ardy

hey kiddo you are just one of the great people that hang here .. so many from so many walks of life. you stay with us sweetheart and grow and be better then you ever thought possible..

ardy

anxiety and depression ... be a Lady Clown in costume with a million people and children all over the place and that evil demon crawls inside of you. and you want to run screaming from the picnic grounds or Festival area.. I had thanksgiving in 2006 at my house.. loved that flat.. fireplace diningroom and big upper porch.. my Mom my 3kids and their partners my inlaws and a couple of friends.. 18 in all.. at Noon before everyone came Mom said something about the gravy... and I fell apart.. into tears. buckets. ahahahha Ed gave my Mom such a look. took 20 minutes for me to stop.. inhale and all of sudden it was show time.. Buck up he shouted they are here.. I looked at my Mom and she just smiled you can do this sweetie I know it she said. and we had the best thanksgiving... lots of photos to prove it.. hugs kiddo hugs you can do this too.. hold tight now its going to be bumpy..

Rio97

Thanks for sharing relena, I can relate to much of what you're saying. Repeating the same thing over and over and expecting things to change. Hang strong, it is time for me to quit too. It's a tough time because the holidays are difficult for me.

OpenTuning

I agree, if you really were those things you wouldn't be posting on here. That shows you do want to take care of yourself. My only worry was the last paragraph in your intro. Too many people argue that their life is already ruined to justify continuing to do whatever it is that's damaging them. But it's never true. It's never too late to turn your life around. But I'm sure you know that already

SoberLeigh

Welcome to SR, relena; really glad you found us. the people here are very supportive, understanding and encouraging.

The absolutely best thing you can do for your liver today, tomorrow and always is to give up alcohol completely. I have heard great stories of liver regeneration that all began with putting down the drink. Go for it, relena.

Sobriety and recovery are amazing processes with life-changing benefits.

relena

Thank you so much again to everyone for your support. I really appreciate it. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving if you celebrated. Mine was interesting. Almost everyone got drunk or at least buzzed including my 90 year old grandparents. The only sober ones were me and my 2 cousins. Surprisingly I didn't feel the desire to drink, and when my brother offered me one I politely declined.

Ended things once and for all with my boyfriend. He was a wonderful person. Doesn't drink. It's just a lot to explain and go into. We were together for 7 years. He was my only friend left. Things are about to get even harder I feel so i'll probably be hanging around here a lot.

Also I had a question I thought I might ask since I wasn't sure where else to, but did any of you experience any other physical symptoms from alcohol abuse that are less common?

For me i've always had bad skin. I took accutane twice back in the day. I've been diagnosed with acne, eczema, rosacea, now I have seborrheic dermatitis and my skin is just constantly dry and peeling in sheets. It's absolutely disgusting. My acne came back. So much for risking my health to take accutane. So I can't even wear makeup. I never want to leave my house. I can't even look in a mirror without crying.

My hair has always been incredibly thick, long, and wavy and it's thinned out quite a bit. I'm honestly hoping this is related to the alcohol abuse and might resolve itself once i'm healthy again. I hope it isn't just ****** genetics and me getting old. Because my mother aged so gracefully. Even 10 years into her heavy drinking she was still gorgeous. I wish I could have helped her but she hid it so well. Anyways I know that isn't even really how genetics work and i'm just rambling. For now that thought is what keeps me absolutely resolute in my decision to stay sober, as vain as it may sound. Oh and also you lovely people for convincing me that i'm not a lost cause.

Alright long rant over. Hope everyone is having a good weekend so far.

feeling-good

Not medical advice, but a fellow member I know in AA came in looking like she was heavily pregnant as a result of extreme swelling to the liver. Her liver shrank and recovered significantly over time as she discovered sobriety.

Sadly, she has gone 'back out' and so I don't know what her future holds, but I keep hoping that she comes 'back in'.

Do whatever you can do to stop and reverse the damage, please. By which I mean, get and stay sober. SR is a wonderful place to stick around. I am speaking as a nearly 3 years' sober person who would not be here (I would be dead) if I hadn't got sober.

Soberwolf

So happy for you Relena

wpainterw

relena:
From personal experience, 27 years ago my liver enzymes were alarmlingly high and yet, when I stopped drinking completely the liver managed to recover within a week. Why not try this? You should know since you will feel better and start to have an appetite. If you need a detox, go to an ER. I doubt that they would turn you away even though you don't have insurance, medicaid, etc. Dying of liver disease can be worse than cancer. At least a nurse told me this. If there is a chance that you can recover why not try for that? Get the help of other recovering alcoholics. Don't give in. Never surrender. You can do this.

W.

relena

Thank you everyone. Promise i'm doing everything in my power to stay clean. It feels nice to be productive again. I still don't really enjoy anything. Which is such a strange feeling because I used to have so many hobbies/interests and then my life suddenly was just booze and the internet. Such a sad thing to admit.

For now every day I make sure the house is spotless, all chores are done and I cook myself liver friendly meals.

wpainterw 3 months ago i was sober for a month and even after that month my levels were still high. do you think detox is really necessary? I just wonder because my GP never brought up anything about that. Didn't even listen to me when I said i'm unemployed and have no insurance and my parents don't have the money. Just referred me to another expensive doctor.

I told my doctor I was taking vitamins. Specifically b1, folic acid, omega 3, zinc, and vitamin c. The doctor just told me it was fine and that I was good to go and to stop drinking and get an ultrasound.

FormerWineGirl

Hi Relena, I really don't have any words of wisdom to add, but just wanted you to know you are not alone. I will say a prayer for you. I understand all too well depression, anxiety, and self-medicating. Seems like a good idea at the time, but it's a devastating long-term plan. Like everyone has said, stay sober and let the amazing body do it's recovery work!

PurpleKnight

Welcome to the Forum Relena!!

relena

So i've almost been sober for a month now. This past week has been the most difficult so far.

I'm fine with not drinking, that hasn't been the issue. It's just been the loneliness. And I felt like for a while I was doing ok. At least I wasn't crying every single day like I have in the past when I thought things were over between me and my ex. But now I know they are. I finally decided I couldn't have any form on contact with him. That it was too painful. I told him so, twice, and he still continued to call me. It's been 5 days since I last spoke to him. I decided to just completely ignore him.

He still calls at least twice a day and I continue to ignore it. Might be TMI sorry everyone but I also started my period after not having it for 4 months. I'm in so much pain, and I guess all the emotions decided to come out at once and the only time i'm not crying is when i'm sleeping. Oh and of course now my face looks even worse than usual just another thing I could live without.

I honestly wish there was a fast forward button for life.

Dee74

HI Relena

I'm sorry things are tough right now but they will get better. You have a lot of support here

D

Ruby2

Relena, I'm sorry you're going through a rough patch. Hang in there. I was up and down for a few months after I quit but it did get better.

relena

Thank you both.

ardy

Hand Waving from Wisconsin hugs relena: hugs... my hubby has had it all. too.. since he got off the morphine his body and hair has given him huge problems... but they are getting better.. I believe in herbal tea hugely.. have him doing at least 4 cups a day.. and it seems to be working. to help wash junk out of the system.. it will get better with lots of hard work.. for life is never easy and the more you stay on the correct path the better your life will be.. hugs and prayers ardy..

relena

What kind of tea do you like? I've always been a big green tea drinker. But I haven't been drinking as much lately since I don't want to be consuming anything that might be rough on my liver.

jryan19982

I like the "DETOX TEA" b

Everyday Detox® Tea at Vitamin World

julesonya

I like that tea as well. Dandelion root tea is also good for the liver, but sometimes hard to find.
Have you looked into homeopathics & vitamins?