. I didn't "choose" to keep drinking...i just needed some hope to get sober..hope for me not just others. you are worth the price!

I hope to see you coming back here!

:ghug

DSodaNow

You know... I re-read my post and I feel a little bad about it. I wrote in with anger in my heart and that is not right. I was just so disappointed when I got to the end of your recent post.

You have been fortunate to have many hands extended to you....

AA will always extend their hand to you. As will the members of this site.

Please continue to ask for the help.

At a meeting I went to last night I heard a quote: "I can change my thoughts and wait for my actions to change, or I can change my actions and my thoughts will follow."

The example given was sitting on a bar stool drinking a beer and thinking that you want to quit drinking vs not drinking and thinking you want to drink.

Many alcoholics relapse. I hope this is your last.

Best of luck.