Notices

What Was Your Detox Like?

Old 05-24-2011, 12:21 PM
  # 1 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 16
What Was Your Detox Like?

Its been awhile but I'm still around and still drinking......

I'm curious about detox. My dad is an alcoholic and is detox'ing right now in a hospital (for the 5000th time) and it's really severe. No seizures this time but hallucinations, he doesn't know where he is or who he is, shaking, cold, sweats, can't even walk, can't talk, etc.

He has been an alcoholic all his life. As of current time, he "says" he is drinking a pint of vodka every other day. Yes, that it is alot of alcohol by normal people's standards but is that "enough" to cause the detox that he goes through? Or is he lying about the amount he drinks? Or is his detox so bad because he is 60 and has been an alcoholic for over 40 years? I'm confused......He also is addicted to pain pills so is his detox more severe because of that?????

And that makes me scared for me. I'm an alcoholic too. But high functioning. I've never blacked-out, not done anything because of being drunk or hung-over, no dui's, I exercise regularly, eat fairly well, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah (no excuses here just saying) but I drink every other day as well and I drink a lot for my size. Will that mean that my detox will be like his? It makes me scared......
gold1009 is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 12:27 PM
  # 2 (permalink)  
Member
 
Bikeguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 1,061
I really think detox is different for each individual, I know mine scared the sh!t out of me and I plan to never experience it again. Here is a link to give you some information on different peoples detoxing experiences, http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html.
Bikeguy is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 12:31 PM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Sobriety date April 19th 2011
 
Enoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Salem, VA
Posts: 157
I drank anywhere from 375ml ( close to a pint I think? ) to 750ml ( just shy of a true 1/5th) a day 3-5 days a week at the end.

I had shakes and trouble sleep , cold sweats and one night a near panic attack. I never hit DT's though.

It would be hard for me to believe a pint every OTHER day would be that strong , but like said above I guess everyone is different. Mine had only been going on for a year or so and at that high level only about 6 months.

If he's been doing that his entire life , his body is likely reacting alot more strongly.
Enoy is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 12:34 PM
  # 4 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 16
Thanks all and thanks for the link.

Yes, I wonder if he's either lying about the amount OR its just because he's been doing it for so long.

His first detox that I SAW was 10 years ago. It was horrible. Seizures, hallucinations (squirrels in his room, bugs, etc) tremors, severe pain. I've never seen anything like it.

My dad will die from this disease. I just know it. And I hate him and love him more than anything,,,,all at the same time.

And now I'm doing the same thing...and I hate and love myself all at the same time too.

And I hate and LOOOOVE alcohol all at the same time. Hmmm, how ironic.
gold1009 is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 12:46 PM
  # 5 (permalink)  
Member
 
Bikeguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 1,061
I'm sorry about your dad, why not break the string of dependence and quit yourself now?
Bikeguy is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 02:51 PM
  # 6 (permalink)  
Member
 
Zebra1275's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 14,836
Everyone's detox is individual, but I'm guessing your dad's detox after 40 years of drinking is probably worse than most. I'm sorry your dad has to go through this, but it does give you a visual of what your life might be like if you continue drinking.
Zebra1275 is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 03:02 PM
  # 7 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 16
So, so, so, soooooo true! And WHY do I continue to drink?!?! I can't figure it out myself. What a disgusting/lovable substance alcohol is.....

I love the way it makes me feel. I sometimes think the only thing I have to look forward to is when I can drink again. How pathetic is that?? (especially since I am married to a wonderful man, I have THE most adorable 2year old around, I am financially secure, I am fit and attractive--everything is great on the outside but something is missing on the inside)

My dad was such a great dad to me. Plugged in, loving, attentive....and now he is wasting away.

Yet...I'm scared to quit drinking though. Can't imagine life without it because I love it so much. Plus, watching my dad detox. Why the heck would I want to go through that when everything right now is functioning fine. What the f*** is wrong with me????


(disclaimer--all things said above I can see right through and I have an answer for all of them. So why the heck do I still drink?)
gold1009 is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 05:49 PM
  # 8 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 401
Nights are the worst for me. I can't sleep as the hamster wheel in my brain is going a mile a minute. "Fork lightning-like" pains flash through my liver, pancreas, gall bladder, and kidneys. Paranoia. When I do drift off to sleep I have the most hellish nightmares imaginable. I'll sweat right through the mattress and have intermittent hot & cold spells. It's a wonder we allow this addiction to continue as it is such a vicious cycle.
mercurial me is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 07:23 PM
  # 9 (permalink)  
Member
 
Zebra1275's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 14,836
So, so, so, soooooo true! And WHY do I continue to drink?!?! I can't figure it out myself. What a disgusting/lovable substance alcohol is.....

