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Doctor Appointment

Old 04-03-2012, 02:21 PM
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I have to be honest in saying that tapering is a bad idea for you. Doctors can be wrong you know. He doesn't feel you are going to have a problem with detox but he tells you to taper? This does not make sense. I know you have had him a long time as a doctor but that doesn't make him an expert on addiction. What is really stopping you from quitting completely? You have the ativan if it gets bad. That is what they give you in the hospital for withdraws. You have someone at home with you to watch out for you. Sounds like he is giving a free pass to drink. It just doesn't sound right to me. Sorry honey. It's my opinion and I am not an expert or a doctor. My only hope for you is that you have the sober healthy life that you deserve. Good luck with what ever decision you make.
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Old 04-03-2012, 02:28 PM
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Thanks Soberred...it was my addictions counsellor too...but she could be wrong as well.
I know.

I guess I need to reconsider this tapering off thing.
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Old 04-03-2012, 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by bayliss View Post
Thanks Soberred...it was my addictions counsellor too...but she could be wrong as well.
I know.

I guess I need to reconsider this tapering off thing.

You are a grown woman. I think you need to search deep in your heart and do what YOU really feel is right. Go with your instinct. Not your alcoholic instinct. Your grown up intelligent woman instinct. We all have it. You can do whatever you put your mind to. Put your fears behind you and be brave.
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Old 04-03-2012, 02:37 PM
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You know what. I agree with some people's points of view but am kind of confused as to why people say to go "check with your doctor THEY KNOW BEST" AND then an addictions counsellor and then I get told it won't work.

I have been texting a girl I met in AA almost a year ago and she is saying I am trying to "feel sobriety out".
I just said yesterday and today I want to quit. I haven't been on here in a while. I am trying. Some progress is better then no progress no??!!
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Old 04-03-2012, 02:41 PM
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Bayliss, what hasn't worked for the alcoholics I know (including me) is "tapering down" with alcohol. It's all or none for me!

You either get sober or not. If you can "taper down" then do it, otherwise, just stop drinking and start being sober. Be cautious, but in 3 years, well, call the ambulance it you need to.

Best wishes!
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Old 04-03-2012, 02:43 PM
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Originally Posted by bayliss View Post
You know what. I agree with some people's points of view but am kind of confused as to why people say to go "check with your doctor THEY KNOW BEST" AND then an addictions counsellor and then I get told it won't work.

I have been texting a girl I met in AA almost a year ago and she is saying I am trying to "feel sobriety out".
I just said yesterday and today I want to quit. I haven't been on here in a while. I am trying. Some progress is better then no progress no??!!

Maybe we never expected your doctor to tell you to taper. I don't know. As I said in my previous post. Do what you feel is necessary. Take the advice given to you here for what it is. Advice. You are the one to make the final decision.
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Old 04-03-2012, 04:16 PM
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Bayliss,
it sounds like your getting some medical advice here, and even some saying to not listen to a doctor, hmm.. If you gonna quit cold turkey, ya really don't want to do it after a huge blowout drunk, that's the worst thing you could do. but after a few days of two or three drinks, your chances are better for feeling less uncomfortable (again more medical advice right). tapering isn't really going to be a bad thing, because if you are going to drink, you are going to drink, if your gonna quit, your gonna quit. a couple more days makes no difference in your eventuall success. as far as eventual success, I wouldn't know, I haven't succeeded..
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Old 04-03-2012, 04:19 PM
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Originally Posted by OCDDan View Post
Bayliss,
it sounds like your getting some medical advice here, and even some saying to not listen to a doctor, hmm.. If you gonna quit cold turkey, ya really don't want to do it after a huge blowout drunk, that's the worst thing you could do. but after a few days of two or three drinks, your chances are better for feeling less uncomfortable (again more medical advice right). tapering isn't really going to be a bad thing, because if you are going to drink, you are going to drink, if your gonna quit, your gonna quit. a couple more days makes no difference in your eventuall success. as far as eventual success, I wouldn't know, I haven't succeeded..
Thanks Dan. I appreciate your advice. )

I am so exhausted. I am going to bed I think.
I know I'll be up at like, 2am again...as it's only 7pm my time. Ugh. Still getting over jet lag.
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Old 04-03-2012, 04:59 PM
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I'm glad to see you are serious about quitting. I don't think you would have gone to the doctor to get a clean bill of health before you start detoxing if you weren't serious about quitting. Nothing wrong with that. I go to the doctor when I'm not feeling well, and inevitably get the "lose weight" lecture, but if he put me on a grapefruit diet to do that - eat nothing but grapefruit for a month, I instinctively know that any benefit I derive is for the short-term; probably more water loss than fat loss, and that I am depriving my body of essential nutrients. I know this to be true, because I've researched nutrition.

