thomas11

Have any of you actually known a person who died from alcoholism? If you are comfortable sharing, I would like to hear about it. My uncle was the most serious alcoholic I knew, but it wasn't booze that killed him, he died of a drug overdose.

suki44883

My father died from cirrhosis of the liver. It's been over 30 years ago, but I'll never forget his swollen, yellow body, yellow eyes, inability to keep anything on his stomach and, after he was finally taken to the hospital, the in and out of consciousness, delirious mumblings, until finally, he mercifully died.

Yes, I know, and love, a person who died from alcoholism. I am his daughter, and I, too, am an alcoholic.

Tamerua

My mom left my dad when I was 12 because he was an abusive alcoholic. We had zero contact with him after we left and I found out when I was 23 that he drank himself to death. Died of cirrhosis at the VA hospital in Las Vegas. It happens.

IOAA2

Being sober in AA a lot of years it’s unfortunate that I knew too many who died over the years due to alcohol.

It’s in the top few of the miserable ways to go. Imagine being passed out and choking to death on your vomit, or being so desperate committing suicide leaving a family behind or killing a family DUI and living through it and on and on.
To me living as a drunk in the misery we experience drinking, which never gets better if we continue drinking, is in many cases worse than death.

BE WELL

48heath

Yes my Mother,developed a wet brain and died,all happened very quickly.

She never once attempted to stop drinking,unfortunately for the Alcoholic we either die or abstain completely.I took the decision to abstain completely.

Impurrfect

When I was in nursing school (a career that I lost to addiction), I was doing clinicals in a psych hospital. The first day I was there, we were delayed because an alcoholic came in, too late, and died. He was in full blown DT's and the symptoms were more than medical help could fix.

I've also read of many people who have died from alcoholism, here, at SR. Some could probably have been treated by professionals, but many didn't reach out and now they are gone

Hugs and prayers,

Amy

courage2

Two of my uncles died from cirrhosis. It's an ugly death and takes a long time. They were miserable for more than a little while. One was trying to get a liver transplant, but he was low on the totem pole.

It sounds like you're not counting alcohol-related deaths, so I won't include those.

trachemys

My uncle drank himself to death. They say it was a seizure. He was alone.

PurpleKnight

My dad died a few years back of alcoholism . . . I wouldn't wish that feeling of helplessness and not being able to do anything on anyone!!

Only an addict can make the decision to change, if they don't, others around them have to watch the addiction take their life!!

Absolutely horrendous!!

Dee74

I've known half a dozen people here at SR and about the same number in family friends or work colleagues.

It's not spooky stories to scare people straight. It really happens - people really die from this.

thomas11

That's what I'm afraid of.

suki44883

Don't be afraid of it...REALIZE it is true. It does happen. It happens every single day. You do not have to be one of them, just as I don't. Don't waste time being afraid! Do whatever you have to do to make sure it doesn't happen to you.

thomas11

My sister in law is a nurse and some of the stories she has about people coming in with alcohol problems is terrifying. They have organ failure, they smell like pneumonia, they see things, hear things. Its absolutely awful. I am nowhere near that but that doesn't matter. I'm not comfortable with what alcohol is doing to me.

suki44883

If you are still at a point where you can do something about it, then DO something about it. Most alcoholics do not recover. Most don't even seek recovery. My father didn't. I'd bet that he would not have admitted that he was an alcoholic even at the point where he was in the hospital dying. Don't let that be you. (((HUGS)))

courage2

And add to that (because I said I wouldn't):

Death by smoke-inhalation passed out on the couch with a lit cigarette
Car accident, under the influence
Car accident, under the influence
Suicide, alcohol and barbituates and a plastic bag
Suicide, jumping off a roof under the influence
Suicide, alcoholic, hanging
Suicide, alcohol and barbituates
Suicide, alcoholic, unknown method
Overdose
Overdose/suicide, alcohol and barbituates
Suicide, alcoholic, gunshot
Victim of second degree murder, shot 10 times at age 23 after became belligerent under the influence of drugs and alcohol

I'm starting to sound like Jim Carroll. This sort of thing gets me riled up.

least

My dad's wife's brother drank himself to death several years ago, leaving a wife and kids to cope with his early demise.

pulltight

A friend of mine was less than 2 years away from retirement and would talk about all the things he would do, places he would take his family and dreamed of travel and taking it easy for the rest of his days.
Problem was that a lifetime of heavy drinking caused him cirrhosis of the liver at 57 and he died 3 months later.

leviathan

my mother succumbed to cirrhosis at the age of 44. i was 15.

at the age of 44 i went to rehab and joined this site. beats going out in the pain she went through. her end was absolutely shattering for me and my younger sister. i responded by picking up the torch, i guess.

later in life i treated MANY folks in different stages of the malady that required hospitalization. its very prevalent among us veterans. sometimes i would end a shift that included restraining a man (or 2 or 3) in full alcoholic psychosis, head to the gas station and crack one on the drive home.

yeah...doesnt make much sense...

BarbieKen

My brother, who never admitted to being an alcoholic, committed suicide by a handgun last April 3rd. He was 58. Bobbi

BarbieKen

I just wanted to add .... My mind flashed to times in his early 20's when he wouldn't drink beer. We'd see him with a Pepsi in his hand instead. Sadly, that time period didn't last.
Nobody in my nuclear family talked about alcoholism. My Dad does not understand why I just didn't stop if I was having problems. I knew nothing about this disease until I had a soul opening experience and wanted help.