Mark8703

Hello everyone. I found this site earlier and have been reading it all day. I've been drinking 10-12 light beers about 3 nights a week now for that last year pretty. This is pretty standard with my group of friends but I've realized it's not what I want to be. Within the last 6 months I finally told my doctor hi bad my anxiety was and she put me on Zoloft. But that hasn't helped my anxiety. Now I'm just stuck in a cycle of 3-4 days not drinking and then back to back nights of drinking. I have an appointment tomorrow and I'm going to come clean with her. My hands don't shake but I feel jittery and have been having a constant panic attack since Saturday night. Is this just all in my head and is this doctor going to think I'm nuts? I'm having anxiety about my anxiety.

justinJustQuit

I had this very same thing happen to me a few weeks ago. Just level with your doctor. My doctor told me something along the lines of "Let's get this taken care of. You can do this."

This is my first night sober so I'm in active alcohol detox. If you go to your doc, they will get it right. You can deal with this now or let alcohol get you like it's gotten me. I'm 26 man, and i'm withdrawing and I promise you it sucks. Here's my earlier post. (I'm only linking this because I want you to see how this disease progresses.

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ml#post4362068

newman23

I would come out and lay all your cards on the table. I know it can be anxiety provoking at first, but I am very comfortable discussing my drinking with my doctor as he is caring, supportive, and also has a lets take care of this approach.

Welcome to SR btw

Itchy

My doc was great, was ready to support me but insisted I not try to detox in my own. He was with me through the whole thing to date, three years!

Dee74

Hi and welcome Mark

Yeah I think it's important to be honest - Drs can't help unless they know the whole story

D

Mark8703

Thanks for the responses guys. My problem is that I can go a couple days straight without drinking but it's never more than 3 or 4. Then I start feeling good and pound a 12 pack of natty light. Then I'm hungover. Scared outta my mind then tell myself it was just one night go a few days sober. It's a cycle that I have to stop. But today is day 1 and I'm hopefully seeing my doctor in like 8 hours. So I can at least have some peace of mind. I'm glad I found this site.

justinJustQuit

yeah that's where the support comes into play. Get someone to call you at the very least. You could give AA shot...

PurpleKnight

I wouldn't worry about telling your Dr, they'll have seen much worse, and unless your upfront, they can't give you the treatment/care that you need!

Thepatman

I told my doctor straight that I'm an Alcholic. He was most supportive. They have an obligation to help and not judge.

And it's condidential

hayley86

Welcome Mark, my doctor was extremely supportive when i told her the extent of my drinking. I would encourage you to be completely honest. This is a common problem and doctors have seen and heard it all before. I doubt anything you could say would be shocking to them. I felt tremendous relief in being honest and having my doctors support has helped my recovery a lot. Best wishes.

KateL

In my experience doctors are very understanding and non judgmental. They have seen it thousands of times, so try not to worry. x

Ruby2

Tell your doctor straight up what you have told us. All of it. I found my anxiety was all part of my drinking. The cycles of drinking and withdrawal and anxiety all interwoven. Your doctor can help and believe me, they have seen worse. But unless you tell them the straight up truth, the doctor can't give you the care you need without a comprehensive picture.

My doctor knows all about my drinking. I had always told her I drank but not how much and how often. I can No longer pull the wool over her eyes because last year when I went to the hospital for detox my personal doctor just happened to be the attending physician in the ER. Imagine laying there and hearing the doctor come in and looking up to see a familiar face.

You won't regret being completely open. And in many ways it is a relief to just get it out in the open. Good luck.

flutter

Print out what you wrote here and show the doc Good for you for coming clean, they really are there to help you!!

jdooner

Telling your doctor is great and my comments are not to discourage. However, ask your doctor about the confidentiality and what he/she will be required to do with the information as it relates to your health plan coverage. Most Dr. are required to put a code in your record. This can have lasting effects for insurance - life and health.

If your doctor says they will keep the information confidential then great. Again, I think you are making the right decision, just trying to provide an experience - my sponsor came clean and can't get life insurance at a reasonable price as a result.

freshstart57

I expected a look of horror or shock when I told my Dr the truth about my consumption. In my previous appointments, I fibbed and said I drank 20 to 25 units a week, instead of 20 to 25 units a day. I received the usual suggestion to 'try to reduce my consumption to one or two drinks a day'.

When we got the results of my bloodwork, I fessed up and told her the truth. There was no visible reaction I could see, not even a flicker. Just a reassurance that we could fix this. It really helped her to understand the background for my depression and anxiety.

I think this was an important step for me as it had a lot to do with acceptance, and it helped to mark the end of avoidance of what I had been doing, and what I was about to do. I think that this is one of the reasons that we give the advice to talk this over with your Doctor. You will feel relieved, and you will get an ally.

Try this: "Doctor, I need to talk to you about my alcohol consumption." I can guarantee that this will be a solid step forward in your sobriety.

breath

When I got sober, telling my doctor was easy and the right thing, no big deal, a no-brainer, the least of my problems. I just did it and checked it off the list and moved on to the next item.

whiskeyman

if you truly want to get sober, you will be honest with yourself and your doctor.
What is there to hide. Your health and sanity is in your hands

Huglets

Please talk to your doctor, through tears if necessary. I cried the entire time I was telling my doctor. He listened & then said - let's get through this. It was so freeing to confess.

I think we tend to forget the doctors are human beings, just like us but with more education. I imagine doctors get a great deal of joy out of helping others heal. My doctor was one of my most helpful cheerleaders.

Ruby2

You know, I didn't see this in any of the comments and definitely not in my earlier post. Zoloft is often prescribed for anxiety but it is an antidepressant and won't work much, if at all, if you are drinking alcohol, itself a depressant. Cancel each other out and you are left with the anxiety. I was taking Zoloft for the longest time and was astonished at how well it actually did work...after I stopped drinking.

Inca

Yeah, I was taking Zoloft during my heavy drinking periods and it was a terrible combination.

Best to open up to your doc and let them know what's going on. They should be helpful and will be able to make better recommendations for you once they know the whole story.