Bh28

I cannot believe this. I went to see a nurse at an alcohol & substance abuse centre the other day and told her that I was drinking 25-30 units a day and the reason I'm here is because I want a detox and cannot quit on my own.

She said I was drinking too much and need to cut down and be drinking less than 20 units a day for a detox. Wtf? If I could cut down, I wouldn't be there asking for help.

She has given me a drink diary to fill in for two weeks. I don't want to lie to her telling her I'm drinking only 15 units a day but I feel as though I have to just to get a medical detox.

This is a total joke.

FeenixxRising

What country are you living in Bh? The UK? Can you check with another medical facility?

Whatever the case, please don't let this bit of red tape impede your desire to get sober. Every road has a few twists and turns that need to be navigated.

Bh28

I am in the UK and over here we have free national health system (NHS). The only other way is going private and it would cost me £5000 which is equivalent to around $8000 which I most definitely cannot afford, so have to stick with this.

Dee74

I thought we'd lost you in this thread for a minute bh

I'm not from the UK but here are some UK links & numbers that may be useful:

The National Alcohol Helpline-UK - Tel: 0800 917 8282
Offers help to callers worried about their own drinking; support to the family and friends of people who are drinking; advice to callers on where to go for help.

UK National AA Helpline
08457 697 555

FRANK

SMART Recovery - SMART Recovery UK

Alcoholics Anonymous (Great Britain) Ltd - Home

LifeRing UK - LifeRing

Addaction | Drugs & Alcohol Addiction and Recovery: Support - Help - Advice - Treatment

Help and advice - Alcohol Concern

and some NHS links
Find Alcohol addiction services services - NHS Choices

D

desypete

you will find detox on the nhs are not as stright forward as they used to be and that the nhs is cracking down on giving out such treatments when there is little hope that the people recover

its like throwing money at these agencys who get paid a lot of money to treat them but they dont have to have any sucess results to prove it works

i know 2 guys who need rehab and detox and there not getting it as they have had them before many times so they will offer them only if the person really shows them that there willing to at least try and cut down.

the idea behind it is that many people were getting into states with the drink and then coming to rely on a few weeks drying out so that they could go back on it again so that had to stop this type of abuse of the system as its tax payers money and as you will know under the present system the nhs is really squeed tight on funds

i dont know if i agree with it or not to be honest as i can see it from both sides of the coin, there is one person that i have heard about in aa who had a detox resfused to him as he had used it time and time again in the past, and when they refused it he then did somthing about himself by going to aa and useing the meds the dr gave him to the point that he didnt need detox
hence i can see it from both sides as it can work for some having a hard line stance but on the other hand it again means that recovery options are getting futher pushed down and will be dependant on how much money you can afford to spend

FeenixxRising

Well, I won't tell you to lie, but I will say that personally, I would do what I needed to do to get into detox. If tapering down is what you need to do, then give it a shot.

Bh28

The only way I can do this is by not eating. If I eat, I don't get drunk and end buying more. If I don't eat I get drunk easier and drink a lot less.

I cannot win. The system sucks.

Dee74

If that's your best idea, you need more input, bh.

You can't be the only person in Britain drinking 25-30 units bh.
I think you need to investigate some other options and some different opinions.

We can give you all the advice in the world and bury you in helpful links, but unless you're willing to advocate for yourself, nothing much is going to change.

D

FeenixxRising

I don't believe that's true Bh. I believe you can win. The system may suck, but don't give up on yourself. It's not easy, I know that, but it's worth the effort.

Bh28

Thanks Dee. I have contacted these and explained my situation. They've took my contact details and will be in touch shortly.

http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Alc...66?distance=25

Hopeworks

I wanted to point out to you that you did get outside assistance many, many times in your journey and it is my belief that many people who assisted you along the way were led by their Higher Power to be of service to those who are homeless and suffering from life controlling issues.

Do you remember the faces of those who gave you food at no cost? The shelters that gave you a place to shower and clean up? The library that gave you access to books and free internet?