I see you are opting to use AVRT. I am AA recovered, but I follow the AVRT threads. If I mistate some terminology used in the AVRT methodology, I apologize in advance. What I'd like to point out to you is that your confusion in bouncing around about what you "should" be doing is exactly where your Beast wants you to be. I think there are four or five AVRT threads specific to the methodology you can read up on, and participate in. If you choose to taper, do so with not only the promise, but by ACTIVELY obtaining the RR book, reading the threads, participating, and making your Big Plan as you move forward. I am not sure, but tapering while you make your Big Plan seems not to be a big deal. I could be wrong about that.

Send Terminally Unique a private message, or one of the others participating on those threads. I'm sure they would love to help you get going.

Relief from addiction comes from the action involved; not the contemplation of it.

My understanding of the AVRT method is that it cares nothing about "issues" or spiritual awakenings, but merely focuses on abstaining from alcohol. After that, you are on your own.

My own personal experience was that I spent a year or two in counseling before I got sober, because I mistakenly thought that if I "addressed my issues", I would be able to control my drinking. Any counseling I had while I was actively drinking really did me no good - I had to get the alcohol out of my body and stop using. This is my personal experience; I am not commenting on your life or experience.

All my best in your journey....
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Old 04-03-2012, 05:17 PM
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Thank you very much WellWisher. I will definitely go to the AVRT threads ASAP and read the book I got by Jack Trimpey. TU has messaged me before and I said the links he sent me.
But it makes sense...that is what I did before...got counselling but still drank...doesn't go that way...I will really work on this. I really appreciate you commenting and for your advice as well.

I may not be optimistic about today...but I am about tomorrow. )

Thank you!
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Old 04-03-2012, 05:54 PM
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Originally Posted by bayliss View Post
You know what. I agree with some people's points of view but am kind of confused as to why people say to go "check with your doctor THEY KNOW BEST" AND then an addictions counsellor and then I get told it won't work.

We can't give medical advice. Good thing, too, because a lot of people around here would be dead or in worse shape then they already are.

Unfortunately, as you have discovered, not all doctors are going to give you proper medical advice...and addiction counselors who are not medical doctors shouldn't be giving you any medical advice at all. It's hard to know what to ask and it can be really hard to be your own advocate for your health, especially when doctors are given the status of 'expert'. They're humans, too, and they do make mistakes.

The most important thing is for you to detox safely. If your doctor doesn't or refuses to understand this, find another one. There are so many things that can go wrong with alcohol detox. No one here is qualified to tell you what your risk is for serious medical complications from detox.

I can say that tapering is a load of BS. Anyone who tells an alcoholic to taper obviously doesn't understand addiction. Tappering isn't safe for two reasons that I can think of: 1) someone who's addicted and tries to taper likely won't quit. 2) someone who's health is already poor may need to quit IMMEDIATELY and tapering isn't going to help with that --see point one--
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Old 04-03-2012, 06:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Bamboozle View Post
We can't give medical advice. Good thing, too, because a lot of people around here would be dead or in worse shape then they already are.

Unfortunately, as you have discovered, not all doctors are going to give you proper medical advice...and addiction counselors who are not medical doctors shouldn't be giving you any medical advice at all. It's hard to know what to ask and it can be really hard to be your own advocate for your health, especially when doctors are given the status of 'expert'. They're humans, too, and they do make mistakes.

The most important thing is for you to detox safely. If your doctor doesn't or refuses to understand this, find another one. There are so many things that can go wrong with alcohol detox. No one here is qualified to tell you what your risk is for serious medical complications from detox.

