I feel i am having a break down from my partners drinking

Hi. I am in U.k. she has three bottles during the day and come 7/8pm she be passed out on sofa.

I take her To her doctors and had no help. Just have no idea what way to turn

In many areas of the UK, the local health authority guide doctors to refer a patient with an addiction issue onto the local alcohol recovery service to see a doctor who specialises in addiction and any co-morbity issues, such as anxiety, depression and ocd.  The general feeling is that a GP (general practitioner) doesn't often have enough experience in dealing with such specific issues that often require long-term help.  It works in a similar way to if you found a lump... you would start by visiting your GP, and then because your GP doesn't specialise in this area, he/she would refer you onto a physician who does specialise in that area.

A GP will prescribe medications and tests for 'everyday' type of conditions, but if you think about it, anything more complicated (whatever that may be) is usually referred onto a specialist of some sort.  I often think of GPs as well-qualified receptionists getting paid lots of money because for many conditions, they just book an appointment for you to see someone else! 

Anyway, did you doctor refer your girlfriend on to a local addiction or other mental health service?  Or provide any information, leaflets or phone numbers for her to self-refer herself to them?

If not, then he/she should have done, and you (she) needs to ask the doctor to do so.  Under the NHS Constitution, she has a right be be seen by a qualified and experienced physician to assess what help is available to her.  If her GP does not feel able to deal adequately with her mental health issues, then they have a responsibility under that Constitution to refer her to someone who can assess her.  They cannot just offer no help to someone who is clearly demonstrating that they have a drinking problem by drinking 3 bottles of wine a day.

Hi Rich, I do really feel for you and your girlfriend struggling with this destructive condition You have had some great replys here already.

Does your girlfriend want to get to grips with this ? If so I would urge you to look at the link on Adefree's reply and also google 'One little Pill' and look at Paul Turners youtube video. The process he describes really does work,so many of us on here have turned our lives around with following TSM .

Keep coming back and let us know how things go xx

Okay, just going back to your first reply (now knowing you are in the UK). Yes, most GPs will not get involved with alcohol problems, they don't see it as coming under their remit and the budget doesn't come to them - they are quite mercenary over money. At best, they would refer her to an ARC (addiction clinic) and by doing that, they have covered themselves.

I understand your feelings about ARCs, I went to two of them myself and the staff have no knowledge or understanding and are of a low calibre. Their standard advice seems to be, keep a drinks diary, to which I would say, I don't need a diary, I can tell you exactly what I've had.

As for not eating, the reason for this is, the carbs in alcohol are easy for the body to grab, so it always goes for those first. The downside of this is, that they are not getting vitamins and nutrients, only carbs. This is compounded by the fact that the very important vitamins (vit B) or water soluble and get flushed out, plus many heavy drinkers have gastritis (inflamation of the stomach lining) which impedes the absorption of them.When people don't get these vitamins, they can start to have short term memory loss and have trouble concentrating. Long term it gets worse, but people who drink heavily have no appetite.

Now, the reason she continues to drink, is not that she is lazy or feckless. The alcohol has changed her neural pathways and receptors. A drug has done that (alcohol) and a drug (medication) is needed to undo the changes that have occurred.

There are two main types of medications that work in slightly different ways, but have the same effect of relinquishing this hold alcohol has. There are two small obstacles, but in the grand scheme of things, they are worth overcoming. One, people have to want to give up, somebody helping them is immense benefit, but they do have to want to. Quite often with people there is a triggering point that gives them the spark. The second, is that the medication would need to come through the ARc (addiction centre) and all that is rquired there, is the ability of when someone says 'the computer says no', you can go, I know my rights under the NHS and I am entitled to see the doctor - the only thing they will (and can) insist on is that your partner has a blood test prior to seeing the doctor.

If you want to go down this route, Joanna and I can help advise you, myself having had the experience of having been through two and obtained the medication and Joanna knows all the legal, rights and what stuff to print off and put in front of them. If you think you want to go down that route, then we can discuss the two medications and which one you feel may be best suited.

Oh my goodness this is so useful and insightful  re orheats and receptors RHGB a. If lightbulb moment sorry to hijack the post

Metal pathways not re orbeats predictive text on phone