Detoxing on your own......
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,001
I would see your doctor. He/She has dealt with this before. Its a lot more routine than you know. Glad you are deciding to quit. Morning drinking is a definite sign of physical dependence. My alcoholism progressed from night to morning and night to 24/7 drinking. My last detox was so bad I thought I would die. Get through it and stay dry. You can do it.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 21
Quitting is so much easier with medical help. I couldn't be doing this on my own. Dont worry about them judging you, they treat it like any other medical condition. There's even medication that will help get you safely through the withdrawal symptoms and even cravings. That's not necessary for everyone but for some it can help lighten the mental anguish of it all. I couldn't afford rehab but made my own home a "outpatient rehab institution" where I could be comfortable getting through the detox.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 709
Hi and welcome! Some pretty good advice here. Sounds like maybe you're physically addicted to alcohol (though I'm no doctor.) I actually went to inpatient rehab -- best thing I ever did. But pretty much everyone did detox first before they started the program. Mine wasn't bad at all. They gave me librium for the anxiety/withdrawal. That said, I don't know what your particular situation is and people are right, you should see your GP. He/she could evaluate the situation as to whether you can safely detox at home. Good luck in your journey!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 4,251
I also didn't think I had time for rehab. I was SO busy with work, being a single mother, managing my house. I had high-end clients that I didn't want to know about my alcoholism. How in the world was I going to explain a month-long absence? To my clients? My kids? I never, ever thought it was possible. I fought it for way too long.
But as others have said, there is no exception, if you are drinking just to feel normal it will only get worse- guaranteed. And the worse it gets the more you put everything you have and love at risk- your career, your family, your life.
I finally gave in and decided to go to rehab and low and behold it was totally possible. Easy? No. But possible yes and easier than I thought.
I got every unnecessary thing off my schedule. I teach/taught English lessons on the side and that was something that I found I could easily cancel for a short time even if I felt guilty about it. I explained I was having some personal difficulties (nothing more than that) and needed some time to concentrate on some personal matters for a period of time. They were disappointed but it was not the end of the world.
For my more serious work I got very serious (in my few sober moments) about lining up a fail proof plan to keep things going in my absence. I arranged for the woman who previously did my job to serve as a back up. I made sure the rehab I was going to would allow phone and computer access so that I could check in once a day on any critical issues. Note that many people do not recommend phones or computers in rehab but for me it was an essential part of my peace of mind going in, to know I could keep one finger on the pulse of my important job and keep in touch with my family and children.
I fortunately was able to go away for a month without having to explain that I would be gone to my clients. My work is such that I do not see them on a daily basis. I did send a message prior to leaving stating that I needed to go to the US on an emergency trip to handle some important personal matters but I assured them that I would be available and that everything was covered in terms of taking care of their properties and my responsibilities to them. No one asked any questions, only wished me well.
I met with the class mother of my children's classes at school as well as their teachers and gave the same lie (also some people do not recommend lying, but it was the option I felt suited my situation best) I simply said I needed to go back to the US for a bit to take care of some important personal issues and again, assured them that I would be available by text message or phone should any issues arise with the children.
I lined up care for my children through their father, who knew of my alcoholism and was supportive of my decision to seek help, as well as his extended family who all supported me.
I spoke to a child psychologist who works with my younger son and was open and honest with him about my situation and he assured me that he would delicately monitor the issue in my absence (my younger son was 6 at the time so I couldn't explain why mommy was going away).
I spoke to my children (ages 6 and 7.5 at the time) and explained that mommy was not feeling well and needed to go where doctors could help her. I assured them that I would be fine, that they could call me anytime they wanted and that they could visit me. I told them how long I would be gone and told them who would be caring for them and where they would be staying. They were worried and my older son especially kept asking "but what is wrong with you? why are you sick?" and I explained it in very simple terms. I said that I was tired and not feeling well physically and needed togo somewhere to rest where doctors could look after me. I assured them that caring for them was not what made me tired.
Every circumstance is different. You may work in an office where you do see your boss, clients, co-workers every day and need to come up with a different plan to schedule a month long absence. But it IS possible. Trust me, being able to plan and schedule this king of thing, to line up your work and go into rehab feeling like you have your bases covered is a much better option than finding yourself in the ER one day, shuffled off to rehab out of life or death necessity with no time at all to plan. And, again, trust me, that is a very real possibility if you do not attack this problem now.
One I started drinking in the morning the slope got much steeper and I started slipping so fast it made my head spin. I'll spare you the details, but it was not pretty.
Rehab is far and above the best thing I ever did for myself. it was worth every effort, overcoming every fear and losing some financial opportunities. In exchange I got my life back, I got my kids back, I am slowly getting my self worth back and my career, however humble, is better than ever.
