Emotion

Thanks ADE . I will later after work x

Thanks Misssy . Yes! I agree ! . My Dad is an alcoholic, my sister and three brothers have all had addiction issues . They are all in healthy relationships now which I feels helps. It definitely runs in the family and we all have suffered with the most terrible blackouts !!!

I have so much to deal with at the mo plus have been a single parent for ten years and still single . I'm happy alone but last night just was on a low . I'm feeling better today and will be trying hard once again  

Thanks for your support x

Bless you rainbow. We all have down days. Stay strong X

Thank you Paper fairy . I'm feeling much stronger today . Thank goodness for this site x

You not a bad PERSON...you just have a BAD CONDITION.  Carried thru by your ancestors....Wonder what caveman drank...NOW they definetly looked like drinkers....LOL

I have tough skin, I'll live. But if you read the message/s, it said:

"Well, it isn't just going to sort itself out on its own."

Do you think the problem will sort itself out, or does some action need to be taken? Rainbow suggested going to her GP.

What would your first course of action be, assuming you were starting out, right from the beginning, not where you are now?

Personally, I would see my GP, which is what I did. And they did prescribe diazepam, twice. I'm not saying they all will, but until you ask the question, you never will know. It can also be how you ask the question, how forceful you are and how clued up you are.

Hence the rason I said:

"Right, well don't just rock up in front of him, and wonder what you;re going to say."

"Think of what you want to achieve and how you are going to say it, that way you will be much more in command and in a better bargainning position to get what you want."

My whole advice was, take hold of the situation, only you can change it.

Here are the sort of medications available.

Once rainbow mentioned GP, it was.

Make sure you have a plan before you attend. I stand behind everything I said. What is the alternative? Not visit your GP, not tell Rainbow the options of medication? Not visit Addaction or whoever? Give up before you start? Carry on drinking or order over the internet?

There is the option of private prescription, but I would want to hear what the GP said, before I even discussed going down that route.

 

Yes I totally agree with you. The doctor is definately the first positive step to take and to do what they suggest. I was only pointing out that in some areas like here, you won't always get an instant cure.

wasnt picking a fight..lol!!!

Anyway good luck rainbow, we all hope you find a solution x

I drank on Friday, two bottles of wine. I went to GP this morning and told her how I was feeling . Sorry no diazapam, no campral but suggested Antabuse. Luckily I'd not drank this morning, so I challenged her. Told her I would take the campral I'd got at home, or I had some Antabuse left, which would she suggest? What a surprise I came away with two boxes 5mg diazapam 56 tablets which I'd previously been denied.

will now take two diazapam tonight and hopefully get back on track. GP also suggested that I get in ccntact with addaction and ads. Just phoned ads and they can see me in three weeks! ADS was a month as I wanted to discuss naltrexone or nalfemene. I had to wait apparently until there was a specialist available as these new trial medications are subject to great consideration!!!

I give up. About time this postcode lottery ended. Also if you challenge dr's and don't accept what they say and have alternatives like my back up campral and Antabuse, how quickly their minds change.

"as these new trial medications are subject to great consideration!!!"

LOL! After all, Vickylou, Naltrexone has only been around for abut half a century. If you'd suggested bloodletting, you probably could have gotten a treatment on the spot!

IMHO there's not much help for people with alcohol problems in the uk today. I'll probably end up going privately although it goes totally against my principles. Luckily I'm in a position where I can afford it, but it's totally wrong. I will do loads of research first before making any decisions.

Aah bless, so frustrating! At least you've got some diazepam, unlike myself. Hey ho, we just keep trying. What sucks is that WE ARE TRYING TO GET BETTER AND WANT TO BE GIVEN MEDS TO HELP US. We are not asking for the impossible like strong morphine or to become millionaires!! Ffs...we aren't in denial, we are just poorly people trying to get well again. There's a lot of people out there who are in denial and won't stop drinking for anything and will cost the NHS thousands when they have liver, pancreas or kidney failure. Not to meantioned alcohol dementia and the cost of a specialist home for that. It just makes me so angry.

Sorry to offload and sorry if I've offended anyone...

Hope you're back on track soon Vickiilou xx

And there, I rest my case. Do not write a visit to the doctors off, but go in with a formulated plan and say what you want and why you want it and don't except their first answer (unless of course, it is yes), keep pushing, and if necessary show them the idiocy of what they are suggesting (in a non confrontational way). You did it exactly right Vicky.

I had to push the second time. BTW, one packet of diazepam should be enough, keep the other as a spare. Make your appointment for the naltrexone, the sooner you make it, the sooner the date will arive and you've got the Campral in the mean time. Keep on track, you'll feel better for it.

It took me three weeks arguing with my GP for Campral, then three weeks with Addaction, but hopefully this Thusday, fingers crossed it should be sorted.

I thought that was a great rant Paper, and spot on too. 

I understand what you're saying RHGB, although it's taken me time to get my head round it. Would you be my translator next time I visit my doctor? Joking! My problem is though the Drs are always running behind and have very little time for a long discussion. But maybe that could work as an advantage as they may prescribe just to get you the hell out of their room..? Hey ho, I will go prepared next time if I don't beat this. Which is highly likely..

..rather unlikely 

I've got to hand it to you, RHGB, you do know how to stick to your guns and push things forward. You're quite an inspiration!

Sometimes you've just got to get rid of stuff or you go mad!!

Thanks for your support x

My GP asked me the second time around, why she should give me diazepam, because it didn't work the first time. And to convince her why it was going to work this time.

I said, I can't promise you something I may not be able to keep to. I said I can lie to you, I'm a very convincing liar, I can look people right in the eye and tell them a bare faced lie. But, I said, that isn't really going to help is it.

She looked at me with a pained expression and I said, what I can tell you, is after doing some research, I need a follow up medication, to give my mind and body time to release from the craving.

She continued to look at me, whilst clearly thinking. I then said, what do you want me to do, I've told you Addaction will make me wait 8 - 12 weeks, you know I almost died in hospital, you said it yourself.

I said, what I can promise you, is if you don't give me anything, I will be down the pub at lunchtime, and that isn't a threat, that will be my only alternative to cold turkey, which you know would not be good for me anyone who goes into hospital for a stroke and has to be detoxed, is not in a psoition to cold turkey.

She said, I'll let you know tomorrow when I've spoken to the accountable doctor (my first GP, this was my secondary GP) and the next day, I had a call, saying my prescription was ready.

Go in with your plan, for most people I would say do some research, but you already know. Hit them with some common sense logic, ask them if they would prefer that you carried on drinking (see, if it's in your records that you asked for help and they provided nothing, it doesn't look good, especially if you're then admitted to hospital).

Use anything else, you have a stable home, long term partner to administer the meds, it's all common sense and hard for them to argue about it, especially if you're very reasonable and non confrontational.

You could try booking a double appointment, 20 mins. Although in my surgery it would take three weeks to get one. I've done it before over. several matters. I have to go in with a printed list of questions and make a point of putting it on the table. You've got to be hard and persue your questions.

Have you tried Joanna's approach? Going private might be the best way to get the ball rolling, but Joanna could probably help you gather the paperwork and methods to put "the powers that bleat" in a bind, so they basically have to give in. 

Tried all that last year with Joanna's help. GP said NO! ADS said I wasn't alcohol dependant, it was anxiety. My answer to anxiety episodes is to drink, so got nowhere. Thanks for your help though

I wish you best luck at ADS then. KBO, vickylou! If I can help in any way, please let me know.

Thanks RHGB. I've flagged this and will use it in the future. Great advice x

Yep taken that on board and Rhgb...thanks to you xx