Super Scared - About to Detox
 

So, I Just went and saw my family doctor today and told him how much I've been drinking the last couple of weeks and how much have struggled with anxiety and extreme discomfort when I'd tried to stop. I even had two drinks in the parking lot before confronting this situation. He gave me some medication and a physician's note to request the next two days off, but I find myself at home unable to cope with the idea of not having any more drinks tonight. He recommended this website as a great support system, so here I am.

Welcome to the family. :grouphug: The meds you were given were likely a sedative to relieve the withdrawal anxiety. It should only take a few days to get thru the acute withdrawal.

I hope you'll develop a program for sobriety to keep you sober after the meds are gone. Support can help a lot, so come here often and read and post. :)

I got sober over 9 yrs ago and don't regret a minute of it. :)

I might add that I live in very rural community and the closest AA meetings are 30+ miles from me, so that isnt a great option either.

Hi SoberDad - It's great to have you join us.

I got sober by participating here & reading books about recovery. I also saw a therapist for a brief time. I felt less anxious when I talked things over here - this is a great community for encouragement & support. We've all been where you are now - we get it - and we want to help. You can do this.

Welcome Soberdad. This site really helped me. I have 10+ years sober. It does work. It does get better.

Thank you for the responses, I'm going to attempt to eat some soup or something before I make an attempt at sleeping with this medication.

Welcome, SoberDad,

I'm glad that you talked to your dr and that you are ready to stop drinking. You will find lots of support here.

I've been there, like many here. Getting sober for your kids is the best thing you can do. This website along with reading, working and learning got me sober. It can do the same for you. Welcome.

Welcome, nice to have you aboard. The meds he gave you should make you sleep good. Insomnia is a big problem during detox. Do not drink on them...it will just make it harder tomorrow. It is a good idea to drink plenty of fluids and small snacks. Take the meds as directed...most detoxes take about 3 days for the physical stuff. Stay with this site, you will get great advice. Best Wishes

As for AA being 30mi away...if booze were 30mi away and I wanted to drink... I'd have made the drive. I had to commit to my not drinking and put in as much,if not more, work for my sobriety. Sucks for a while and is hard as hell, but gets easier day by day..

Love that your do sent you here. Awesome! Hope to hear more as you go along the journey.

Welcome to SR!

DO NOT DRINK ON THE MEDICATION.

I tried a benzo taper at home, I just drank on top of it and ended up worse.

Eventually I did supervised inpatient detox and rehab. It was the only thing that worked, as I was extremely sick from alcohol and sleeping pill addiction at the point of quitting.

Keep close to SR if you don't have a local support system, that's what we're here for.

And it's far scarier if you DON'T stop.

Quitting the booze and detox are both disconcerting things, so you are in the company of people who have been there before while you are posting here now and for every next step forward.

i got sober in rural USA. 90 mile round trip for work and 50 mile round trip for closest AA meeting. i did whatever i could to get drunk- i was willing to do whatever i had to do to get help getting sober.
some weeks i drove 650-750 miles.
well worth it,too.

You still with us SoberDad?? I hope so. How did last night go?? Don't worry about sleep issues at all. That is the least of our worries. That will correct itself in due time. Clear-headed and ready for a slow long stroll today is a victory.

Yes, I'm here, had a fairly restless uncomfortable night. Really dealing with alot of nausea currently.

You're awesome for making it this far SoberDad--keep going!

Thinking of you, SoberDad - we're with you. Things will get better.

I've been there more times than I care to remember. Get through the next few days and remember them so you don't have to do them again. I documented everything in writing and keep it with me. I also have the file on my desktop so I see the icon and can add to it whenever I feel like something needs to be added.

As for a long drive to AA meetings - check out "in the rooms". It has online meetings about every two hours. Thats in addition to staying on SR. Once you start feeling better you might actually enjoy the drive to meetings. Good luck and stay strong.

I hope so, I feel horrible at the current moment.

SoberDad,

Welcome and good luck to you. I have been sober for 298 days as of today.
I never want to go through the process of detoxing from alcohol again. Just don't pick up a drink or pill today. Worry about tomorrow when you get there. Keep posting as much as you need.

Welcome :).

Glad you had an honest conversation with your doctor. That is a huge first step that most alcoholics never take.

I wish I had, I always lied about my drinking to my doctors and did my detoxes completely alone (probably why I ended up having several of them).

I don't envy what you're going through. My advice is to find something you can latch on to for awhile... if you can binge a new show, do something active, get lots of rest (depending on your responsibilities) and keep yourself distracted.

Ultimately, keep mind that the only thing that will heal what you're feeling is time spent sober.

If you're like me, the nights will be difficult and restless. The medication your doc gave you will probably help (I didn't have that).

Good luck and keep posting. Also lean into the chatroom, too -- good support there for folks in withdrawals.

Hang in there SoberDad... I’ve been where you are. It is hard but you’re doing the most important thing you can and the rewards will be profound.

Jump on here for support and to read about other people’s struggle when you’re feeling sick and lonely - helped me hugely as I detoxed.

We are here for you, SoberDad. How are you feeling?

I think I'm feeling a little better this afternoon, getting close to the 24 hour mark, so hopefully the improvements continue. I was able to eat some soup.

That's great. It is important to stay hydrated but, lay off of caffeine and sugars. You brain needs to heal and re-adjust chemically. I did alot of reading about what alcohol does so I could help my body recover.

Keep Going SoberDad
 

I was at the same place, so brave of you to go to your doctor.

I was sober 6 years and then relapsed a couple times, now sober 200+ days. The first 2 weeks were the hardest, keep yourself busy, as others suggested drive to an AA meeting if you can, visit the online rooms, come here, listen to blogs about early sobriety, dads in sobriety, journal, rest, all of it. Just don't drink, that is your only job, do NOT drink.

And then one day you'll go a few hours in the morning without thinking about drinking, then you'll make it through an afternoon without thinking about, and pretty soon a day, it's amazing, You live, you thive, you feel good. So don't drink, talk and rest. Talk to your doctor if after 2 days you still feel like a lorazepam or mild sedative might help. They gave them to me for 2 weeks to help. I kept in contact with my doctor.