The Big Book calls alcohol, "cunning, baffling and powerful," that pretty well describes the hold it often has on us.
Zebra1275 is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 08:31 PM
  # 10 (permalink)  
Member
 
TwelveSteps's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 411
Please Google "kindling and alcohol." I didn't drink "that much" (about 2 bottles of wine a night) but my repeated detoxes got progressively more severe due to kindling.

GG
TwelveSteps is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 08:34 PM
  # 11 (permalink)  
Member
 
TwelveSteps's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 411
Also, PLEASE talk to your doctor. Medical help is important and makes it so much easier. It was really hard for me because I'm in a licensed profession and was terrified of having it in my medical record, but I'm so glad I did.

GG
TwelveSteps is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 09:12 PM
  # 12 (permalink)  
SR Fan
 
artsoul's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 7,910
So sorry to hear about your dad - I hope things improve for him and that he can stop drinking.

I usually drank a bottle of wine (though not every night) for the last 8-12 months of my drinking. My withdrawals weren't too bad, but they were bad enough! Like you, I didn't have the blackouts, DUI's, or family problems, although I spent plenty of mornings with a hangover and I wasn't functioning at nearly the level I told myself I was.

What I did have (big time) was the addiction - I couldn't imagine life without alcohol. I didn't want to quit. Drinking was the highlight of my day. I would hide it, choose to be alone so that I could have more, pick events to attend on the basis of whether alcohol would be served, was irritable if I have to postpone my drinking, etc. etc. and the list goes on. So in truth I was just as sick as the person with that DUI.

p.s. I never could figure out why I kept drinking too much either.
artsoul is offline  
Old 05-24-2011, 09:15 PM
  # 13 (permalink)  
Member
 
Nevertheless's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: KC MO
Posts: 980
Your dad is in the right place,he is in the hospital. There is not a whole lot more you can do. If you are an alcoholic your self I am sure you understand that. Nobody can be forced to quit. You HAVE to WANT it.
I have seen guys in jail for multiple years,and the minute they are out and have a chance to get away with it. Boom! Drunk again!
Nobody knows how your disease will progress. Mine stayed the same most of my life. I never drank before or at work. But at 5 Oclock I drank till I passed out. That went on for almost 30 years

My last detox I quit cold turkey. For the first week waking up with cold sweats,nightmares and break the glass cravings. It SLOWLY tapered off. I had also tried to quit many many many times. I knew most of the ways I failed.
I had aches in my legs for the first 6 months that were very painful. I have no idea what they were. I am not a doctor person and they completely went away. I work on my feet all day,and it was hell.
It was probably 3 or 4 months before I walked into a place that sold beer that I walked out and realized I didn't stare at the beer wanting to buy it. That was a true feeling of freedom for me.
My last really bad craving was at the 6 month mark. But I still had weaker ones after that. I have been sober a little over 2 years now.
I just have no clue what I was thinking all those years now that I have stopped. Alcohol puts the idea in your head that this is all just "normal". And it keeps on doing it for quite a while after you stop. Like I say, in order to stop YOU HAVE to WANT it. You have to be done with it.
I wish you the best.....
Fred
Nevertheless is offline  
Old 05-25-2011, 02:33 AM
  # 14 (permalink)  
Member
 
BullDog777's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: East Coast
Posts: 1,906
my detox was pretty horrific.

i don't doubt your dad's claims on the amount so much either. i was almost always in a constant state of withdrawal. to what varying degree depended on how much i drank...or didn't drink.

it effects everyone differently. i'll also say this. i found out that even if i didn't drink for a period of time (maybe 3-4 days) and i even drank a little bit...i would get virtually the same withdrawal symptoms as if i had been binging for days at a time. i was a bottom of the barrel drunk at the end of my drinking career...sometimes drinking a half a gallon of whiskey a night.

i detoxed from booze the same time as i did from benzos, sleep aids and painkillers and the detox from those, would exacerbate the alcohol withdrawal and vise versa. it was a horrible, vicious cycle. most alcohol withdrawal detoxes last about 3-7 days. mine was a month long because of the pill addiction.

