Drunk again

They are out there, but they are hard to find, and I'm speaking from experience. It might be just as easy and economic to have a private consultation and get a private prescription. The tablets themselves are cheap enough and once you have the prescription any pharmacy will supply them.

Make sure you get a two box prescription, 2 x 28. One box should do it and then you have a spare if you find desparate times ahead.

My GP has recommended I come to Addaction as you are the registered/preferred community alcohol/drug service for the area, of which the local health authority has given you the contract.

So, before I write an official letter of complaint, stating that I followed the protocols, of first seeing my primary care provider (your GP) and then came at his request to the specialist listed by the local health authority, can I just ask for the third and final time, you will not offer me a detox treatment?

I'd then go back to my GP, state what has happened, play the recording, and state that if he doesn't take action, that you will be putting in a complaint to the GMC, because between you, (your GP) and Addaction, neither of you are willing to offer me a detox treatment.

If he says he can't prescribe it, say rubbish, the Red Amber Green code used by the area prescribing committee say that it is only a guideline and that a GP can prescribe any drug approved by NICE/NHS if they want to and that you have that in writing via email from them - I will email you a copy if it ever gets that far down the line.

The only proviso, is when you are saying these things, you have to A) Be sober, okay if you need a beer beforehand to steady yourself, have one, but that means just the one to steady your nerves, no more and B) Take all the emotion out of it, imagine you are having these conversations on behalf of a friend and it doesn't directly affect you, plus stick to the facts.

It is no good getting emotional, because you will often get angry, people don't respond well to angriness and the shutters just come down and you give them an excuse to say that you were drunk and came in ranting and raving. Just say what you have to say, in a very nonchalant matter of fact way, that worries people far more, because they can't sense what you're thinking.

Never use mints to cover it, that just emphasises it even more. Have something to eat and then brush your teeth.

Although I sometimes wonder what sort of people Addaction think they are going to get, when their raison d'etre is to treat people with alcohol addiction.