UK person..needs advice
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 9
UK person..needs advice
Hi All. Have been following the forum for some time now & events have made me take the plunge. Long story short... have been drinking roughly 1 bottle of wine per night during week & more at weekend for way too long now. Need to stop & wonder if any UK peeps can give me some guidance on what happens when you go to your GP. Wife is fully supportive. Cheers
Last edited by foolsgold; 01-11-2012 at 02:16 PM. Reason: Typo
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 1,130
Welcome Fools Gold from another British member of the Forum. You will find lots of support here. As others will no doubt tell you, we can't offer any medical advice ourselves and the general suggestion is to seek professional help at the outset of a detox. I think your GP will be pleased you made contact with him/her and is very unlikely to be judgmental in any way. Do also please start to think about what you might be able to do to tackle the root cause of the problem, which is probably an addiction to alcohol. There's plenty of different approaches and experiences related on here so you will probably find something that resonates with you soon.
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Newburgh
Posts: 868
Welcome to this site! Great place to learn about recovery and the different methods people use. What's best, you have support from people all over the world who will take the time to read your posts and respond with their experience, strength, and hope.
Hang around.
God bless.
Hang around.
God bless.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 9
This might sound stupid but I'm from N Ireland and the acceptance of drinking here has to be seen to be believed. If there's anyone else her from the province I'd really be keen to hear about your experience going off the drink
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Join Date: Jan 2012
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Oh, BTW wasn't looking medical advice - that's the GP's job!! - just wanted to know if anyone else had went to their doctor and 'fessed up. Have agreed with my wife tonight that she'll come with me & want to know what to expect
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
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Very glad you've joined us foolsgold. I felt hugely relieved & hopeful after coming clean about my alcohol abuse - to my doctor and anyone else I chose to tell. I hope you'll feel the same. Let us know how it goes.
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Join Date: Apr 2010
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Welcome FoolsGold!
Glad you decided to join! I remember how scared I was to make my first post here - The worse part was just thinking about it and trying to work up the courage.
Any good doctor is going to be proud of you for stepping forward. They see people in denial about their drinking all the time. Just remember that this isn't about you being a bad or weak person. Alcoholism can affect anyone and there's no shame in getting help.
We're here to support you, too, so keep reading and posting!
Glad you decided to join! I remember how scared I was to make my first post here - The worse part was just thinking about it and trying to work up the courage.
Any good doctor is going to be proud of you for stepping forward. They see people in denial about their drinking all the time. Just remember that this isn't about you being a bad or weak person. Alcoholism can affect anyone and there's no shame in getting help.
We're here to support you, too, so keep reading and posting!
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 2
meds
When I rang my doctor, I booked an emergency appointment and got to see a stand in doctor.
She asked how long I`d been drinking, number of units etc
Then she did the measurements - BPM, BP , all that **** yeh
I explained to her that I`d been on detox myself 2 days but was struggling with the symptoms.
She pescribed some betablockers, some vitamins and some diazamapan for emergency use.
Later that day I went for blood test = and we willl do a follow up meeting.
I think it varies by area, this was in Suffolk.
The pills will help slow you down a bit stop you getting heebyjeebies - but good luck mate
She asked how long I`d been drinking, number of units etc
Then she did the measurements - BPM, BP , all that **** yeh
I explained to her that I`d been on detox myself 2 days but was struggling with the symptoms.
She pescribed some betablockers, some vitamins and some diazamapan for emergency use.
Later that day I went for blood test = and we willl do a follow up meeting.
I think it varies by area, this was in Suffolk.
The pills will help slow you down a bit stop you getting heebyjeebies - but good luck mate
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 9
OK just back from GP. Told her exactly what I'd been drinking and for how long. She has referred me to addiction specialist for assessment. Would have given me course of tablets that you take in decreasing amounts over a week but would need to take time off work which is not possible now. She said if i was concerened about withdrawals I should cut back my drinking to minimum. Some serious thinking to do. Anyone any experiences / advice??
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 133
Hi Fools Gold (love the name by the way), I'm from south of the border myself, but no longer live there. You have my sympathy about the drinking culture, it's become a massive problem in the UK and Ireland. The special offers on alcohol in the major supermarkets have a lot to answer for, I think the more you're honest with people about this, the more you'll find that many of your friends are in a similar situation. More and more people are drinking at home, since the pubs are being taxed so highly in comparison. This has completely eroded the social aspect to drinking, regular alcohol consumption at home, for the older generation was generally something only alcoholics did, now it's the norm. Behind closed doors, it's very easy to develop into a problem, I'm one of the statistics myself. You've made some very brave steps forward in trying to address any issues, so don't beat yourself up over things. Try to moderate your drinking from today and see if you can quit, if it's developed into a problem, you'll know soon enough. Having a supportive wife makes is great, if you can work together at making your home alcohol free it will keep temptation out of your way.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 9
Jocata - would need to book holidays but that is not an option at present. If I can't make cutting down work then I'm going to book them a few weeks down the road & take the medication.
Pangur - Cheers for the reply. I don't think anyone that's not from Ireland - North or South - can fully appreciate the role that drink plays day to day. Agree it doesn't help when the only thing in supermarkets that the price has fallen over the years is drink & cost in bars has definitely got more people drinking at home. Example - If I wanted to buy 2 pints in a bar in Belfast it would cost near £7.50. Was with the wife today doing groceries & for £1.50 more I can pick up a dozen tins of beer!! Saying that, it's not Tesco's fault I'm a **** artist!!
Pangur - Cheers for the reply. I don't think anyone that's not from Ireland - North or South - can fully appreciate the role that drink plays day to day. Agree it doesn't help when the only thing in supermarkets that the price has fallen over the years is drink & cost in bars has definitely got more people drinking at home. Example - If I wanted to buy 2 pints in a bar in Belfast it would cost near £7.50. Was with the wife today doing groceries & for £1.50 more I can pick up a dozen tins of beer!! Saying that, it's not Tesco's fault I'm a **** artist!!
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 133
Foolsgold - to be honest, the low cost of booze is red rag to a bull. We can't blame the cost directly, but it's made alcohol much more accessible in larger quantities than any other time in history. Mixed with that is Celtic, Norse, Norman and Saxon blood, and it's a recipe for disaster. I'm a bit of a nerd, done my reading on subjects like the gin-bath moonshine of the 18th and 19th century in English cities, and the modern day equivalent is being played out. In places where the local pub (something the US folks might find strange to discuss in an alcoholics forum), served it's purpose as mainly a community meeting place, to be replaced by the same patrons forced by economic choices to take drink home, it opens a Pandora's box. I was on a trip home recently and saw it for myself, the guys in the local pub, left and walked home after a couple of pints and a chat, socializing done for the next few days, because they can't afford that luxury every night. Some friends in their houses, smashed on wine or rum or vodka, staggering upstairs to bed, plenty of booze for tomorrow. Therein lies the difference.
(as a disclaimer. I'm not advocating the use of alcohol, I'm merely pointing out how people who think they're saving a few pennies can get locked into a cycle of drinking)
(as a disclaimer. I'm not advocating the use of alcohol, I'm merely pointing out how people who think they're saving a few pennies can get locked into a cycle of drinking)
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