stringer belle

hi, i'm new to this forum. i'll be entering a detox/inpatient center tomorrow afternoon at 1:00pm, and i'm honestly scared as hell.. i'm going in voluntarily, just because i'm sick of my life and sick of having to hide my problem.. also, i want to get pregnant.. anyways, i have no idea what to expect because i've never been through detox before. from what i understand, the severity of withdrawal/detox effects depends on how much you drink and how long you've been drinking... ? so, i was hoping some of you could tell me what to expect. i've been drinking every... EVERY day for almost 5 years. around 6:30 or so i start drinking maker's mark and diet coke, and i don't stop till bedtime and i consume anywhere from half a fifth to 2/3 of a fifth. i have occasional blackouts, and i start to get the shakes the following day around early afternoon until i drink. with all this in mind, can anyone tell me what i can expect when i go through detox? thanks so much in advance, sorry so lengthy but brevity isn't my strong point (along with sobriety, up till tomorrow).

edit: also, can someone tell me whether the phsychological aspect of staying sober is considerably more difficult than the physical addiction? because so far i've never really been aware of anything other than a physical craving/desire to drink.

Anna

Hi and Welcome,

I'm glad you're getting the help that you need to quit drinking.

I detoxed myself at home and didn't go into a treatment centre so I'm not sure what you should expect there.

This is a Sticky entitled "Quitting: What to Expect" and it's full of great information from people who have gone through this.

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ect-47857.html

I wish you well and hope you keep visiting.

stringer belle

thanks for the link! i didn't look around at all before i made my thread so my bad.

thanks for the welcome. i plan on coming back to these boards when i get finished with treatment.

p.s. i would have detoxed at home but i know i couldn't do it, plusi read on several websites that it's dangerous to detox from drugs or alcohol without medical supervision. i'm glad it worked out for you.

ASH

Welcome to SR and good for you for making the decision to stop drinking.
I have never been to detox but I think it is a wise move, it will be safe and they do have meds to help with the worst of it.
I look forward to seeing you back after you complete you program.
Take care

raerob

I was fortunate enough to have nephews who were in AA and they got me into a detox...of course, that was 26+ years ago, and the treatment procedures may have changed since then.

What I do remember is being put on librium (which I absolutely hated, because it made me feel like a zombie)...but, it was to prevent seizures...a good healthy diet, lots of fruit juices and sucking on hard candies (there's apparently a lot of sugar in alcoholic drinks)...non-caffeinated drinks...B12 shots...meetings and counseling sessions. You'll be encouraged to get to meetings when you're discharged, and to severely limit caffeine.

It's a good, safe start to sobriety. Lots of luck to you!!!

Nazzy

I'm going voluntarily to detox tomorrow. God.....I am sick of being sick every day. I'm scared beyond belief. This will be my third detox. I am starting to ask myself if I am hopeless. My body just can't take anymore abuse. I cannot function. I wake up every morning at 3 am to have a drink. Because I don't want one. I NEED one. It's bad. I'm asking for a few prayers out there......I'm am going to need it.

Alcohol has destroyed my life. Everything. Marriage, jobs, house, friends, happiness. For those of you not at this point, I only say one thing: STOP WHILE YOU CAN. The alcohol always wins in the end. No matter whom you are.

Godspeed.

Dee74

I really hope this can be your turn around.
Best wishes Nazzy

D

spicymustard

I checked myself into detox three months ago.
I was drinking hard for about six years. Every night I'd have 14-20 drinks. I did my research and knew I could be in deep trouble if I stopped cold turkey.
Going to detox was one of the scariest things I've ever done. But detox itself wasn't bad at all. It's all about the meds. They gave me a heavy dose of benzos as soon as I got there and weaned me off over several days. The first couple days I was very relaxed. I wasn't worried at all!
Staying clean is another matter entirely. Sometimes it's no big deal, sometimes it's very hard.
Feel free to message me with any other questions.

Anna

I hope this is a turning point for you.

Fernaceman

Hope you can get some clarity on the situation. Detox is definitely a bold move and a great start. It takes courage to do this. Give yourself some credit!

Oh, and Godspeed.

cat1961

Nazzy - best wishes to your detox and hope it works for you. Your story sounds like a mirrored image of me getting up at 3am and "needing" a drink.

Thoughts and prayers to you. Please come back and let us know how you are doing.

Zebra1275

Good luck on your detox Nazzy! Work hard, you can beat this!

JSean

Good luck on Detoxing. Wish you all the best. Keep us posted on your progress.

Huglets

Hi Nazzy and Welcome to SR! So glad you're here!

I was released on Saturday from detox. The actual detox for me wasn't that bad, but I know everyone is different.

Keep in mind that you're doing a very smart thing by having a medically supervised detox. You will be well taken care of, supervised and safe. These folks are trained to do this and the ones I came across were extremely caring. They understand what you're going through and and will help you through it.

Go into this with a positive attitude! Drop your fear at the check-in door and realize you're making the best decision EVER for yourself. Sobriety isn't easy but it's a fantastic way to live.

Best of luck during your detox Nazzy. I'll be thinking about you.

Delilah1

Hi Stringer Belle and Nazzy,

I wish both of you good luck tomorrow. I have never been to an inpatient rehab, but it seems like the perfect time to focus on just you and your plan for sobriety when you get out.

Looking forward to hearing about how things go for both of you!

JOHN108

I found that stopping drinking can be very hard with the peer presure of friends and even family. Iv started to have the right diet to detox my liver milk thistle is something iv found that helps to detox and at the same time is protect my liver.
I think iv already caused too much damage from drinking so the least i can do is damage limitation,

Dee74

welcome to SR John
I think sober support is very important - you'll find a lot of that here

D

ChrissieB

Good Luck Stringer Belle and Nazzy, liking your decision - it is never too late to start again,you can do it... Glad you are here

Dee74

Just a reminder to folks who may not realise - this is a thread started in 2006.

D

longbeachone

Withdrawal is such a subjective thing. The good news is that you'll be under medical supervision, so they should be giving you something to help you get through it. If it makes you feel any better, even the worst withdrawal I had lasted three days at the most. Anxiety was, for me, the worst part. You'll get meds for that.

Regarding physical vs mental cravings...they are very different feelings. You will soon become well aquainted with the dark Lord of alcoholism, your AV (alcoholic voice). Your AV will do anything to convince you that it's okay to drink, you can handle it...You aren't as bad as the other alcoholics you meet. Learning how to defeat your AV will be one of the most important things you do in your sobriety journey. You can do it!