InTheEnd

I posted on another thread and it got me thinking....

How many times when you were drinking, did you go to the Dr's for help? Not with drinking, but with some of the side effects of being an alcoholic?

Drinking made me depressed, had me in a constant state of anxiety, messed up my digestive track, and my sleep pattern was a mess.

Throughout the last 10 years, I had visited the Dr only a few times....but every time, they never caught the drinking issues. Now, in their defense, if they asked if I drank, I would say "one or two", so I wasn't being honest. So how were they to know? And for me....I didn't put it together or was unable or unwilling to realize that alcohol was the problem.

But now, getting sober......though life isn't perfect, every one of those "symptoms" have disappeared.

I went to the Dr's for depression and anxiety a few times. The prescribed anti-depressants. Didn't work because I was drinking and also gave up on them too early since they didn't work within week. Didn't even try them long enough to see if they would help. Quitting drinking solved this problem.

Since the Dr's couldn't fix the depression, I thought it was lack of sleep. So, back to the Dr's talking about sleep and get sleep medication. Now, I'm sleeping but still not right in the head. So it wasn't the sleep that was the issue. (I was drinking with them too, bad combo). Now I was even more tired, depressed, etc. Quitting drinking solved this problem.

For years this went on, and maybe subconsciously I knew it was the alcohol, but I just couldn't figure it out or didn't want to?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that many of my "symptoms" that I thought were something else, were a direct result of the drinking.

I wonder, if I had been honest about the amount and frequency of my drinking to the Dr, would they have known how to handle that? These weren't specialists, just a everyday doc. I mean we here all know what the negatives about drinking are....but when your active, you don't see it.

I would hope for others in the future, these Dr's push the "how much do you drink" a little harder and push you to be completely honest about what you think are the causes of your "symptoms". My symptoms were a direct result of drinking but since I lied (not sure why, embarrassment I guess), they just shoved me through the door with drugs.

I may not had taken their advice of quitting drinking at the time, but it would've made that seed that was planted in my head about my alcohol intake grow, and maybe I would've seriously considered getting sober earlier?

Who knows....just thinking out loud.

Have a beautiful, sober day!

herradura

Good post. Same exact boat here. Doctor for depression/anxiety, then sleep. I always told my doctor how much I drank, never lied a bit. One doctor told me I should cut down but never addressed the problem. I would say I drink 3 times a week and always to excess. I never "have a beer". I buy the 30 pack and get drunk. Never buy a bottle of wine, always three. finally I went to a different doctor and he flat out told me. You cant drink like that and expect to live very long. He said drink 1 or two and call it a night, if you cant drink 1 or two then call it a career.
I was with the first doctor for 15 years. The second first visit. I think the first doctor knew me very well and just figured it was a waste of breath to address the drinking, and in all honesty at the time, it would have been a waste of breath.

jryan19982

Thats the thing. We lie about our alcoholism. The DRs for the most part will take your word right? You are supposed to be able to tell your DR everything so that he or she has a great chance of helping you through whatever is bothering you. When we lie, I guess the DRs take our word at face value, and move onto other things that could be causing the problems. When if we said, yeah I probably drink too much, the DR would say I bet that is the problem so why dont you stop and see how you feel?

Lie to ourselves, like to family, lie to friends, like to co workers, lie to Drs... probably not the best idea to lie. Maybe that is what getting sober is teaching us.

Soberwolf

Totally agree really great post InTheEnd

Dropsie

I was just thinking the other day how many of my ailments are gone. Remarkable really.

Thanks for the post.

Soberween

Great post. Exact same thing with me. I'd like to add (not medically related) that I also was "not photogenic" while drinking. I looked horrible, bloated and in turn overweight in every picture and I am a very slim person (5'7" 115 lb. female). The person I would see in the mirror was not a reality. I looked a mess and I was in such denial that I couldn't see that unless it was in a photograph. Well lo and behold, once I finally got sober, I see myself the exact same way in the mirror as I do in photographs.

Ruby2

I haven't been to the emergency room once, since I quit drinking. Always something. From slicing my finger while doing an intoxicated Julia Child impersonation to anxiety attacks I thought were other things. Embarrassing. It's much cheaper to be sober since my ER co-pay went up after I quit.

I don't miss those days.