DoloresHaze

Hi. Today I took a first step in getting help which was looooong overdue. I contacted a nurse at the hospital and asked what i should do to get help with alcohol addiction.

She said to go to the emergency room and they will direct me from there where to go. If I were all by myself I would go NOW. However I'm a mom and a wife and I have obligations. Not to mention I have my 4 yr old 24/7 to care for.

i can barely function anymore. I'm miserable. I need help and I'm willing to get it.

So... my question is... The next step is actually going to the emergency room. What happens then? How long will i be there? What will they do? I'm scared.

KeyHeart

Oh boy. I'm sorry that I can't give you any insight on what the ER process will be like, but I wish you THE BEST OF LUCK.
Will you be in danger of physical withdrawal? It seems to me the emergency room would be the LAST place to go. Do you have a primary care physician? I'm SURE your OB/GYN or even your pediatrician could provide some guidance?
If you're not in imminent danger of serious physical withdrawal, I suggest READING. Search "sobriety" on Amazon. Read THIS website. Find an AA meeting?

ScoutBall

Morning Dolores. (I can say that clear headed today)!
A lot of folk here could clue you in on what to expect from an ER visit.
I was too scared of what they would tell me, so--my call to a nurse line was pretty silly since I didn't listen to what they said anyway.
I decided I'd stay home, and just not drink, period.
So far so good. I'm not really a wealth of knowledge as far as sobriety, but I am pretty much an All-Star drinker.
I much, much prefer how I feel this morning (day 3) than I have for (pick a number, just make it big).
Stick around. Read. Knowledge really is power.
Best

Ladybug2

Hi DoloresHaze, I can sure relate as I am a wife and mom of a 3 year old. How much were you drinking? Are you having bad withdrawal symtoms? I only have mild shakes when I stop drinking so I haven't gotten medical help. Trying to quit with the help of this forum and maybe some AA meetings ? (hard to get to those with a 3 year old though) I am very new t this, so maybe some people with more experience can better guide you, but just wanted yiu to know you are not alone. I always thought I was the only Mom of a young toddler who was struggling and have felt so ashamed....

Vastreaction

If you fear you're in danger of physical withdrawal, then you do want to get into a doctor as soon as possible. Withdrawal symptoms will vary based on how much you drink and how often. Have you ever tried to quit drinking before, and experienced withdrawal symptoms?
(like shaking, tremors, insomnia, sweating, cramps)

ScoutBall

As far as an AA meeting goes, DoloresHaze: I found one pretty close to my home that is held at a church. I took a wrong turn, and ended up by the nursery/play area--where there was an adult, and a little pile of kids.
It wasn't church time--and this is only an assumption--but perhaps this meeting was kid friendly in the sense that they had a place for the kids to go while their parents attended.
If you were to call the local AA telephone number, I'd bet the person on the other end could point you to a child friendly meeting.

DoloresHaze

Thank you, guys. It brought tears to my eyes.

I've been steadily drinking more and more over the last 4 years (since i had my son). And I've actually been ok..untill the last few weeks. I've known that I was habitually addicted to drinking, but i think it has crossed over into physical addiction. I haven't actually shaked but the anxiety is unbareable.

Something must be done, but I don't know what that something is.

KeyHeart

Mom of a 4-year-old here. One would have imagined my rock bottom would have been when, under the influence of two bottles of wine and Lord knows how many Xanax, I took my then 2-year-old for a walk in his stroller. Across a 16-lane boulevard. I do not remember this, I woke up in the hospital with the WORLD hating me. I was under CPS surveillance for months. Took me two years AFTER THAT to finally wake up and quit. I can NOT dwell on the mistakes of the past. I have to look at this new-found sobriety as a REBIRTH.

I have so many stories of bad mothering I should write a stupid book. Shameful. VERY shameful.

DoloresHaze

Withdrawl symptoms: panic, nausea, twitching, hopeless, anxiety the moment I open my eyes in the morning, insomnia.

i don't have a doctor. Someone mentioned the Gyno? Ya think they could help? It's totally non-gyno related obviously.

KeyHeart

I would imagine your OB/GYN would have SOME knowledge of where to go/what to do. LIke I said, I think the ER should really be a last resort. NOT to mention depending on your insurance coverage (mine does NOT cover substance abuse) you would get stuck with a VERY high bill. It does sound like you need medical intervention, but not necessarily the ER.

Vastreaction

Oh man, I feel you on the panic/anxiety and insomnia.

I know we can't give medical advice here, so I hope this doesn't qualify, but: those symptoms don't sound like typical "danger zone" alcohol withdrawal symptoms. I know once you get to tremors, sweating profusely, and getting confused, you're in trouble. When i quit cold turkey I had a BAD first day until I got into a doctor.

