ru12

These type of threads really leave me scratching my head sometimes. The gloom and doom dire warnings against tapering off alcohol. Before the modern benzodiazepines, tapering was the ONLY safe way to detox. I researched online how to taper through a Harm Reduction site. I followed the recommendations. That was over two and a half years ago and I am still sober.

By all means if you have the means to get proper medical care then do so. If the lable of "alcoholic" on your medical records doesn't concern you then again go and get something prescribed for you. Even old Bill Wilson kept alcohol on hand to taper down a drunk. I don't know when this became such a contraversial issue.

Grungehead

I don't so much see tapering as the problem but tapering without supervision. Yes Bill W. tapered the drunk down, but he didn't hand the drunk a bottle and tell him to taper himself down and come back when he was sober. The problem I had with tapering myself is that I wasn't accountable to anyone but myself, and I was the one that got myself into this mess in the first place. I would always start tapering with the best of intentions and determined to succeed, but the obsession to drink and the craving to drink more once I started would eventually win out every time.

ru12

Oh... Got you Grunge. I understand the dilemma now.

jch4078

I also do not understand the doom and gloom, for me tapering has worked. I have been to an expensive rehab, cost me $30,000 for 30 days and I even stayed another 30 in their group home for another 20 grand, I relapsed after 9 months and my drinking got so bad so fast that I needed another detox but could not afford another 50 grand. My drinking was terrible and I had shakes sweats hallucinations etc. I called some people in AA and went to the club house first thing one morning 7am I stayed there all day as they have meetings every other hour or so and people are always around. well by lunch time I was sweating bullets and couldn't even hold a glass of water I felt so sick that I might have a seizure. I went next door to the bar for lunch and had one sixteen ounce beer. This by no means even gave me a buzz just provided very minor relief for another couple hours untill the same symptoms came back. Around 4 I went and had another single beer. That night I went home and had one more, I sweated bullets all night and could not sleep. Next day I went back to the club house and this time only had the beer for lunch and not at four. One before bed and another sleepless night. Next day club house again and no beers all day. About 2 weeks of insomnia and meetings every day and I was feeling alot better. I am now still sober and have not had a drink since april 9, 2012. The longest period of continuous sobriety in my life. I do not like benzodiazapines I was severly addicted to them in the past and I also had to taper my self of them as well. There are many others who had worse detoxes than me who got sober the exact same way as I did without a doctor or rehab. How bad do you want it? I knew that if I continued to drink I would die.

caboblanco

What kind of people have access to your medical records other than if you want to go into the military. Employers can't look at your medical records. There are also the Hippa laws for confedentiality

ru12

Ever apply for life insurance? A security clearance? Lots of people can get a hold of your medical records.

dotboston

That's not really a lot though...

And none of those reasons are worth risking your life for.

GracieLou

No they can't. The HIPAA law was put in place to keep your medical records private.

I have life insurance and I have security clearance. I worked for a company that had, well still has, a DOD (Department of Defense) account. We all had to go though a background check. I have SF85P, EPSQ & FD 258 clearance. (SF85P - Questionnaire for Public Trust, EPSQ - Electronic Personnel Security Questionnaire, FD 258 - Finger Print Check)

Neither asked me to provide any medical history.

I have posted this before and I will post it here again.

The HIPAA law prevents anyone other than you from accessing your medical records. This includes all relatives including a spouse and any and all employers.

The only way someone can get his information is if you allow it which in most cases requires a written release.

Children and spouses may have regular access to this information if a power of attorney was set up at some point because the person receiving the medical care is unable to manage their own medical care such as with the elderly or a child, that is no longer a minor, with a physical or mental handicap. A nurse or caretaker can also have access to this information as they are considered a medical professional.

Mulitple medical professionals (nurses/doctors) can access your information in a hospital or a treatment center since they are all involved in your medical care.

Most doctors outside a hospital/clinic/treatment center do not transfer information. i.e if you see doctor A and then go to doctor B, doctor A does not send over your medical information to doctor B. The information can be requested but again something needs signed stating you allow the transfer of medical records.

At this point, unlike years ago, if someone goes to the hospital either willingly or in the case of an emergency the release of information that you are even in that hospital is not allowed by the HIPAA law.

So if someone goes to detox then there are medical records created. The only people that have access to this information other than you are the insurance company (they cannot release this information), the doctors or nurses (they cannot release this information), a pharmacy if medication is used (they cannot release this information). The doctor, nurse, pharmacy and insurance can talk to each other about your case but not to outside entities that are not involved in your medical care.

So even if you are in detox and your mother, father, sister, aunt, Joe Blow calls and asks if you are there, they are not allowed to confirm that unless you have signed a waiver that allows them to share that information and to whom you allow it to be shared with.