Looking to get Sober -Very Nervous about Withdrawl
 

Hi Folks,

I have been lurking on this board for the past couple of weeks and it looks like a great way to help support people trying to get sober.

I don't know if it is appropriate to be posting here yet as I am still drinking - but I have clearly made up my mind that I must stop my drinking. It is affecting my family, my health and my work. I have finally come to the realization that I have a problem and that I can't fix this one on my own. (It's about bloody time! Lol).

While I am very set in my mind that I want and need to completely stop drinking, I am very worried about the initial withdrawl. I frequently work from home and am ashamed to say that I typically drink from the time I get up until the time I go to bed. My weapon of choice is beer and it isn't like I ever get drunk -but in the various times I have had to not drink (had to go to on-site customer meeting) I definitely feel the shakes and unsteadiness. I have seen some of the posts about withdrawl and honestly it scares the heck out of me. I can only imagine it will be a horrible experience. Based on what I have read it sounds like I should be going to see my Doctor prior to "trying to do it on my own".

I guess what I am saying is that I am trying to "plan" for my quit date and want to be as organized and informed as I can be. I have a feeling that once I dive into this I might need some time off work.

Today was a big day - it was the first time I told somebody that I have a problem and am going to try to fix it. While it has been in my mind for several months now -it has only been the last couple of weeks that I have really admitted to myself that I am out of control and need help. I feel good about this (hence finally posting here) and finally feel like I am out of the closet and going to fight this beast. Somehow talking to someone about it makes it more real and actually makes me accountable for saying I am going to do something about it.

Any advice or experience with how you handled the initial withdrawl would be appreciated. Thx in advance.

Hi Time2KickIt

My advice is absolutely and categorically to see a Dr - especially if you're concerned about withdrawal.

I did not - and wish I had.
I had a bad last 'home alone' detox and I too was 'just' a beer drinker.

Seeing a Dr really is the responsible option :)

Good to have you join us - welcome! :)
D

((Time2KickIt)) - Welcome to SR! I agree about seeing the doctor. There are many people here who were/are still drinking/using at first and a lot of have found recovery.

Hugs and prayers,

Amy

Welcome to SR, Time2KickIt. You will find a lot of support here. We have all been where you are...the realization that we have a problem and the desire to seek recovery. You can do this, but I highly suggest medical help. One way is to see your doctor and lay it all out there about your drinking and your desire to stop, and your concern about withdrawal. Your doctor can help you, and yes, you may need to take some time off work.

If you can take time off work, another suggestion is to go to a medical detox facility. I took this route and cannot say enough good things about it. You will be monitored and your vitals checked several times a day. You will be well fed and have classes where you will learn coping skills for when you are outside and the cravings hit. The cravings will hit. But, you can have the tools to combat them and in time, they will become more faint and occur less often.

So glad to see you here! You can do this and we are here 24/7 to help in any way we can. Again, welcome to SR! :grouphug:

Welcome!

You're exactly right that you've taken a big step by admitting your problem and being willing to do something about it. Withdrawals are hard on the body (something I found out after the fact.....), and seeing a doctor will help determine whether you need medication. It will put your mind to rest, too.

Glad you've decided to join us!:ring

A great decision. Welcome to SR.

I also recommend you detox under a doctor's supervision.

So much worry and anxiety can be blown away by having a frank discussion with a doctor who is knowledgeable about alcoholism, and there are medications that can be prescribed that can reduce any problematic symptoms after your doctor makes an assessment.

I personally went to a medical detox facility and was quite comfortable during withdrawal. I asked a lot of questions before we got started. They took great care of me.

Glad to see you on SR....

Time2kickit,
Thanks for your post. Can totally identify w/ your fear and what you said. I've been abusing large doses of stimulants daily for over a year and for the 1st tIme today disclosed this to my therapist. It felt good to get out but I am also afraid of what withdrawal will feel like as I've experienced brief tastes of this when I've run out of meds. Which has physically left me feeling exhausted. I'm also scared about transitioning into inpatient treatment as my therapist recommended this to be the next step required for restoring my health. There's a lot of fear in me over the uncertainty of this process and also the certainty of what my future will be if I choose not to get help for my problem. Good luck, for neither 1 of us will this be easy but trust that it will be worth it! Walk away from the suffering!
Believe!

2thyownselfbtru

Welcome to you too 2thyownselfbtru :)
good for you for looking for medical supervision as well :)

D

Time,
See your doc. Tell him or her exactly how much you really drink and make arrangements. I also did an in hospital medical detox. I preferred to be drugged out by the medical staff and avoid any detox pain and misery and it worked. As soon as I was detoxed I joined SR (here) and AA and went to meetings only twice a week as I only went with my little great home group I lucked out in finding. The first couple of weeks were a real roller coaster ride, and I am glad I had both my docs and the friends I made here and at AA to talk to. I stopped using AA at about three months and only used here after that except for a visit back to let them know I was still doing fine. I believe in using a little of this recovery program, a little of that one, and some of yet another, and don't much care for the zealots of any stripe that think there is only one way to do it, and only one way to do that one way!
:whoop
I used them all and they all work when we do.

