rungirl951

i've been sober 5 years, but wednesday morning i took my husband to the e.r.
when he started hallucinating from trying to quit on his own. today is saturday and he is still in ICU. i was not physically addicted to alcohol like he is so i don't understand really what is happening. my biggest fear is that he hates me for leaving him at the hospital, he has to be restrained and he is diorientated. i found this site and thought someone could tell me their experiences with severe withdrawl. or anything that could be of comfort.

Shogun

It's a tough situation, I went through something very similar only to lose my loved one. Just try to be there for that person, I learned though depending on how long that person is in the ICU the cleaner they get, and if theres ever a time to get them help it is as soon as they get out and can come back home. I made the mistake of not helping out and ended up losing my loved one four months later because he returned to his old ways.

Taking5

You did the right thing. Alcohol withdrawal can be deadly, 7 times more deadly than opiate withdrawal.

There is a sticky called "what to expect/what we did" about quitting alcohol cold turkey, it is well worth a read.

least

Whether he 'hates' you or not for leaving him at the hospital, you may have saved his life by bringing him there. Don't worry about how he feels about his hospital stay, think more about what he's going to do when he comes home. He must have been in bad shape to be hallucinating and needs to be there til he can safely be discharged, and I would hope his discharge would be right into a rehab place.

He's getting the medical attention he needs, now you must take care of yourself and your needs. Do you have anyone you can talk to? Like a counselor or someone professional? You are under a lot of stress and need to take care of yourself. You cannot care for him if you're in bad shape yourself.

Withdrawal from alcohol can be very dangerous. You did the right thing taking him to the ER. Please also take good care of yourself.

mxchaos

I doubt he'll remember anything that's happening right now. You did the right thing and supporting him when he gets out will be what he remembers.

Now go out and do something nice for yourself because you deserve it.

Anna

Yes, you should know you did the right thing for him.

He might not have survived if he had remained at home.

I'm glad you found us.

Jomey

I am going thru something similiar with a family member for the second time in 6 months - hallucinations, hospital stays, and rehab once. It's hard on you, but you did the right thing. Alcohol withdrawal is terrible when it reaches these stages, and it is very likely that your husband will not remember much of his arrival or early stay in the hospital. Anything you heard from him during that time was his disease talking. Ignore that as best you can. Stick around here and post, try Ala non if you aren't already there. Someday he may be grateful, or maybe he won't, but rest in the peace that he is possibly alive only due to your intervention and you definitely did the right thing.

Pelican

You did the right thing taking him to the ER.

Congratulations on your 5 years of sobriety, and welcome to SR!

flutter

He's in the best place he can be right now.. and mx is right, I doubt he'll remember this, and if he does, he'll be in a much clearer place to react about it. This is his life, at least you're not keeping him at home, sick, and loving him to death.

Please take care of yourself.. You deserve it!!

shaun00

Hi rungirl and welcome..i am a chronic alcoholic that doesnt drink today.
I have been hospitalized on numerous occasions in the past due to severe alcohol withdrawal.
I have also had to be restrained on more than one occasion to the bed.
I have very vivid halucinations........normally monsters or someone trying to kill me.
I also hear things that are not there...or have felt hands touching me.
I also have fits or seizures.........a small part of my tougue is missing due to fits i had while in a jail cell......my body temperature goes sky high and i normally lose even more weight for the 5/6 days it would take to come round.
Normally i was sedated for a time for my own good.......i guess.
I think......because i was living on the streets and not eating properly my body was weak and made the de.toxs worse.
So the very best place for your partner is hospital and im sure he will be just fine..
I pray that this will be the turning point for him.
The good news is, i woke up today and i didnt want or need a drink and its been like that for a few years now.......
I also want to thankyou for reminding me of that time in my life....it does me good to remember sometimes.
Dont forget to remember YOU..........god be with you both...........trucker.

CarolD

He is exactly where he needs to be...you certainly did
the correct thing by getting medical attention.

You might want to attend Al anon meetings for yourself
It's difficult to live with addiction and early recovery.

Congratulations on your long term sobriety!

Blessings to the two of you
Welcome!

rungirl951

oh my god!! thank you everyone for your everything you said. i had no idea anyone would respond. i am sincerely overwhelmed. he got moved from the i.c.u. but still has to be restrained. i pray tomorrow will be a turning point. i feel like i need to tell everyone i know about this site. you are all amazing people to take the time to encourage the people that come here. you will never know the appreciation i feel , for the first time ever my computer was actually my friend...thank you again

Kellye C

Hi rungirl,

I'm coming to this a little later but wanted to welcome you to SR. Yes, this site is awesome and is a wonderful source of support. Being in recovery yourself you can find support on other boards on SR such as the alcoholism board, perhaps the AA board, the women in recovery board, the friends and family of alcoholics board and depending on your circumstances you may find other boards on here that fill other needs for you. This is one of the best sites for support that I have ever run across and I hope you will feel the same way.

Congratulations on the 5 years sober. That is an awesome feat!

I'm sorry to hear about your partner and what he is going through but glad to hear that he is out of ICU. That is at least a positive sign. You absolutely did the right thing as withdrawing at home can be deadly especially when someone is that physically addicted.

If you get a chance spend some time and explore some of the other topics below the newcomers and see what other ways SR can provide support to you. I think you will be amazed!

Big hugs!
Kellye

Jomey

Keep us posted on how things are going! We do care.

rungirl951

just got back from the hospital he is much better. at the end of d.t.'s (i think), no restraints very tired, sore and weak from fighting to get out. now my new worry is that he won't think of this as a tragic wake up call. i read someone's post about quitting and how it was less painful to take a drink than to go with out. this is the man who rescued me and changed my life, my hero and love of my life. i feel like i could be doing something more so he would love his life as much as i love mine. (because he's in it). you know when you're at the very top of the rollercoaster just before you go down that feeling in your stomach, i can't get rid of it. i love that i don't drink anymore and that my life is soooo much better without it, i wish anyone trying to quit could feel the same. don't ever give up.. it's worth all that you go through.... i promise

Pelican

Thanks for keeping us updated. I'm glad that he is calmer.

You have a lot of love in your heart for this man! I am sharing a link with you that was very helpful to me in early sobriety. Since he is addicted to alcohol this may help you understand what is physically going on with his body due to the alcohol:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...influence.html

Also you will find helpful stickies at the top of each section. Some deal with withdrawals, some have resources for you as his partner.

All the best to you both!

Jomey

.

You just described the way I feel about my husband perfectly! I am blessed that he stayed with me into sobriety, and, as he is a normal drinker, I can not even imagine how you feel watching your husband go through this. You have my prayers, hun.

My brother was in the same situation as your husband this summer, and when he was really sick, down and beaten was when he agreed to try rehab. Maybe a doctor at the hospital could help you talk it over with him?

Good luck to both of you - keep in touch.