But as others have said, there is no exception, if you are drinking just to feel normal it will only get worse- guaranteed. And the worse it gets the more you put everything you have and love at risk- your career, your family, your life.
I finally gave in and decided to go to rehab and low and behold it was totally possible. Easy? No. But possible yes and easier than I thought.
I got every unnecessary thing off my schedule. I teach/taught English lessons on the side and that was something that I found I could easily cancel for a short time even if I felt guilty about it. I explained I was having some personal difficulties (nothing more than that) and needed some time to concentrate on some personal matters for a period of time. They were disappointed but it was not the end of the world.
For my more serious work I got very serious (in my few sober moments) about lining up a fail proof plan to keep things going in my absence. I arranged for the woman who previously did my job to serve as a back up. I made sure the rehab I was going to would allow phone and computer access so that I could check in once a day on any critical issues. Note that many people do not recommend phones or computers in rehab but for me it was an essential part of my peace of mind going in, to know I could keep one finger on the pulse of my important job and keep in touch with my family and children.
I fortunately was able to go away for a month without having to explain that I would be gone to my clients. My work is such that I do not see them on a daily basis. I did send a message prior to leaving stating that I needed to go to the US on an emergency trip to handle some important personal matters but I assured them that I would be available and that everything was covered in terms of taking care of their properties and my responsibilities to them. No one asked any questions, only wished me well.
I met with the class mother of my children's classes at school as well as their teachers and gave the same lie (also some people do not recommend lying, but it was the option I felt suited my situation best) I simply said I needed to go back to the US for a bit to take care of some important personal issues and again, assured them that I would be available by text message or phone should any issues arise with the children.
I lined up care for my children through their father, who knew of my alcoholism and was supportive of my decision to seek help, as well as his extended family who all supported me.
I spoke to a child psychologist who works with my younger son and was open and honest with him about my situation and he assured me that he would delicately monitor the issue in my absence (my younger son was 6 at the time so I couldn't explain why mommy was going away).
I spoke to my children (ages 6 and 7.5 at the time) and explained that mommy was not feeling well and needed to go where doctors could help her. I assured them that I would be fine, that they could call me anytime they wanted and that they could visit me. I told them how long I would be gone and told them who would be caring for them and where they would be staying. They were worried and my older son especially kept asking "but what is wrong with you? why are you sick?" and I explained it in very simple terms. I said that I was tired and not feeling well physically and needed togo somewhere to rest where doctors could look after me. I assured them that caring for them was not what made me tired.
Every circumstance is different. You may work in an office where you do see your boss, clients, co-workers every day and need to come up with a different plan to schedule a month long absence. But it IS possible. Trust me, being able to plan and schedule this king of thing, to line up your work and go into rehab feeling like you have your bases covered is a much better option than finding yourself in the ER one day, shuffled off to rehab out of life or death necessity with no time at all to plan. And, again, trust me, that is a very real possibility if you do not attack this problem now.
One I started drinking in the morning the slope got much steeper and I started slipping so fast it made my head spin. I'll spare you the details, but it was not pretty.
Rehab is far and above the best thing I ever did for myself. it was worth every effort, overcoming every fear and losing some financial opportunities. In exchange I got my life back, I got my kids back, I am slowly getting my self worth back and my career, however humble, is better than ever.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,226
One way to reframe this. . .If you had a life threatening disease like cancer that needed treatment, you would necessarily take of work to seek treatment right?
Well, you DO have a life threatening disease. Treat it as such. And here's the good thing. . .unlike cancer you are guaranteed to survive it if you choose to.
You have agency and choice here. Decide to make different choices than your current ones.
Well, you DO have a life threatening disease. Treat it as such. And here's the good thing. . .unlike cancer you are guaranteed to survive it if you choose to.
You have agency and choice here. Decide to make different choices than your current ones.
South Asian
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 121
I worked in a high profile job. I was successful and functioning. No one was aware of my alcohol abuse - apart from my wife who occasionally complained when I got blackout drunk. I never drank in the mornings and would go several weeks without a drink. But my relationship with alcohol was not normal. Slowly, things got worse. I had a few occasions of having to drink in the morning just to be able to function. I had several moderately severe withdrawals. I had a few serious withdrawals with nausea and shaking hands. I would go a few weeks sober and then return to the same self destructive pattern. I needed and continue to need help. It helps if you can be completely honest with someone. It helps, because we have become use to a particular way of living and change is scary. It helped me when I started focusing less on myself and my professional prosperity and started feeling that I was just a small part of something bigger. Here we all are on a free web site, in different parts of the world, all of us with a destructive relationship with alcohol, trying to help each other. Why? What do we get in return? No recognition, no financial success. Just the knowledge that we may have helped someone feel or get better and a desire ourself to get better. Your health is more important than your job. I wish you all the best in dealing with this issue. Welcome to SR.
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