Welcome to SR both of you. And yes, it's good to see a doctor. Providing, that is, they know about alcoholism. A lot of them don't. I remember being told a couple of weeks ago (before I had my most recent slip up) that 'Oh well, you don't seem to be going through withdrawal.' She didn't ask how I'd been, but hey, I wasn't shaking like a leaf so that was ok, right?
Fortunately I'll be seeing somebody who does know what they're talking about on Monday.

Do you have health insurance and if so, is it through your employer? If so, I would highly recommend not going to a doctor for this. By having that you are an alcoholic on your record seeking treatment, this likely will be reported back to your employer causing your premiums to skyrocket or even worse.
I would first try detoxing at home if you have family/friends that could keep an eye over you. While severe withdraw symptoms can happen, they are uncommon.
I'd hate to see you be able to fight off the alcohol monster, only to get a double whammy by your employer.

You know, living in Britain, that never occurred to me. I was worried about having it in my medical record, but it was a general unease, nothing specific, and part of it was being annoyed that, now that I've quit, that's when they put it there.
That really isn't good, having to worry about it affecting your health protection. And I'll leave it there.

I went to the ER for detox for the second time in my drinking career just over two weeks ago, and I am still scared about the bill and the fact that it may be a part of my record and effect insurance, etc. Frankly though, there was no way I wanted to risk any of the dangerous possibilities of withdrawal w/o medical assistance. And even after two days in the hospital, I still had a night of mortal terror and insanity when the Ativan wore off at home.

The most important thing is your life and health. Do whatever it takes to safeguard that, and all the rest will get worked out. At this point I have fully accepted that I am an alcoholic, and if the world can't get behind that, I don't care. *I* am behind it. I'll do what it takes, and what others who have similarly suffered and survived suggest as the best course of action.


Best wishes to you! Have courage!

Just a few thoughts...

The discomfort of withdrawal (a couple weeks for alcohol) vs the discomfort of a life wrecked by alcoholism

the cost of detox vs the cost of a lifetime's worth of booze, DUI's, health issues, car repair and replacing other things wrecked while drunk

having "alcoholism" possibly show up on med records/insurance records vs having is show up later when you are in the hospital for alcohol related illness...or dying from alcoholism

Let every alcoholic/addict decide for themselves. We live a risky, potentially deadly lifestyle, yet we stay locked in it over fears of things that aren't nearly as risky or deadly.

Threshold, that really does put things in perspective. Almost too much ****ing perspective. (to quote Spinal Tap)

Thanks for the replies and encouragement
 

Hi

I really appreciate all of the replies and support. While I still haven't yet nailed down a quit date I am encouraged that I can do this and look forward to using this board for the support and advice I know I will need.

From the comments you have all confirmed that my initial thoughts (mainly based on reading this board) that I will definitely seek medical advice related to withdrawl.

I look forward to posting again in a week or two once I take the plunge and actually start doing something about my problem rather than just thinking about it.

In the meantime I just want to close off as many loose ends as I can at work before diving into this full blast. I have a feeling i won't be capable of working for a couple of weeks once i do this - so i am hoping to try to get as many things in order as i can. I know this sounds like procrastination or non-commitment but I really think I can do this and given that I have the luxury (at least right now) of not being forced to do it I might as well try to plan things with as minimal disruption to my family and employer as possible.

Thanks again to all who post and support those that do - reading these has definitely helped me convince myself that although this will be a hell of a fight - it is one that I CAN win.

I am still scared s***less but I know I have to do it.

Hey time,
You sure sound a lot like me when I quit. I qualified for a 1week stay at my local VA hospital and planned it very much like you have. All I had to do was drop in any Tuesday - Thursday and check in as my VA Doc already did the approval and referrel. The day before I was going to go in my central A/C outside compressr blew and it was 100 degree weather. So we moved out to my small metal building which is insulated and finished and air conditioned. A week later we were moved back into the house with the pups and I finally was able to go. I smoked one of my last three smokes, and I had a large shot of scotch in my coffee and headed in.

You are going to read a lot of posts from folks who are terrified of anybody knowing and that is one of the reasons so many fail in my opinion. As threshold said so well our priority needs to be our continued survival and getting off the seemingly endless cycle of being sick and tired and drinking to feel better but getting sicker and more tired instead.

Let me tell you that when you have a lot of sober time, when you tell someone you are a recovered or recovering alcoholic, they not only do not care, they are eager to get to another more interesting subject. Peple are so into themselves that we aren't even on their radar screen.

Let me remind you that gossips and busybodys don't like happy stories. Imagine how juicy a story of happiness is. Or about the triumph of another? No way right?

It may just be that a lot of alcoholics are so used to being ashamed of their life drinking that they can't wrap their minds around the fact that not only does everyone close to them already know, but with the current health and fitness push in our country that most would help in any way they could.

Any hegativesvare short lived compared to the rest of your life. Use everything and everybody at your disposal. Remember that many of the folks you may have to tell might have recovered themselves in the past.

Unless you become one of those reformed alcoholics that bother normal drinkers and people who are not ready or willing to quit. No one could scare me into stopping, or even get me to discuss it when I was drinking. It is a very personal decision. But once made it is a whole lot easier with support face to face for me which included counseling, docs, AA, my friends and family.

What are they going to do? Eat me? Take away my name?
:lmao

Perhaps like me you will be sober more than a year later because you don't want to have to not only go through the detox and withdrawal pains, but don't want to have to schedule around it again either.

You'll do well I think. Keep us posted!
:ring