when you mix drugs and alcohol...even just painkillers into the equasion, it makes detox very complicated and very dangerous. i almost lost my life from my last detox.

i hope you and your father find your way to a happy sober life. my life is 1000 times better now than it was 18 months ago.
BullDog777 is offline  
Old 05-25-2011, 11:23 AM
  # 15 (permalink)  
Member
 
ClosetExtrovert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 232
Your Dad was plugged in and attentive and an alcoholic? You were lucky. Mine wasn't. He just drank and stayed safe in his world of addicition, rarely coming out.
ClosetExtrovert is offline  
Old 05-25-2011, 05:06 PM
  # 16 (permalink)  
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
 
CarolD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
I'm sorry to know of your Dad's situation but very glad he is being professionally supervised.....

If you read the link already posted....you will see that not one of us had the same exact de tox experiences.

Generally....it takes 3 to 4 days to de tox...and it can be done safely. To keep drinking because you fear de tox is a lot more harmful.

I hope you will find your way....recovery can be awesome....
CarolD is offline  
Old 06-21-2011, 12:58 PM
  # 17 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 2
I;ve had some very nasty withdrawls, many seizures (15+), it can be very dangerous, even fatal.Any benzo. will stop the symptoms, thats the best way to go, with a Dr. of course.
crunchman is offline  
Old 06-21-2011, 01:08 PM
  # 18 (permalink)  
Member
 
Drexo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 92
My detox wasn't that bad, I tapered down my drinking with beer for 3 days, along with a lot of fruit, vitamines, healthy food etc. The worst part for me was the emotional feeling of being dead while having no interest in things. Luckily that's behind me.
Drexo is offline  
Old 06-21-2011, 11:16 PM
  # 19 (permalink)  
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude
 
Zencat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oxnard (The Nard), CA, USA.
Posts: 13,687
I've always detoxed at home. The results have been about 8-9 home detoxes with 3 ER visits quickly, plus many Dr. appointments a few weeks latter with symptoms of; seizures, hallucinations, jaundice, vomiting, upper-lower gastrointestinal pain/problems, kidney failure, delusions, psychosis...well plenty more bad stuff too.

Even with all that, I was a high (maybe medium high or medium...maybe medium low) functioning alcoholic/doper too. I also didn't have any drastic felony convictions or like that mess, yet I did suffer mentally/emotionally/physically grave consequences as a result of my wild drunken/doped lifestyle.

No matter how far you went down or managed to rise above the equally disastrous life of abusing alcohol/drugs...problems arise sooner or latter as you know.

Oooohhhhh this is a old thread...Well I hope there is something to learn, something to heal and something to share for all that have an alcohol problem...that is helpful from this thread....
Zencat is offline  
Old 06-22-2011, 01:11 AM
  # 20 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Bingen
Posts: 53
Quote : So, so, so, soooooo true! And WHY do I continue to drink?!?! I can't figure it out myself. What a disgusting/lovable substance alcohol is.....

I love the way it makes me feel. I sometimes think the only thing I have to look forward to is when I can drink again. How pathetic is that?? (especially since I am married to a wonderful man, I have THE most adorable 2year old around, I am financially secure, I am fit and attractive--everything is great on the outside but something is missing on the inside)
Unquote :

Gold1009, You have described alcohol pretty well. We all can relate to it. Recently I read a book called " Allen Carr's Easy Way to Control Alcohol " He has described all of us alcoholics as flies falling in trap of Pitcher Plant..Mother nature has made this plant in such a way that fly loves the juice on the top of the plant ,sees dead flies at the bottom of the plant, but still keeps thinking that I have strong wings. I can fly away anytime after I quenched my thirst with this juice.. I am not like other flies.. She never realizes that more she drinks the juice, the heavier she becomes and keeps getting trapped in the plant..Eventually ends up at bottom like other flies and becomes the food for the plant.. How sad and ironic !!!! If any one thinks that one can control alcohol later stage,,,never happens.. One is never in control with Alcohol.. It will progressively and eventually get us to the bottom of the plant... Read the book to get more idea about this phenomena.. It is a fantastic book...Alcohol is a Physical Problem which can be solved mentally.. Human body is incredible machine and can heal on its own, provided your mind allows the body to heal..
Bingen is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:53 PM.