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NHS taking forever to give me a detox

Posted , 10 users are following.

sunny80
sunny80

I've been seeing nhs alcohol workers for 4 months now. My worker has been saying he's going to put my name down for a bed at a detox hospital since the beginning of June and still hasn't done it yet. The waiting list is 12 weeks.

My appointments are every two weeks and he keeps saying he's going to put my name down for a bed. My last appointment was 12th August and he said it then again and now appointments are every 3 weeks, next one September 2nd.

My money is going down. This habit is costing me £15 a day plus other stuff like tobacco on top. I can't put up with this no longer. I've thought about stopping cold turkey.

Why is it taking so long to get a detox? I'm getting very angry with the nhs.

I drink a litre of vodka a day diluted with blackcurrant. I'm in England and been seeing the alcohol services for 4 months. They keep making me buy booze whilst waiting for a detox on nhs.

I could have paid for a home detox privately and it would have cost much less than what i've spent on alcohol the past 4 months whilst waiting.

Anyway i've had enough and going to stop cold turkey tomorrow. I've really had enough. They will make me carry on drinking for another 3-4 months before getting a detox.

I had £12,000 in savings and it has now dropped to £9700. I can't put up with wasting my life away aswell as my money any longer.

0 likes, 41 replies

41 Replies

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  • karen36196
    karen36196 sunny80

    Posted

    Stop drinking and turn up at a n e with dts they will have to keep you

  • RHGB
    RHGB sunny80

    Posted

    Well, it costs money to detox someone in hospital. I suppose if they made it easy, people would go on the booze again and then turn up at the hospital for another detox.

    You are lucky if you get put on one, most GPs won't even hand out diazepam. I feel your pain, although I think you will struggle to just go cold turkey from a litre a day. Take it from someone that has done cold turkey two or three times, it is pleasant if you really are dependent on alcohol, that is that your body needs it in the same way a heroin addict needs his fix.

    You have to be strong with people who work in the NHS sometimes nad I would 'demand' next time that you see some eveidence that your name has been put on the list and that it is not a conversation that you waant to keep talking about unless it is to tell you how far up the list you have moved.

  • h1954
    h1954 sunny80

    Posted

    Ask when you will get a bed, ask when your name was put on a waiting list. As RHGB says ask for evidence of this.  And a copy of the referral.

    Ask your GP to refer you.

    Ask to see your alcochol worker's manager, or write to them.

    If you go cold turkey you could die - is this what you want?  is this what they want?

    • RHGB
      RHGB h1954

      Posted

      I think they want him to go away.

      The insane thing is, an £8.40 prescription of diazepam is all that someone needs, and really only just one box. I still have a box left over from January when I got the standard two box prescription.

       

  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 sunny80

    Posted

    You need to freak out on your "worker"....Like call them and ask them WHY it is taking so long?  Tell them you need help..Tell them just what you told us...you are going thru your savings....

    I'm sorry that you are struggling so much.

    When you DO get a bed and you DO get sober....you will be able to earn money.

    Try and think positive and think only for ONE day at a time.  

    Its really good that you are WANTING this....so once the help is available....hopefully you will still want it.....and you will get better and get out of this deep dark hole.

     

  • sunny80
    sunny80

    Posted

    Thanks. I think RHGB is right and they want me to go away. I failed to mention that I had a home detox in 2011 and a hospital detox in 2015. But if they didn't want to give me another, wouldn't they tell me?

    I'll see what he has to say on Friday.

    • RHGB
      RHGB sunny80

      Posted

      Ask the question. This isn't aimed at you, but I'm surprised how many people just accept no information or very little information.

      With doctors, they automatically default in the doctor/patient role to parent/child.

      Don't see what he has to say, say to him, I feel I am being given the run around here. If it is not your intention to offer me a detox, what are you expecting to happen? I am going to see you every few weeks for the rest of my life, or perhaps until I'm admitted to A&E with liver failure, is that what you want?

      If you want a resolution then you are going to have to push for it. In fairness, you have had two detoxes and they only have so much money and there are plenty of other people that would love either a home or hospital detox on the NHS. Their thoughts are going to be, we've tried both, they didn't work long term, so are we just wasting money on a third time?

      What are you going to do differently this time, that means you won't be back in the same situation next year?

    • sunny80
      sunny80 RHGB

      Posted

      Thanks for the advice. I'm not a very assertive person, quite shy actually but going to tell them everything you said. 

      Setting off in 10 minutes.

  • sunny80
    sunny80

    Posted

    Yeah, I'm going to have to push for it. I've got a support plan this time. AA find a sponsor and work on the 12 steps.

  • Robin2015
    Robin2015 sunny80

    Posted

    HI Sunny. Sorry to join late but I was away for 17 days and notice all the stress, waiting and waisting money...tricky one but lots of good advice from everybody...Friday is your appointment?? regards Robin
    • sunny80
      sunny80 Robin2015

      Posted

      Yes it's tomorrow. I'm going to push it and put my foot down. I have an action plan this time. Printed it off and going to show him.

      Ta everyone for the advice. 

    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 sunny80

      Posted

      Good look for tomorrow sunny. 

      I have been tapering off from 2 bottles of wine a day for a couple of weeks now and doing really well.  I am down to a small glass as a nightcap and hope to stay like this - even at weekend - I feel so much better, apart from no sleep which sucks a bit.  I am in England and when I last saw my doc a couple of weeks ago - I said I was going to taper off myself and that I was determined to do it as I hate being defeated.  After reading all info and posts on here, I realised that a good back up would be Diazepam as I was scared to death of seizure and shakes.  So I asked her if I could have a pack and she did not want to give them to me.  But I persisted and stared her out and said that if she had not been in the situation, she could not know how scary it is.  God it is bad enough feeling this way, like you are doing now, without barriers put in your way.  She agreed and gave me a pack and to take 1 four times a day.  Luckily I have not had shakey symptoms or sweats, just very distant headaches.

      Stand your ground - you are going for it and they should appreciate how flippin hard it is.

      Good luck.

    • gwen45436
      gwen45436

      Posted

      I forgot to add - I have not yet had to take any of the Diazepam ironically!!

      G.

    • Misssy2
      Misssy2 gwen45436

      Posted

      gwen...so happy for you that you stood your ground and that you are doing well with tapering.

      Best wishes for the weekend.

      I think just having the Diazepam is calming....if she didn't give them to you...I wonder if your taper would have been succesful?

       

    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 Misssy2

      Posted

      Misssy, yes it would - because I have got the bit between my teeth and just hate being defeated.

      Onward and upward as they say.

      Best wishes to you also for the weekend.

    • Misssy2
      Misssy2 gwen45436

      Posted

      good...stay strong.

      I just returned from the gym....did a small workout.

    • Robin2015
      Robin2015 sunny80

      Posted

      HOw are you keeping Sunny?? Better? Just wondering after 2 months..Regards Robin
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