'Throw out all booze'
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 710
I am sorry Kaily. I also went to a Dr (GP) with a very worrying blood pressure and heartbeat and was sent away. But as I have also discovered later through my medical records, the doctor was careful not to record any of these because she should have not sent me away. And A&E should have not sent you away. What they did is illegal.
However, it is impossible to prove you were an emergency unless you die at the ir doorstep. I think many doctors treat alcoholics as dirt and not a priority over others.
However, it is impossible to prove you were an emergency unless you die at the ir doorstep. I think many doctors treat alcoholics as dirt and not a priority over others.
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 710
And I will read your posts Kaily. I am far from defending the NHS on this, at least not my experience of it. But A& E remains a resource for the few whose life is in actual danger which is not the case for most of us withdrawing. Most of us would be OK with a kind doctor and nurse we could check in and some medicines.
All boils down to pure lack of professionalism and knowledge. Any person who knows anything about this nightmare would understand the cruelty of telling someone who has decided to quit, they should keep drinking until they get a call.
All boils down to pure lack of professionalism and knowledge. Any person who knows anything about this nightmare would understand the cruelty of telling someone who has decided to quit, they should keep drinking until they get a call.
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 32
I managed to secure a 1 day detox and medication (Just) in the Uk, but I think it's highly dependent on where you live and what doctor sees you. Even so, it's nothing to rely on and I never want to be in that situation again - you will be waiting 5 or 6 hours no matter what unless you're actually unconscious.
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Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 268
I live in a fairly large city that has been overwhelmed by the Opiate crisis. The overdose patients come through the emergency department like a revolving door.
I think the nurses and doctors have become jaded, not their fault of course, they deal with it all day everyday. There just isn't the time or room for someone who isn't in an emergency situation.
It would be ideal if they would fund more detox centres...the one I went to was fantastic, above and beyond what I was expecting. And it was across the street from the hospital in case emergency care was needed. We need more of them...
They also had social workers there who would help you decide what to do when you got out...mine secured funding for me to go to a 3 month residential rehab centre. The set up is great...just not enough of it...
I think the nurses and doctors have become jaded, not their fault of course, they deal with it all day everyday. There just isn't the time or room for someone who isn't in an emergency situation.
It would be ideal if they would fund more detox centres...the one I went to was fantastic, above and beyond what I was expecting. And it was across the street from the hospital in case emergency care was needed. We need more of them...
They also had social workers there who would help you decide what to do when you got out...mine secured funding for me to go to a 3 month residential rehab centre. The set up is great...just not enough of it...
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 221
Completely agree on this. I think there's been two times I've seriously felt like I was in danger withdrawal wise. I am in the UK. The first time I was having auditory hallucinations and went to the ER - because I was with a family member I was given a dose of librium but they didn't send me home with any. Instead they advised that I carry on drinking when I got home and contact the drug and alcohol services. Those pills made me super sleepy so I went home, ended up having a little nap and when I woke up I felt like I was out of the woods in a sense.. and because I'd been told by a medical professional not to stop drinking I went and bought more alcohol. Looking back I think I could have managed therefore it does put ideas in your head when you are told to keep drinking. Of course that's what the addict part of your brain wants to hear!
The second time I went to the ER on my own. They just flat out refused to give me anything to help with the withdrawal even though I was shaking so bad and so scared. They just gave me some vitamins and took my bloods. I think it was because I was on my own.
That week I rang my doctor to see if there was anything she could do to help. She said they don't prescribe anything because of the risk of cross addiction. I understand that but if you are showing willingness to change I feel like you should be given the benefit of the doubt. I told her how scared I was of having a seizure. She actually advised me to keep a drink next to me and have small sips whenever I started to feel panicky. That advice actually made me want to scream when I felt like I never ever wanted to touch a drop of alcohol in my life and just didn't know how to get out of the situation safely!
I really think the UK needs to sort it out when it comes to medical help for alcoholism..
The second time I went to the ER on my own. They just flat out refused to give me anything to help with the withdrawal even though I was shaking so bad and so scared. They just gave me some vitamins and took my bloods. I think it was because I was on my own.
