Dilemma at work
 

Good morning everyone,

I am a in bit of a dilemma. I am an RN in a REALLY busy emergency room so you can imagine the stress level (I have NEVER gone to work drunk btw). In July, I had a c/t scan done and was diagnosed with a concussion due to injury. My doctor has yet to clear me to go back to work due to the symptoms I am still having so I have nothing to do all day and started drinking an entire bottle of rum every day since then.

Unfortunately, my primary practices at the hospital I work in so all his notes are in the same computer system as the one we use in the ER. He is also good friends with my nurse manager.

How can I approach him that my symptoms were't getting better and masked by the alcoholism and that I want medical advice to quit?

If you're worried about you privacy can't you see a different dr?

If you're bored while out of work, how about an AA meeting? That can really help with your recovery.

Possibly ask for a referral to a doctor outside your hospital ASAP.

Your doctor probably won't even question why.

M-Bob

I'm sorry, I meant medical treatment because I'm planning on going cold turkey.

What level of medical assistance would you like? If you are thinking medical home detox, maybe going to an walk-in clinic (Urgent Care or something similar). Or perhaps see a private doctor?

I also work in a major hospital and see a primary care doctor there, plus some other specialists as needed, simply because it's most convenient and cheapest for me. But I never used the same hospital for addiction-related issues. I went to a private rehab and see mental health practitioners also in private. Segregating treatments may not be the best solution though if you think that the consequences of your injury are influenced by your drinking and vice versa because, as you said, the alcohol might mask some symptoms or make others worse. But if you are thinking a supervised detox might be helpful and take other things from there, another doctor could be a solution for detox. But I would look into other, follow-up treatments as well since it seems like you cannot control your drinking. It is not going to be easy after stopping for a while.

You mentioned alcoholism in your first post. There is no medical cure for this. Medical supervision is often desirable during detox for the reason that withdrawals can be dangerous on some cases.

This will get you clear of the booze, but it will not keep you sober. It is one thing to stop, I have done it a thousand times, but quite another to stay stopped. If you are an alcoholic of my type, even after a long period of abstinence, if you should pick up you are guaranteed to lose control again.

The suggestion made earlier to use the time you have tocheck out the AA program for permanent recovery is a good one.

What, if any, were you drinking before July and how often?

I'd say go to a differrent hospital or a private rehab center if you are concerned about your relationship with coworkers. However, lying ( or withholding ) info from your primary care physician is not really Helpful in the long run either.

I am assuming that if you work in an ER you've seen some of the possible complications of withdrawals, so I'm glad you are seeking medical assistance.

Think of what advice you would give a patient under your care that was in the same situation you are.