JustB

thanks to everybody, I have a plan.

1. she had insurance I'm guessing it expires in another month or so, she is now unemployed
2. I'll sit down with her and make sure she gets COBRA or an equivalent
3. I'll recommend she go to her most personal and trusted doctor and talk to them.

And maybe if she seems like she's at least a little bit home I'll take her to the movies and just be some casual company.

And people, a drunk person isn't half as messed up as this. And at least you understand whats wrong with them.

JustB

Once upon a time she was absolutely the love of my life, we dated for years. I'll always and forever be grateful for her. I have a family now and stuff but I couldn't hate her if she took 20 pounds of PCP. The good times were so good.

And guys sober people really don't hate drunks, at least I don't. Somebody has to drive. I have almost no tolerance for the stuff I go off a cliff in like 2 drinks, so I generally don't, but its really not that bad. These pills? thats BAD

Luper

Hi JustB,

I went to an inpatient treatment facility a year ago and they did they same thing to me. I was put on so many different meds I couldn't complete a sentence. My son picked me up and told me I looked and sounded worse than before I went. I agree that the meds are needed during detox, but wow...and I have been treated by a psychiatrist and therapist for depression and anxiety. Those meds didn't have this effect.

Some are good facilities, IMO, the one I went to was not. The other girls I saw there had similar issues.

I went to my regular doctor when I got home, and she immediately weaned me off all of the meds. 3 of them had the side effect of memory loss. Within 2 weeks, I was back to being myself.

Just my 2 cents, but I would definitely have her see a regular doctor and tell them what she is taking.

Good Luck! I wish you both nothing but the best.

doggonecarl

I am not saying your friend is on the right Meds or the correct dose, but her BAC was over .4 you said.

That's BAD.

2muchpain

There are other options besides a stay at a place like Hazeldon. There are various out-patient programs available that a doctor/psychiatrist would know about, and they tend to be less expensive. I am currently in an out-patient program that I would think would be also available in Minnesota. Here in Florida, it's called IOP (intensive out patient) or PHP I think. It's a program that deals with a lot of issues besides alcoholism such as anxiety, depression, etc. This program includes group and individual therapy, seeing a psychiatrist and medical services so it pretty much has everything. I do that every day along with AA meetings. It's working for me so far. I would think programs like this one would be available in your area. Good luck!!

Grungehead

You might have to face the fact that she sustained permanent brain damage from that single incident. I know that is not a comforting thing for me to say, but as you mentioned 0.43 bac is a lethal amount of alcohol -- surviving it doesn't mean it didn't take its toll on her.

SoberCAH

The most disconcerting thing I read in all of this is that someone who seemingly had a lot to live for matriculated into a treatment center with a .43% BAC.

If she needs psych meds, there is a good chance that she will get all of the (bad) side effects immediately and the therapeutic effects (if they are indeed the right meds) in 1 - 2 months.

Finding the proper meds and dosages is fairly hit and miss, so it may take a little while to get hers correctly dialed in.

Her best interests may be best served by working "in the field" (of A and D treatment).

jsprplc2006

I should point out that whether or not something is "natural" is never a good argument for or against it; alcohol is 100% natural - it occurs in overripe fruits all the time. Heroin is completely natural too. Just because humans have manufactured a drug doesn't mean that it's a bad thing in the slightest.

JustB

Well guys I think this story has a happy ending. I am sure that every life will have endless trials and such, but for now she is doing very well.

Her family doctor as suggested above almost immediately got her off the various meds, she's beautiful again (and clean, what a freaky thing realizing she was filthy that one day was), and happy.

I thank everybody for their input here, I don't know if I or you all were much help, I wasn't instrumental in getting her off all the pharmas, but its great to see her herself again.

I will offer a story and a thought in a second post this evening.

Lenina

jusB, is it possible she's suffering from "wet brain"? The reason I ask is that when I was in rehab, they brought a lady who was not even verbal. After three weeks, she started making sense. I saw her a few times in aftercare and could not believe she was the same person. This was about three months after I was release (I did 30 days). She told me she had be a 24/7 drinker for months and months prior to hospitalization

At the end of my 30 days. I released with vitamins, my beta blocker and a low dose antidepressant. I doubt my blood levels were ever as high as hers.

I hope this helps. It sounds like she may have other psychiatric problems and maybe even some brain damage.