Still, despite what ANYONE tells you, if you are concerned for your own health or safety, get to the ER. They will take care of you, and decide if you need a monitored detox. Unless your withdrawal symptoms are severe, most likely they will just check your liver/kidneys, make sure are vitals are stable, and send you home with some medication to ease the panic/anxiety.

ScoutBall

You're doing something right now. And it's awesome.
I read, and am reading a lot on this site.
I've attended a couple AA meetings, and frankly am still deciding if it's for me.
What isn't for me is drinking. Period.
Coming here the last few days and reading, and posting where I feel either helpful, or where I feel I can get some answers has been very much beneficial to me.
Granted...I do not have a 4 year old tugging at my sleeve, but I do have a dog that can be incredibly needy. =)
So far, my road to NOT drinking has been to not drink RIGHT NOW. And worry about later: then.
Water, soup, grilled cheese, cruddy TV, walks with my dog, sleeping, and not straying too far from this site have been eye opening--both emotionally and physically.

DoloresHaze

Well you were sick. I can relate to the shame, but you quit and that is the important thing. So, you just "quit"? Didn't need any help?

2granddaughters

Hello Dolores:

Have you called Alcoholics Anonymous? They are in the phone book or on-line in your area.

AA has kept me sober and sane for nearly 24 yrs. so far.

All the best.

Bob R

KeyHeart

I hope I can briefly explain what exactly happened to me. First off, of course, I never admitted I even had a problem. CPS made me go to counseling and AA and I did with a big eyeroll and would continue drinking. That horrible night was a one-off. It wouldn't happen again. It wasn't the booze, it was the Xanas. No, it was my friend with whom I'd been hanging out with that evening. Yeah, that's the ticket. It was pills and shady company. Drinking problem? Not me!
Two weeks ago I went for my first EVER general physical exam. "Do you drink? If so, how much?" I LIED to the doctor. Lied my face off. THAT was an alarm. The next was discovering I have high blood pressure. Doing my own research, I discovered red wine doesn't help high blood pressure!
My continued alcohol research led me to an Amazon Kindle book, "Seven Days Sober." I knew I could do seven days. And I found myself doing a cost/benefit analysis. I realized with a clarity I didn't know existed, without a doubt, that for me there is NO benefit WHATSOEVER for consuming alcohol. Ever. I found 100 reasons to ditch the booze and couldn't find a single good reason to continue slowly killing myself. I also recommend Allen Carr's "How to Control Drinking."
When I look at alcohol now I honest-to-God don't see it as being any different from heroin or crystal meth. Maybe other people can have a "fun" "normal" relationship with alcohol but I am not that person and I never will be.
These past two weeks of being so "present" in my little boy's life is a great motivator, too!

DoloresHaze

Yeah I know i haven't had the SERIOUS symptoms yet and frankly I'm suprised. I think part of the fear is the fear itself of seizures etc.

I. Am. An. Idiot. This is a horrific cycle! I've been drinking (yeah it's a wopping 1:39pm) because I couldn't stand the anxiety. But I want help.

ok I'm going to ride out this hell and then drag myself to the ER as needed. I'll get raped financially but i don't know what else to do.....

ScoutBall

You're not an idiot.
I know that a lot of people struggle with anxiety for a time after quitting. I don't even know when it was, 3? years ago--I made an attempt at quitting and found myself strapped to an EKG machine, because I was certain I was having a heart attack. (I would have been 32).
Turns out my body was so used to alcohol, it was merely reacting to not having it.
You'd think that kind of experience would stick with a person.
Nope. If you're an idiot, I am the King of Idiots.

DoloresHaze

That's awesome that you have 2 weeks. i personally can't imaging that. So, I get that AA helps some people, but how does that help when You're physically jumping out of your skin....

KeyHeart

You mentioned your husband? May I ask what your relationship is like? Can you really talk to him? Will he support your decision to get help?

ArcticSA

I too am a mother. I have 2 toddlers under 4 and a 9 year old and I still somehow managed to be a drunk.
I am ashamed of how I mothered, I only drank after bedtime, but the hangovers were absolutely terrible and unfortunately my kids took the brunt of it(though I didnt see that then)

I dont know how much you drink or how long youve drank but I think thats how you determine what course of action to take.
It seems that the hard drinking life long alcholics need to have supervised detox, but younger binge-type drinkers mayeb wouldnt need something so severe??
How much DO you drink??
I was able to quit at home with no support(except here) and no meetings, but I got very lucky.