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Alcohol - The hardest drug

Posted , 11 users are following.

johnsherts
johnsherts

Hello am alone in thinking alcohol is the hardest drug out there

. I have tried what are considered the worst drugs out there but I think alcohol has the worst damage given its availability. I used to have cannabis which moderated my drinking but have given up because of the criminal element involved but I have started drinking much more but I am hurting myself not sure what to do i stop but the cravings are intense

2 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • ADEfree
    ADEfree johnsherts

    Posted

    Hi, Johnsherts! 

    I used The Sinclair Method, there's something similar on NHS using the medication Nalmefene (but there can be some hoops to jump through). It's an effective way of killing the cravings by doing a bit of Aikido with them. Each time you drink after taking the medication and waiting 1-2 hours, it deadens the addiction a little bit, the reverse of how it got there in the first place. It takes a number of months (6 months for me), but month by month you're satisfied earlier and your drinking levels automatically go down (as long as you stick with the treatment and take the pill before drinking). 

    Another way of going about it would be to detox and use Acamprosate to armor you against your drinking triggers. It can be a really good option if you prefer to be abstinent right off the bat. It takes a couple of weeks for the medication to kick in. 

    If you've tried a number of times to quit via the traditional route, either one of these medications could be quite helpful. 

    For more about The Sinclair Method, google

    Claudia Christian TEDx talk

    and look for her video on Youtube.

    • johnsherts
      johnsherts ADEfree

      Posted

      Yes im not addicted to alcohol as such but i tend to go on very damagi g binges. And after I have recovered i start thinking about alcohol some times the urge to buy drink is disturbing. Like I said i used to use cannabis which would did destroy the idea of drinking heavily and generally put me off alcohol it used to make alcoholic drinks taste like nailpolish but alcohol is sneaky after a while your brain loses the nailpolish taste because it is pleasurable. I haven't been to my gp but i scared he will tey and send me ro an addiction service miles away i dont have my own transport and live in rural village

    • ADEfree
      ADEfree johnsherts

      Posted

      From what I've read of the self-reports of binge drinkers that use Naltrexone or Nalmefene, it tends to bring an end to the binge and blackout drinking is avoided. About how often you go on a binge?

  • johnsherts
    johnsherts

    Posted

    I tend to binge about every 3 days about 30 units usually left feeling terrified with anxiety. I gradually recover then thoughts of buying drink take over there so pervasive that i give in because it so upsetting

    • ADEfree
      ADEfree johnsherts

      Posted

      I can see where you'd want to start turning things around for yourself. I'll PM you a link to a page that lays out the standard procedure for the various NHS areas, it may be that in your area, the GP can make the decision about what medications can be prescribed for your particular condition.

      There's also the possibility of a private physician, but I don't know if that's within your budget. 

    • johnsherts
      johnsherts ADEfree

      Posted

      Yeah I don't think nalmefene would be suitable. I can stop but cravings drive me back to drink. Maybe I will ask about acamprosate not a great of hope at my doctors though.

    • ADEfree
      ADEfree johnsherts

      Posted

      There seems to be a few ways they go about it, either the GP can prescribe directly, you get referred out to an alcohol service who then makes a recommendation to the GP, or you get sent to a specialist (if I recall the variations correctly). As so many of them don't know much of anything about medications for Alcohol Use Disorder, it behooves you to know the routine for your area and know the options that they should lay out for you. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself and insist that they do their job and present all the options that are available for your diagnosis. Ask RHGB or Vickylou, they'll lend their experience and both use Acamprosate. The link I sent you for the NHS areas should still apply with respect to the procedures for your area. 

      Again, if a private physician is an option for you, it would probably be a lot quicker. 

      In any case, there is a way for you to break free of the grip of booze and these days there are some very good options to help you gain complete victory over the drink. 

      Keep us up on how it's going for you, in any case!

    • johnsherts
      johnsherts ADEfree

      Posted

      Thank you, it seems that my doctors refer to an addiction charity problem is it is Miles away from my village and bus services are expensive and poor. I want to quit alcohol for good but it is the absurd cravings that defeat me if there is medication that blocks the cravings I could quit on my own. I have access to the drug pregabalin would that help ?
    • ADEfree
      ADEfree johnsherts

      Posted

      That, I'm afraid is beyond my knowledge. I'd suggest you stay clear of diy solutions along those lines, as they could go wrong very quickly. 

      You might check with the addiction charity to see if they have an outreach program for rural areas, or if they offer tele-appointments. I don't know if ChangeGrowLive is available in your area, but they seem to be a bit more advanced than some of the others. 

  • lindsey47331
    lindsey47331 johnsherts

    Posted

    Hi John

    i had a consultation with an online Doctor, that might be a starting point for you too 

    Lindsey x

  • Guest
    Guest johnsherts

    Posted

    John, once you admit to yourself that yes you do have a problem, you will feel relief. Don't judge yourself just state the obvious; it is the first step! You state you are not an alcoholic, maybe not, but if you crave alcohol you have a problem. Don't let it ruin your life, take the cravings as a serious sign to start healing yourself NOW. Naltrexone and TSM are the only way to go if you want to stop cravings. I'm a slow starter as I've been almost 2 months of the pill and unfortunately it hasn't helped me as fast as others. So prayed it would work faster but I'm built differently. I have seen some positive results so I'm in it for life....I take liquid drops of medical marijuana for my anxiety and that helps alot (I take only the CBD) so no 'high'.

    • johnsherts
      johnsherts Guest

      Posted

      Hi I tried the CBD oil it helped me a bit with anxiety but I found it was horrible to use like putting bitumen under your tongue. I am going to gp to admit my alcohol usage soon have to wait almost a month for an appointment.

  • Drinkipoo
    Drinkipoo johnsherts

    Posted

    I agree, booze is easy, it is cheap and legal.   Cannabis is relatively cheap but isn’t legal and isn’t acceptable in a public place, you can’t smoke a cigarette let alone light up a doobie in the pub.  I drink a bottle of wine a night (pretty much without fail) and I have no problem functioning the next day.  I tried cannabis as an alternative and it just made me heady and sick, it just made me go to bed.  Most things like this are habit, so I went to the gym instead of opening the bottle, I work so hard all day and most of the evening - sitting down at maybe 10pm - wine is my stop button, and later my “let go” button!!! My partner has given up booze for the last month (a semi regular sabbatical) but to be honest he smokes 4 joints instead....and has a cough now......
  • johnsherts
    johnsherts

    Posted

    Hi,

    I just thought I would post an update. I stopped drinking in May used the drug pregabalin for the first 2 weeks this stopped the strong cravings I was having.

    Forced myself to start exercising which helped me recover quicker also been taking the supplements taurine and n-acetyl-l-cysteine on the recommendation of a friend cant be sure but I think they have helped I seem to have pretty much lost interest in alcohol.

    I did slip up once during the world cup (how could I not have a beer when England are playing etc) ended having a binge after England lost but did not enjoy it, felt terrible it reinforced that now I don't feel that alcohol is a reasonable thing to put in my body.

    Had a liver function test it was ok overall I am lucky I have been able to stop. I felt the services offered through my gp were very slow and bureaucratic.

    Thanks for the advice posted

    John

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