ARC/GP
Posted , 10 users are following.
This is an update on my ARC issues .The key worker from ARC called me yesterday for an introductory chat and I explained my journey to him, He had no idea what I was talking about nor really how nalmefene works.I wasnt surprised.! He said ' sounds like you could stop the nalmefene now if it has reduced your drinking a bit ' DOH ! The only answer to that from me was ' Well I shall just get drunk again then won't I' No comment from him, The conversation progressed and he kept joking and he suggested that i didnt really need the services of the local ARC but he would meet with me for a chat and signpost me to appropriate services for CBT, He also reinforced the fact that I could cancel our arranged appointment together if I wished. This felt like a similar scenario as to when I visited the ARC a couple of weeks back and self referred .Its just like they don't want to help and no real interest and l felt my issues werent enough for therm to be concerned about.
Well anyway today I took the bull by the horns and went to my GP. I was a bit nervous as I was gonna have to reval all.I told my GP of my ARC experience and he said its a very local problem , understaffed and the prescribing is out sourced somewhere else.He too wasn't impressed . He did say they seem to focus only on those with very high need alcohol and drug issues.
My lovely GP was so interested in my journey and TSM , He said he could not prescribe nalmefene today as they have prescribing issues at the surgery they are trying to resolve. However, he did say there will be a practice meeting next week to discuss how they could get round the prescribing issue,as he also has another patient requesting nalmefene,He was more than helpful and assured me he wanted to support me through this and would be in touch as soon as he had something to tell me What a difference from the ARC
I told him about C3 Europe and he felt that would be my best approach for counselling support and suggested in the meanntime I get that underway
I left feeling happy in the fact that at last I was going somewhere with all this.Needless to say I will be cancelling my appointment with the key worker grrrr
2 likes, 57 replies
Robin2015 Nat666
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Nat666 Robin2015
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Well I think I know more what I'm doing more than the guys at ARC Robin .It's totally bizarre ..Nat
JulieAnne101 Nat666
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Well Nat, what can I say but bravo! Good on yer for following it thru.
It could be said that ARC's have issues nationwide, not just locally 😁 I wonder what kind of evidence ARC's have to give, to continue receiving funding?
Pleased to hear your GP had another patient requesting Nalfamene (hopefully with TSM)
Thanks for the update. Keep on rockin.
Thinking of everyone as always
PS hubby still taking Campral 👍
Nat666 JulieAnne101
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JulieAnne101 Nat666
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RHGB Nat666
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I am convinced that other than their base funding, ARCs got no money from dealing with AUD people. All other money comes from dealing with druggies and probation work from the courts.
It is part of their agreement that they deal with AUD people, but there is no incentive for them to do so, than the bare minimum.
"would be in touch as soon as he had something to tell me". That phrase doesn't eaxactly excite me or fill me with confidence, there is no deadline or definite latest date he will get back to you. Sounds a bit like "leave it with me".
I'd be contacting him end of next week to see how things are progressing.
Nat666 RHGB
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Yep I think you are exactly right in what you say that there is no financial incentive for the ARC;sto deal with AUD people.I am giving up on them !
JulieAnne101 RHGB
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Yeah I'm convinced too RHGB. AUD ppl are the Cinderellas of the ARC's
RHGB JulieAnne101
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One steals money, the other makes the Exchequer money, which is why money is thrown at druggies.
vickylou RHGB
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Too true unfortunately
unlike drug users, AUD sufferers don't rely heavily on crime to fund their addiction. Muggings, house robbery tend to be carried out by drug users rather than AUD sufferers.
Nat, I'm not surprised about your experience with your ARC. I had exactually the same thing happen to me. It appears to be nationwide, not just locally.
Nat666 vickylou
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kelly71703 Nat666
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Hi Nat.
Your thread filled me with pessimism this morning and quite rightly so.
Last week I went to Gp in desperation. Despite explaining my circumstances and feeling like "I want to be dead" she point blank refused to prescribe anything including tranx to get me through the worst "horrors". Referred to ARC again. Went to ARC waited 2 hours to be told no one available by volunteer. I Kicked off at poor volunteer whom meant to be leaving whom buy t hen did primary assessment and booked me in for today for comprehensive assessment. Today was breathylysed (74) was told that I need to be 0.5 or less to continue. Pointed out that this was a stony sober reading and therefore no need for detox and I can just about function at 74 and can feel the "horrors" creeping in. The Service manager was involved, i asked if they meant 50? I might be a drunk but I can appreciate the importance of a decimal place.