Love from Lenina

Jus, I think we were posting at the same time glad she's doing so much better

JustB

And just because some company with huge amounts of money has paid some government agency to legalize some given chemical, doesn't mean its good.

I almost can't drink alcohol, I often vomit from just a few sips. I can drink red wine, and thats about it. But I'm a HUGE addict, nicotine is my weakness. I am probably the biggest addict that will ever post here. I probably can't go 15 minutes without nicotine without getting twitchy, and push that to 2 hours and I have a problem. I quit smoking years ago, but on the way I took, Zyban, Syban, I think it was called? They called it wellbutrin I think? Some magic pill that was supposed to cause us (I did it alongside my roomie of the time) to not want to smoke anymore.

Freakiest experience of my life. He would say the same thing. We probably slept an hour or two the last week we were on it (3 weeks tops), he hallucinated at work, I had to call in sick due to extreme disorientation. That stuff was flat freaky.

Worst thing I ever did, and I don't mind drugs and I'll try any of them I have reason to believe are safe. Which aren't that many and aren't anything made by a large company (except nicotine products, I'm currently on about 2 jars of lozenges daily, I sleep with a couple in...)

Don't forget all these miracle medicines are mind altering substances, often addictive, sometimes hugely addictive, and sometimes very powerful. My father had cancer last year and I took one of his pain pills for kicks and 30 minutes later I didn't move for the rest of the day. Whatever that was it was potent.

I wish everyone well and perhaps some people ar ehelped by their meds, but the big pharma company is ALWAYS helped by them, the doctor profits too I'm sure, and I cannot imagine that more chems pumped into a system is always the right idea.

None of this is advice, just the sharing of an experience of my own and with my friend. Who is pill free now, and BACK TO BEING A REAL HUMAN! And I cannot express the joy that gives me. The world is a better place with her in it, we don't need to medicate her into oblivion, we just need her as she has always been. If she doesn't drink anymore, great!

Julie59

Wow ... just read all your previous posts and then todays....I am very happy for you both I gather your friend has a long term life plan in place so she never goes back to that intolerable time of her life .... and she is also very lucky to have you and your support in her life ..

JustB

Lenina, she seems really good the last couple of weeks. Once she got off the pharmacy regiment she turned back to normal. She got a job managing a really reputable retail operation, she laughs, she goes out, she is sooo pretty again, she's back to being herself.

And thats just awesome! I just am so grateful for all the comments here even though I wasn't instrumental in getting her off all the drugs, her family doctor apparently took one look at her and 5 minutes and just got her off them all right away. I Guess one was so addictive that she had to be weaned off it, but I didn't ask what it was.

She lives! She'll be fine, she'll make 1000 more people smile before this crazy ride we call life is over. I love it.

And thanks to you all.

Newpathway

She could easily be suffering from depression and anxiety as a result of post acute withdrawal syndrome that can last months. That explains 2 of the three meds. She can very well be exhausted and depressed. Depressed people can lack motivation to care for themselves. The meds might be temporary.

Dee74

Glad your friend is doing better JustB

D

tomsteve

Good to hear, but this whole,"I'm probably the biggest addict that will ever post here".......
This isn't a competetion.

dwtbd

The concern for your friend is touching , and glad to hear she is doing well, good on her.

This is just coming from a DD from 'here', but you may want to be more discriminating about what you put in your mouth just for kicks, especially as a family man. Nothing necessarily about addiction or recovery, just that there are some silly rules about ingesting certain chemicals without 'permission'. In case you werent aware.

Change4good

Glad to know she is feeling and doing better. Remember, she is going to need a lot of support. In my opinion and experience, alcoholics aren't "cured." It takes constant vigilance to keep us safe.

Regarding in-patient experiences and meds. . .I saw some horrible stuff. Everyone on my unit was prescribed the exact same meds, regardless of our presenting concerns. Literally a handful of various things, with prescriptions to leave with. I saw people go from relatively sane but uncomfortable individuals withdrawling, to absolute zombies.

I didn't take the med cocktail, mostly because the doctors treated me like an annoyance when I asked questions about what I was taking. They literally told me not to ask questions, as I wasn't capable of making sense of things then. WTF? Just because I am an alcoholic doesn't strip me of the ability or right to be an informed consumer of my health.

Wow, sorry for the little rant there. Just seems in my opinions, some facilities suck ass.