That week I rang my doctor to see if there was anything she could do to help. She said they don't prescribe anything because of the risk of cross addiction. I understand that but if you are showing willingness to change I feel like you should be given the benefit of the doubt. I told her how scared I was of having a seizure. She actually advised me to keep a drink next to me and have small sips whenever I started to feel panicky. That advice actually made me want to scream when I felt like I never ever wanted to touch a drop of alcohol in my life and just didn't know how to get out of the situation safely!
I really think the UK needs to sort it out when it comes to medical help for alcoholism..
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Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 5,169
Originally Posted by daisy1 
Hi everyone. I hope I'm ok posting this, it's been troubling me for some time almost each time I browse on here. It's the thing that many people say to someone struggling - 'throw out all booze'. Of course it makes a lot of sense for someone who isn't in danger of serious withdrawal , but as we aren't allowed to give medical advice on this forum, why is it ok to say this? It really could kill someone.
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: UK
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Absolutely driguy but I do see it posted inappropriately at times. It's a bit depressing that others in the U.K. are experiencing what I have, I thought maybe the services in my area were rubbish.
I suppose advising keep drinking until help is sought can be as risky as throw out all booze.
I suppose advising keep drinking until help is sought can be as risky as throw out all booze.
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Join Date: Aug 2015
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Perhaps steering us back from the health care, UK/US, etc commentary and experiences....
Someone (s) mentioned that we are perhaps talking about dire cases like me where withdrawal is indeed a possibly deadly risk. My short $0.02 here- I was at an extreme end of the spectrum and perhaps our conversation here, tho entirely legit, doesn't include the less severe - consumption level wise- alcoholic.
"Throw out the booze" is perhaps much less risky for the 2 glass a night alcoholic than the handle of vodka a day alcoholic. Who knows as I do believe any quit can be your last, with chronic prolonged abuse which both examples would meet (provided our typical "criteria" for alcoholism are met)....but again, getting rid of booze seems far more sound to me, in terms of getting successfully sober, than these other paths we have been discussing.
Ultimately, we could go round and round with this forever. But the real point is: do you quit or not? And do you stay quit? Therein lies the real answer. I'm of the do whatever you need to camp, a la Kaily and me, vs let others dictate.
Even professionals - here, at least, so many drs etc are sorely behind in the knowledge of addiction and the progressive nature of the disease.
Last and most soapbox worthy problem in our current framework: opioid crisis is legit and devastating - but alcohol kills more of us each year. So, yet another "therein lies the rub" situation and my thought is that treating the immediate get-sober-needs in any substance abuse situation must be the start for every kind of sobriety. Other stuff enters to keep us in recovery.
Peace out on a good discussion.
Someone (s) mentioned that we are perhaps talking about dire cases like me where withdrawal is indeed a possibly deadly risk. My short $0.02 here- I was at an extreme end of the spectrum and perhaps our conversation here, tho entirely legit, doesn't include the less severe - consumption level wise- alcoholic.
"Throw out the booze" is perhaps much less risky for the 2 glass a night alcoholic than the handle of vodka a day alcoholic. Who knows as I do believe any quit can be your last, with chronic prolonged abuse which both examples would meet (provided our typical "criteria" for alcoholism are met)....but again, getting rid of booze seems far more sound to me, in terms of getting successfully sober, than these other paths we have been discussing.
Ultimately, we could go round and round with this forever. But the real point is: do you quit or not? And do you stay quit? Therein lies the real answer. I'm of the do whatever you need to camp, a la Kaily and me, vs let others dictate.
Even professionals - here, at least, so many drs etc are sorely behind in the knowledge of addiction and the progressive nature of the disease.
Last and most soapbox worthy problem in our current framework: opioid crisis is legit and devastating - but alcohol kills more of us each year. So, yet another "therein lies the rub" situation and my thought is that treating the immediate get-sober-needs in any substance abuse situation must be the start for every kind of sobriety. Other stuff enters to keep us in recovery.
Peace out on a good discussion.
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