TryingSoHard

Everyone else has already said it all: be honest with your doctor. The only one it can harm if you're not is you. So many medications respond differently when alcohol is in your system, and YES the quantity of alcohol (and/or frequency) and make a difference! IT DOES MATTER!

I hope it went well. Please let us know how you're doing when you get a chance.

nickishine

Katie,
So much good advise/direction given here.

Just another idea, if you want to be in the solution, then we need to be honest. Your therapist and doctor have no impact on your life as would family, friends, etc. They are only there to help you so you can live YOUR life. They cannot truly help you if they don't have all the facts. Practise honesty today with them and you'll be amazed at how you feel and their reactions to you.

If there's nothing there to hide, there's nothing there to find underneath it all!

Katie09

Thank you all so much. I was honest with both. I told my Dr. how much I had been drinking. He told me he doesn't think there is permanent damage but took blood for pancreatitis. He thinks it's my stomach and that it's the alcohol. He told me if I quit now he doesn't think it's too late, but if I don't I am going to have LT health problems. He also gave me some Nexium and told me to come back in a week.

I was also honest with my therapist and she did not judge me. We discussed groups I might go to.

Right now, I am really bothered physically and of course think a drink would calm me down but it WILL make things worse. The anxiety I am feeling is just making me hyperventilate, along with the cigarettes. I think I am going to really have to cut back on the smoking as I think it's making things worse too.

KenL

Hi Katie,

So good news then, right? You should be feeling pretty good about yourself right now. The anxiety will get better in time. It's just your cells screaming out for alcohol. Maybe eat a nutritious meal and go for a walk tonight. Good job!!

:ghug3

Katie09

Thanks, probably good news. One of these days (assuming I don't stop drinking which I am now serious now) that temporary (hopefully) pain might be permanent. I REALLY heard him today when he said if I don't quit now there will be long term health problems. I also asked him if he got angry with people like me who do this to themselves and he said, no, not angry, just sad and upset. Then I didn't like what he said about people with addictions being more stigmatized (than those with psychiatric disorders) as addicts will kill and rob for drugs. So much for stereotypes. Oh well, as long as he knows what he is doing in the medicine department I can handle these comments.

C23

Katie,

I am very happy you decided to be honest with the doc. He is there to help you and never judge. I am willing to bet the pain will go away more every day you don't drink. I am not a smoker, so I dont know how hard that would be to quit, but if you think it is best, then do it. We are all here to support you.

Chris

rebelTex

Nice going Katie. I went through the same thing last week. Shame, guilt, etc... laid it all out to my doc and new therapist. No judging, just offers of help. I'm proud of you, you did the right thing.

Katie09

We did the right thing What did your Dr. have to say, I am curious? For some reason I think medical Drs. must just have disdain for people with addictions - like they just cannot understand it, when they deal with so many people who get sick without dealing with addictions.

C23

You know Katie, I think that many years ago, like when Bill was starting AA, doctors really didnt know how to treat addicts and alcoholics, and probably did stereotype them as losers. In today's medical field though, advancements have shown them that our cravings and addictions are both physical as well as mental and they should be treated as anyone else who comes in with a life threatening aliment. Alcohol and drugs are killing people at a wide rate and doctors need to help end that. I am guessing your doctor was compassionate to what you were going through, just as if you had cancer. He/she wants to help rid you of this disease as fast and as safely as they can. Keep it up.

LosingmyMisery

Addiction knows no boundaries. It impedes all walks of life. When I finally came clean with my Dr., he didn't even bat an eye or gasp in shock. I think he suspected for some time that I had a problem, but never delved into the usual how much do you drink and I would tell him the proverbial two. I didn't let on it was usually two bottles, big ones.

He told me about an anesthesiologist, on call, that would come in so drunk they had to send him home after sleeping it off. Could you imagine allowing him into the operating room? My point, no one is safe, Dr's, Lawyers, Psychiatrist, Professors, Presidents, all have suffered from alcoholism.

Katie09

Thanks for reminding me of this. I had written a post and deleted it wherein I said I felt less worthy of medical attention than a person who walks into an office with something like cancer, because they didn't cause the cancer (unless something like lung cancer from smoking and I happen to smoke, so this is a judgement on myself). For some reason, I seem to place this judgement on those who deal with addictions and in some way feel that society feels they are "less than" therefore I feel they are "less than" which really means I feel I am "less than" and I just project this onto other people. I also realize this is probably a real problem in my thinking and one that most likely has made it hard for me to feel worthy of living a non-addicted life. I guess this is not a good way for me to think. Maybe just not drinking and reading here in this forum and other people's experiences and posting will help change my thinking. In the meantime, my job is to not drink, follow Dr. orders, take my medicine and try to get some rest and try not to stress over stuff that can wait until another day. That's my plan right now. This is all I can handle. Thanks again