I can say that tapering is a load of BS. Anyone who tells an alcoholic to taper obviously doesn't understand addiction. Tappering isn't safe for two reasons that I can think of: 1) someone who's addicted and tries to taper likely won't quit. 2) someone who's health is already poor may need to quit IMMEDIATELY and tapering isn't going to help with that --see point one--
I disagree, if you go cold turkey after a huge blowout, it will hurt many times worse than after a few days of mellowing, period. been there, done that, over, and over, and over, cold turkey after a blowout is just plain ****** ok, not too smart. how does a stroke sound? hmm.. so she only drank for a few years, still, you play with fire goin cold turkey after a blowout or wicked weekend.. believe me, I know.

her doctor even told her, you know more than a doctor?
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Old 04-03-2012, 06:07 PM
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Originally Posted by OCDDan View Post
I disagree, if you go cold turkey after a huge blowout, it will hurt many times worse than after a few days of mellowing, period. been there, done that, over, and over, and over, cold turkey after a blowout is just plain ****** ok, not too smart. how does a stroke sound? hmm.. so she only drank for a few years, still, you play with fire goin cold turkey after a blowout or wicked weekend.. believe me, I know.

her doctor even told her, you know more than a doctor?
Maybe I didn't explain myself enough in my post.

Detoxing cold is not safe. Detoxing must be medically supervised, period.
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Old 04-03-2012, 06:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Bamboozle View Post
Maybe I didn't explain myself enough in my post.

Detoxing cold is not safe. Detoxing must be medically supervised, period.
fair enough, i was respondin mainly to your last paragraph, apologies
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Old 04-03-2012, 06:47 PM
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My doctor gave me Librium, which I took for the first two days. He had me come in daily for four consecutive days, as the DTs that lead to seizures apparently happen on days 3-4. This isn't advice, just my experience.

I read somewhere that "tapering" on beer, if you do taper, seems to be the most advisable as wine and liquor are quicker, as they say. I suppose you could measure out amounts and set an alarm or something to take them as you would dose medicine? I'm not sure I would have had the self-control though I know someone who did that.
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Old 04-03-2012, 06:54 PM
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I read somewhere that "tapering" on beer, if you do taper, seems to be the most advisable as wine and liquor are quicker, as they say.
actually alcohols alcohol Carliss.

I'm not going to go back through the thread - but if we could avoid 'how to' posts on tapering, I'd appreciate it - well meaning I know, but it's getting into the realms of medical advice, which is not what we do here.

Bayliss you've heard many opinions on this, including mine - but the buck stops with you.

I hope you can decide now which way you want to go and do it as safely as possible

D
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Old 04-03-2012, 07:09 PM
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I have a question--has the doctor written down a specific way for you to taper down off the alcohol? It would seem that if he told you to do this, there would be his plan of action for you to follow. Can you call and ask specifically what was meant by his words?
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Old 04-03-2012, 07:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Anna View Post
I would like to step up and say let's stop blaming the Canadian Medical system.

We have an amazing medical system in this country and many doctors who are knowledgable about addiction. Sadly there are some who are not. Detoxing in any detox centre is not going to be a piece of cake, and from what I have learned, basically they do watch you. That's the whole point of a detox centre. So, you are not alone. And, they will call for help for you, should you need it. Again, that's the whole point of a Detox Centre.

Also, most Detox centres and many rehab centres don't allow cell phones, computers, etc., at least at first. It's not a vacation, it's a detox or rehab centre and you have work to do. Most places want you to have limited outside contact initially, so that you can focus on your recovery.
As a Canadian, I'm with Anna on this one.
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Old 04-03-2012, 07:24 PM
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Originally Posted by sugarbear1 View Post
I have a question--has the doctor written down a specific way for you to taper down off the alcohol? It would seem that if he told you to do this, there would be his plan of action for you to follow. Can you call and ask specifically what was meant by his words?
I have to agree with sugarbear on this... did he write out a plan for you? If not I'd go to a Doctor that will.
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Old 04-03-2012, 07:28 PM
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I don't know where you are in Ontario but there is a really good rehab for women in Guelph, maybe check it out...Good Luck!!
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