Nonetheless been told to come back next week in order to get my blood alcohol levels down to 50 (they conceded this point). I mentioned Nalmefene, Naltrexone might help me achieve this, to be met with blank stares.
Told to go to CAB to enquire about any benefits entitlement, went there to find only open Mo
RHGB kelly71703
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kelly71703 RHGB
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I asked them what is the driving limit in order to be able to interpret what 74 means as that figure means nothing to me. Was told 14. I'm sure that is wrong also as I still could hold coherent discussion and certainly didn't feel that drunk. I asked if they could use thier own judgement when assessing if someone was too drunk to benefit from help as I'm obviously very tolerant. Big fat NO.
JulieAnne101 RHGB
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The nurse in the detox ward said that every 5th bed in the hospital was the result of alcohol abuse in some way. If the government have got these statistics, why aren't they investing in giving AUD sufferers more support?
Nat666 JulieAnne101
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Inspite of 'forward thinking ' and modern tolerance there is still such a massive stigma with AUD and probably always will be . I agree JulieAnne if the government invested more into AUD it would it would be time , money and resources well spent and the rewards would be great 🤔
RHGB JulieAnne101
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Because the government gets in Duty & tax from alcohol, more than the NHS spends.
2011/12 total alcohol tax/duty 14.6bn for government
Cost to the NHS 2.7bn
Do the maths.
JulieAnne101 RHGB
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What price human misery huh? It's not just the nhs though is it? Every agency is affected Police, Courts, Prison, Social Services which is huge ie schools, family services on and on. What is the real cost of AUD? We have been told today that our local hospital is going to close it's detox centre. I despair.
RHGB JulieAnne101
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JulieAnne101 RHGB
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👍 As an SS employee, I see the ugly side everyday
vickylou kelly71703
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Kelly
i had to attend a weekly group at a local ARC. Everyone was breathalised before the meeting started. Anyone showing a trace of alcohol in their system wasn't allowed to attend the session and was sent home. It was a condition of a drink/drive court case that I attended weekly sessions for 12 months. Had I failed the breath test, I would have been in breach of the ruling.
Being over twice the legal drink/drive limit is obviously more than one drink. They appear to be allowing you some alcohol which is more than I got.
kelly71703 vickylou
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I was sent to the ARC to be detoxed. If I was sober and able to function sober I wouldn't feel the need to go. Fact is I am a dependent drinker and find it an irony that I need to sober up to access any resources that are meant to help people with alcohol issues..
vickylou JulieAnne101
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As regards blood/alcohol levels at ARCs, I've seen first hand the results of turning up having been drinking. Two blokes came one week, both clutching a can of special brew. Receptionist told them no alcohol allowed, they kicked off, trashed the waiting area, upset other service users and then the police came.
On the other hand, it could be argued someone suffering from AUD, no help available from gp, going through withdrawal and told ARC is the only place that can help, would have alcohol in their system. If you're told not to go cold turkey and have no benzos to help with withdrawal, what do you do?
Far more is spent on drug rehab than alcohol rehab, due to reasons already mentioned,
Duty and tax being the main one.
Robin2015 kelly71703
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Robin2015 RHGB
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80 milligrams of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of blood in your body
35 micrograms of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of breath
107 milligrams of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of urine
Regards Robin
vickylou kelly71703
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"If I was sober and able to function sober I wouldn't feel the need to go"
?personally I would have thought that was the right time to go. You can still be sober and function sober whilst feeling absolutely sxxt. Having the equivalent of five pints would prevent them giving you any benzos to help with withdrawal. I was only able to have a home detox once I was clear of alcohol. Having said that, it was years ago and probably the criteria for detox has changed. I'm surprised your gp referred you for detox as there is normally a huge waiting list
vickylou
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I think I've misread your post Kelly. I thought you were saying you went to your gp and even though you'd been drinking, he/she sent to straight to an ARC for an immediate detox. I could not edit my above reply, so my apologies if I misread your post.
JulieAnne101 vickylou
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Yep we experienced similar, Vicks. We had to disguise hubby's wine by putting it into a coffee cup (one with a lid) luckily they did not breathalyze him. He had to have this with him as he was in danger without it.
I never want to go back to an ARC again if I can help it. They are soul destroying places, they leave you without hope
Campral still working x
Nat666 JulieAnne101
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My sentiments exactly JulieAnne and my experiences have been minimal compared to yours and that of others ..No good vibes there ! 😑x
gwen45436 JulieAnne101
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Yes JulieAnne, that is my fear of ARC. Leaving you without hope - and as for sitting with folk witr drug habit problems, I could not hack it.
