please dont chase me away because my story is not typical. Genuine reach out thread
 

II am a registered nurse with a second degree. 21 years ago I walked into a stressful situation that reached the newspapers. Thats all Im prepared to say other than the fact that my teeth started to fall out and I have good dental hygiene. We are not just talking about stress we are talking about blow your head off levels of stress. At this point I was 28 and drank 3 drinks a week.
One night I felt a blackness spread through my brain. I knew I had just become mentally ill. My thoughts started to distort. I picked up a bottle of wine and drank it dry. Then I moved on to the rest of the drinks cabinet. I stayed that way for 21 years..
I lost my nursing job. I lost my friends all bar one. I lost my family all bar a niece who wont let go. I simply love her more than I love life itself..I was arrested and thrown into a cell. The policeman who arrestested me knew I used to be a nurse and he promised me that he would not take me to court if i got help. What help? I was so mentally ill I was pacing the floors 8 hours a day. I used to pace until the sun came up. This is why I dont want the AA crowd to reply to my thread. I went to one AA meeting and came home and tried to hang myself. Some people are too ill for AA but AA wont acknowledge those people. Eventually I collapsed into bed and wouldnt get up. A friend contacted the gp to have me removed from the house. I was sectioned under the mental health act.
The psychiatrist was a scumbag and diagnosed me with simple schizophrenia. That diagnosis was outlawed in America years ago. It was declared a dud diagnosis and Americans dont believe in it anymore. Unfortunately Im european. I was release and sectioned again 10 days later.
This time they started to talk about mixed state bipolar. They gave me two drugs. Abilify maintena injections and Sertaline tablets. Just like that I became normal again. I am no longer mentally ill. I am now a normal drinker again. I met and fell in love with a paramedic who accepts my past. Thee problem with my story is this line.... I drink normally again. People have pm me and told me Im giving people hope that Abilify/sertraline will cure their disease. Im not that stupid but I wont be intimated either. Some alcoholics are mentally ill. They need psych meds aand theey have as much right to be on this forum as the unhappy childhhod/sexually abused/unhappily married alcoholics. If we were chased away then this forum would would be corrupt. Thats all I wanted to say.

ps. Some people will say yes but you have to stop drinking before your mental health can be assessed. I was walking the streets in my nightdress. Stop drinking?. Dont be ridiculous. This thread is probably for people who have been sectioned under the mental health act more than once. Please dont reply if you dont understand genuine mental illness.

Hi sammie

whatever internet board you post on you'll find that your experience is not universal and that some folks will probably disagree with you.

Cool.

The promotion rule is pretty clear

I don't think you're doing that in your posts above and as long as you're not extrapolating on your own experience and suggesting that other alcoholics can drink normally again too, I have no problem with you being here.

The fact we have this forum kinda suggests that rather than chasing folks with a history of mental illness away, we welcome them here :)

Dee
Administrator
SR

I too was Registered nurse, but because of stress, booze - no more.
I have more mental health diagnosis than most people understand of know about- centering around major depression (genetic I think, plus environmental from 4yo)…..


I salute your bravery. The world tho- at least here is not out to get you. I would encourage you to think carefully about alcohol though. What seems ok now- when stress come a-calling may see it's damage resurface.
Support to you sammie.

Some alcoholics are mentally ill. agreed.

I drink normally again.
If we were chased away then this forum would would be corrupt.

if anyone is here to promote DRINKING, that violates the entire purpose of Sober Recovery. at least i thought that was the principal.