I am one of those people who are not an alcoholic but grew up in alcoholic home. I now work thousand of hours for free to develop programs and ministries to support those in addiction and coming out of jails and prisons. I do this work because I understand how devastating addiction is to our community and especially to the 100 plus people that are directly affected by a single alcoholic or drug addict. I am most concerned for those children who are impacted by parents who are alcoholic and suffer.

Currently I am working with an amazing team of people on developing faith based residential treatment programs that will be located inside jails and prisons that will be financially supported by private donations. I do this work because it is my passion to see people set free...both the alcoholic and their families from this devastating disease. I am just one person but there are countless millions of people working on this growing crisis of addiction in our nation and the world.

So give credit where credit is due. Remember the hundreds of times you were helped in your journey to freedom from active alcoholism by a person you gave a you a hand up... many were reaching out to you because of their Higher Power who I believe loves you even while you don't acknowledge his role in your life or the universe.

desypete

great post and well done for all your efforts to help the less fortunate

i take my hat off to you as i know how much of an effort and commitment it takes to go out of your way to help people who are down at the bottom

so a big well done from me as its a dam thankless task
good luck to you and keep it up

Bh28

I've decided to do this alone. I cannot wait for a detox I have to do it now. Tomorrow.

I will keep a small bottle of vodka beside me. When I start getting symptoms I'll take a shot or two. This will not be for a buzz, it's medication.

Will keep you updated.

Dee74

Isn't like Midnight Sunday there bh? So you contacted NHS on Friday?
Nothing happens on a weekend.

D

Bh28

It is midnight Sunday, you're bang on.

The thing is (I've researched) they want me to cut down to 20 units or less. And if you show them that you are able to cut down, the detox will be a lot quicker otherwise if I'm still drinking the amount I am it will take months.

I cannot cut down. I am going to try this out and see if it works.

Vodka doesn't give you booze breath like beer. A can of beer leads to 12+.

I can always brush my teeth after having a shot or two of vodka and the taste of beer or lager or cider (which leads me to buy more) will not be present.

Dee74

Many many people have tried the vodka route. If this is what you are suggesting here, you're in for a world of pain bh.

The idea that noone will know or that you'll be satisfied with a shot or two is laughable, honestly.

Why not wait to see what you're told face to face rather than looking on the net and getting into dangerous ways to buck the system?

D

Gottalife

Your detox method is similar to that sometimes used in early AA when detox was not so accessible. I have used it myself when we could not get a man into a detox ward.

The difference is that the man does not detox alone, that he has company 24 hours, and if problems appear, medical assistance can be summoned immediately.

If you are set on this path, would it be possible for a friend or family member (if you are not using AA) to sit with you and keep an eye on you. If serious withdrawal symptoms take hold, you may not be able to summon help yourself.

Be safe.

esinger

I thought our health care system was messed up. I don't condone lying but I would probably do what ever it took to get help in your situation.

I switched to vodka when my drinking escalated to complete physical addiction. It was cheap and I thought I could hide it better than the stench of bourbon. Didn't fool too many people. Didn't taste like much and I mixed it with everything. It goes down way to easy! At about a liter a day for a couple of years it damn near killed me. If you really think people can't smell it your wrong.

I don't know what to tell you about how to get help in the UK. Switching from one poison two another more potent one is probably a bad idea. Could be deadly.

I really hope you get the help you need. No matter how you get sober it requires a lot of work and pain but it's worth it. Sobriety=Freedom

Bh28

I was absolutely right guys. They contacted me and said exactly what I researched.

They told me not to lie on the drink diary just tell the truth, but if I can show them that I'm actually attempting to cut down then the detox will be quicker.

The vodka method didn't work btw. I am going to lie to them.

I have OCD and the alcohol is making it worse. It's frying my brain. Ii can't stop checking bins, under the bed, under the matress, under the pillow, shaking the quilt, my laptop bag.

My life is a living nightmare.

dox

Dare I ask?

What happened with the endocrinologist last Thursday ?

Here's hoping you weren't simply sent away.

What did he or she say?