I have just read every one of these posts re Vicks friend and I am exhausted. This is reality and certainly bangs home the truth. It totally unnerved me and has made me more sure than ever that I want to remain doing it the way I am doing. It is Friday 5ish here and is normally my full bottle of wine evening for my much needed zzzzzzs after a week of tossing and turning and reading and listening to the radio all night long; got to say though, I am torn between my little diddy bottle as per Monday to Thursday/Friday or the biggie. Normally I would not hesitate but this reading makes me feel quite sick. I say who needs AA or ARC of a dozy doctor and hypnotherapy (which did didly squat) when you have posts which just TELL IT LIKE IT IS. Terrifying reading but boy it hits the spot. Good job and thanks to all you guys for your honesty. We are all as one.
Keep safe all x
JulieAnne101 gwen45436
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Thinking of everyone as always
gwen45436 JulieAnne101
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Hate that word scared - you have us always - no not religious either but do believe in Angels ????
JulieAnne101 gwen45436
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I don't know what to believe in hon. I think that it is the closure of our local detox ward that has put me in a bit of a tizzy. That would mean all we have now is the ARC, which, means we haven't got anything.
I sincerely hope that the Campral will continue to work. Hubby has told me it is, so am crossing everything x
I know I have you all to help me. That means so much to me. Definately having a wobble today x
Nat666 JulieAnne101
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JulieAnne just keep holding onto the fact that hubby says the Campral.is working for him at the moment, ...Other than your own observations it's all you can do. I do so hope this continues for him. Blimey it's no wonder you get a bit of a wobble though,what with resources being pulled in and ARC's not interested we are all becoming more and more isolated in our battles with this AUD ...I just feel blessed that we have forums such as these for support and advice. And where would we be without our technology to access them ..a scary thought x
JulieAnne101 Nat666
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Hi Nat. Thanx for that. Yeah this forum is a lifesaver. What a worryer I am. He is lying on the settee, watching a film. Says he doesn't understand why I am worrying so much, g*t. Butter wouldn't melt 😳 xx
Hope you are ok xx
Nat666 JulieAnne101
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Ha ha , that made me laugh , I can imagine the scenario lol him all chilled and you constantly on on red alert 😃😃Not fair is it ! x 😣
RHGB JulieAnne101
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That is our born natural innate ability.
It doesn't matter what size or looks we come in, your (female) natural instinct is to nuture us, just like you would a baby.
And don't think we play on it, oh no...
JulieAnne101 Nat666
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??👍👍 xx
JulieAnne101 RHGB
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vickylou RHGB
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Give me a baby any time! Far easier and a lot more rewarding, plus they don't leave the toilet seat up or use the last piece of toilet paper without replacing it!!
JulieAnne101 vickylou
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Hahaha! Poor old RH. Hang on RH you are quite able to defend yourself and the rest of our better halves 😳 x
vickylou JulieAnne101
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I wasn't saying RHGB was like that lol! After living with two sons and a husband, my daughter and I got used to it!
JulieAnne101 vickylou
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vickylou JulieAnne101
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Haha😄😄
RHGB JulieAnne101
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I'm used to being ganged up on. I am one of the few male regular posters on here (discount Paul because he is in the industry, and not with a problem). There are far more female posters than men, something I have commented on before, because it has surprised me, I always felt that men were in the majority with a drink problem.
Obviously JA you are posting on behalf of someone, not for yourself, as it were.
I am subscribed to 11 forums, all to do with things I have had or been suspected of having. I am no where near as busy in the other forums (apart from perhaps the liver forum). I can say that this is only forum where it is not 50:50 roughly.
Robin2015 RHGB
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gwen45436 Robin2015
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High fives to our guys x
JulieAnne101 Robin2015
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OMG Robin, I am so sorry. Why did I think you were a woman? Must be your feminine side coming out! Deepest apologies 😳 xx
JulieAnne101 RHGB
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Nat666 Robin2015
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All our experiences and thoughts are so valuable on here Robin aren't they .It's what gives us our universal brain🤔🤔😶😶😏 ..It's a fantastic achievement to just stop drinking ..well done you .Happy Days 😊!
Nat666 JulieAnne101
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JulieAnne you naughty naughty girl LOL 😋😋😋I always thought Robin was a man xx
Nat666 gwen45436
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Here Here Gwennie, I'll go with those high fives lol ! So glad to read your doing so well ! Keep going hun and enjoy a few zzzzz 's tonight 😴😴😴😴x
JulieAnne101 Nat666
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JulieAnne101 Robin2015
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Robin2015 Nat666
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Robin2015 JulieAnne101
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u r forgiven..names are funny...double meaning....
JulieAnne101 Robin2015
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