Asking for help..

Posted , 8 users are following.

I’m new to this but really need some support.

I’m currently suffering alcohol withdrawal symptoms when I attempt to stop drinking. I was drinking around a bottle and a half of wine an evening for around 6 months, this has increased to two bottles of wine for the past 2 months and has now lead to me having to have a drink at lunch time to curb the withdrawal symptoms and to continue drinking throughout the day. When I stop drinking I get extremely shaky, my heart palpitates and often beats over 100 (until I have a drink to reduce it), I get sweaty and hot and my body starts to involuntarily jerk feeling like I’m going to pass out. 

This has lead to me being off work, missing university exams and generally secluding me from everyone. I feel like it’s ruining my life. 

I would like some help to stop the drinking, I have tried to gradually reduce the alcohol I am in taking but the symptoms get so bad I get scared I am going to have a heart attack or pass out. 

I tried to get some help from my GP and she advised me to contact a detox service. I called them and the lady I spoke was so rude and said you shouldn’t be getting withdrawals from that amount of alcohol and just said theirs nothing they can do for me and that I should switch to miniatures rather than bottles. 

Has anyone else had a similar experience when asking for help? What did you do?

Thanks in advance 

1 like, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Posted

    Yes I go to addaction where I'm on a reduced programme I've been hospital twice last month with exactly the same withdrawal symptoms you have to do it very gradually I was also prescribed campronol but that didn't stop the cravings so it was a waste of time hope you succeed if you need to detox yourself then admit yourself to a n e they have to help then but it's a long process

  • Posted

    Good reply from Karen who had the same experience as you. No doubt that you need to stop but WITH medication. Gp and others should do more for you! 😁

  • Posted

    There are loads of other organisations out there that are offering help, keep trying until you find the People you EM get on with. If a person is rude, you ask to speak to someone else, you can't fall at the First Hurdle. A Detox will do nothing without Pre and After Care, or at "least" plans. Plus, you have to reduce before funding provided or you End up in A+E, You can't put yourself through Withdrawals, it is not only unpleasant, but incredibly dangerous to do without Tapering or some kind of Benzo. Do you have anyone close enough to Advocate a First meeting with a drug and Alcohol service?

  • Posted

    P115176, you might look into The Sinclair Method, there's a heading for it on this page:

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/useful-resources-487627

    If you google:

    Claudia Christian TEDx talk

    you'll find a Youtube video about it. This treatment would help you throw the addiction process in reverse and back down on the amount you're drinking. It's available on NHS, but they don't call it "The Sinclair Method", they just offer you Nalmefene or Naltrexone to help you dial back the amount you're drinking. I can't say for sure whether they would offer you this or require a supervised detox and then give you Naltrexone to help you maintain abstinence. 

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