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crippling withdrawal anxiety

Old 05-11-2011, 07:15 PM
  # 21 (permalink)  
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I was not drinking "quite" as heavily as you but I was drinking a LOT. I was not yet quite to the drinking at work... but wanted to on more than one occasion. Weekends and any day off? Heck, started in the morning and quit when I went to bed.

I'm little, too.

I quit cold turkey with Xanax for sleep. Loaded up on Vitamins, B6, 5-HTP and Holy Basil, drank a LOT of tea, and tried to eat well. The first four days were HARD HARD HARD and I relied heavily on God and this forum.

I am in Week Four..... and am finally feeling SO MUCH BETTER that I simply cannot believe I spent SO MUCH OF MY LIFE with that crap in my body. It's crazy.

I did it. You can, too. :-) Log in a LOT!!!! These people are great. :-) God Bless.
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Old 05-11-2011, 08:38 PM
  # 22 (permalink)  
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you seem to be on a heavy regimen of alcohol - much more than I can relate. I must say, that your drinking during the job and during/before meetings will lead to a path that will be more severe than taking a 7 day "holiday" and checking into detox.

Don't be fooled into believing that people won't notice. If the trend continues for too long, you could find yourself out of a job, so I believe your number one priority should be to take care of yourself immediately whatever it takes.

* I am no Doctor, but I am on prescription meds for anxiety which help immensely (Effexor).
At night, when my anxiety is at it's worse I take Lorazapam - basically a common prescription that is very effective against anxiety. I doesn;t make me drowsy, just allows me to calm down smoothly. Periodically, when I have huge presentations to do in front of 300 people or major business transactions I will take a pill before work in the AM. I;ve found this to be the most effective way to deal with the over and above exorbitant stress that comes along every so often with work.

On every other day, the Effexor is adequate.

I had a a major drunk in my MBA program (in my group) - this guy was drinking through class, and before exams - it was quite sad. Finally he simply could not handle the program and had to leave. He lost a lot of money, because he was not kicked out (very tough to get into the school, maintain a minimum 3.0 or you are on probation). It was my first experience with what alcohol can do to someone, and from a business perspective "everyone" knew.
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Old 05-11-2011, 08:44 PM
  # 23 (permalink)  
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Drinking is going to kill you. And it will be you who killed you, not the culture of Australia.

You sound thoughtful but skilled at avoidance. Coming here is the best thing you can do right now. Lots of good advice.
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Old 05-11-2011, 08:59 PM
  # 24 (permalink)  
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Hi dstat,
I never stopped to count drinks, but at the end of my drinking it was two and a half handle bottles a week. I did manage to skip a day a week for several weeks (not in a row, though) and once for a day and a half.

That was about all the tapering I could manage. Going cold turkey was about the only way for me "to get it done" ......but, it was a crazy scene that first 8 days. If you have access to medical care; that seems like the best decision for sure, however you decide to approach it.

You won't regret "medicating" anymore. I sooo "get" where you're at right now.

This place saved my *ss 13 months ago, .....you can do this !!
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Old 05-12-2011, 03:54 AM
  # 25 (permalink)  
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dstat...if you don't mind me asking which part of OZ are you from? I'm from Sydney myself and can recommend a drug and alcohol centre if you want.
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Old 05-12-2011, 04:38 AM
  # 26 (permalink)  
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I'm an Aussie too dstat...I went with the flow for a lot of years...mostly it was easier that way....and I really didn't want to stop anyway...who wants to be different?

but...alcoholism is progressive, and it will bite you on the behind if you abuse it long enough....I spent 20 years trying to be a drinker when I knew it was really bad for me.... in the end I lost the career, my reputation and the all the other things I tried so hard to juggle along with my drinking.

It is entirely possible not be a drinker - in Australia as much as anywhere else.
It just comes down to how much you want to be a non drinker, dstat.

and I know it's easy to jump ahead in our mind, but speak with your Dr before you start thinking about what meds you might be prescribed...any good Dr will work out a treatment plan and meds that are right for you

D

Last edited by Dee74; 05-12-2011 at 04:55 AM.
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Old 05-12-2011, 04:43 AM
  # 27 (permalink)  
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You are still young, but these days young people are dying from alcoholism like never before. I hope you listen to some of the good advice here, especially regarding a medically supervised detox.
I hope this is not bordering on medical advice, it is more in the practical area: couldn't you take a Friday and a Monday off and do a weekend detox?
I am guessing that other people have the same job concerns as you and also need to address their alcoholism.
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Old 05-12-2011, 06:42 AM
  # 28 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by littlefish View Post
I hope this is not bordering on medical advice, it is more in the practical area: couldn't you take a Friday and a Monday off and do a weekend detox?
I am guessing that other people have the same job concerns as you and also need to address their alcoholism.
I thought about doing a detox over the easter extra-long weekend (here in .au we got a 5 day weekend at easter) but like I mentioned above, at my level of drinking/withdrawal I don't think 5 days is gonna cut it. I feel like I would need 5 days just to get past the dangerous withdrawal stage, and then possibly need a week or two of supervised treatment beyond that to help manage my PAWS symptoms. I think realistically I need about a month of stress-free time off work to deal with this.

I'll talk this over with my doctor next week. He seems sympathetic to my work situation, but he still thinks inpatient detox is the way to go and wants me to find a way to make it work. I hope I can think of a way to do this without destroying my reputation and career. A two week unpaid "holiday" is possible and nobody would ask any questions, but I would need to have cash reserves for that. There's nothing short-term I can do besides get my blood tests done and maybe get some naltrexone. Or doctor shop....
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Old 05-12-2011, 09:56 AM
  # 29 (permalink)  
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I have done all the drugs: naltrexone, campral, antabuse. I used them first in outpatient treatment, then I bought them online.
Naltrexone is not prescribed for alcoholism: it is prescribed for bingers and is meant to be used with alcohol in an attempt to stop the binging.
If you ask this binge drinker if it helped, no, it didn't help me. I just planned my binges around the pills.
5 days is not a bad time frame for detox....here again I am bordering on giving medical advice but I have put my severely active alcoholic bro into detox for three days and he emerged okay.
I think I CAN give one piece of advice here without breaking the rules: have you considered a program? I know many people have quit without a program, but others, like me, need a little support and structure.
I know lots of different personalities walk into AA rooms, Smart rooms, etc, but we all have the same problem even though we are different.
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