On The Wagon... then in 'ere!

Soldato
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Been drinking in excess of 90 units a week for a quite a few years now and it's taking a toll on my health, starting medically supervised detox in a couple of weeks, anyone else tried it? If so, what can I expect?
 
Associate
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On the wagon
Been drinking in excess of 90 units a week for a quite a few years now and it's taking a toll on my health, starting medically supervised detox in a couple of weeks, anyone else tried it? If so, what can I expect?

I can't help with what detox is like with personal experience. I didn't require medically supervised detox and hadnt siffered severe DTs (no hallucinations and fits etc) but felt very wooly, slept poorly, and felt generally vunleravle and weak for a few weeks.

I know plenty of people who have experienced it though, and I'm they don't speak fondly of the experience I'm afraid. Most who have gone on to get and stay sober have viewed it as a necessary evil; something temporarily unpleasant but ultimately life saving.

I mention this as, unless you're very different to these people, you will probably want to leave. Possibly more than once. I urge you to stick with it. 90 units a week is a tremendous about of alcohol and it will kill you.

Good luck. I know the misery of getting sober and I feel for you. I also know that if you stick with it, life really does get better.
 
Caporegime
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90 units a week equates to what, 4 pints a night, or 2 pints of a strong cider.

I'm pretty sure I know plenty of people who drink at least that much and don't even realise they have a problem! :p
 
Soldato
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90 units a week equates to what, 4 pints a night, or 2 pints of a strong cider.

I'm pretty sure I know plenty of people who drink at least that much and don't even realise they have a problem! :p

I slightly miscalculated, it's more like 130 units a week give or take a few. That's been for several years and it's had a massive effect on me physically. Now I'm 4 stone overweight, blood pressure is 170/100, liver function is very low and I'm starting to forget lots of simple things like people's names etc. when sober.
 
Associate
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On the wagon
It's happening on Monday, strangely excited about it as I'm looking forward to getting my life back on track.

Glad you're feeling positive about it. It can only improve your life if you engage with it and work hard at maintaining some kind of sobriety.

Trust me when I say that if my life today looked anything like the life I had 5 years ago, I would still be drinking but it's not and I don't.
 
Soldato
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It's happening on Monday, strangely excited about it as I'm looking forward to getting my life back on track.

As above, good luck today mate.

I didn't drink anywhere near what you did but made the decision after Christmas to reduce drinking and it's amazing the difference in brain function it makes.

I wouldn't have even said i drank a lot but it was getting to a point where my brain was a mess for a few days after a night out and i'm young enough to know something needed to change!
 
Soldato
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I rarely pop in here but good luck @Cuchulain

I've never been a big drinker at all but I remember watching that Adrian Chiles documentary a while back and thought it was staggering that the amount of units you can put away without really thinking about it at times.....

I've tried speaking to a friend of mine who I have concerns about as he's the sort of guy who has 5 or 6 beers a night to "relax", then drinks 3 or 4 bottles of wine over a weekend, along with social functions etc. I reckon he puts away 80-90 units a week but he still sees this as normal.
 
Soldato
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Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
I've tried speaking to a friend of mine who I have concerns about as he's the sort of guy who has 5 or 6 beers a night to "relax", then drinks 3 or 4 bottles of wine over a weekend, along with social functions etc. I reckon he puts away 80-90 units a week but he still sees this as normal.

Yeah, my parents have recently moved to Spain and whilst they drank fairly regularly over here, it's increased a lot over there with the availability of such cheap wine and they're part of the "old people set" who seem to go out pretty much every night for drinks/live music.

My dad recently had his annual checkup and has a kidney infection and deteriorated liver, and it's not a coincidence. Hopefully this is a kick for him to cut back.
 
Associate
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Reading this thread, alcoholism is a dreadful condition, to those who have it under control or beaten - By god, its an amazing achievement. Living with an alcoholic can question your sanity.

An ex of mine was an alcoholic. Its horrendous and soul destroying watching someone you love/care, slowly destroy themselves. I would walk in the door after work and she was smashed. Yeah, I thought it was me.

In the early days of the relationship; I simply thought she's a bit of a loose cannon. Over time, you have suspicions, then discovering hidden bottles confirms your thoughts...

We rarely rowed (she was not an aggressive drunk) so I was bamboozled. Said family of girlfriend reassured that it was not me; it was ingrained - simply her condition. Please be assured I was not dissolved of responsibility, you try everything, and as demonstrated on this forum, so many posters are reaching out to one another.

It boils down to - unless you reach an epiphany moment, all the guidance/meds in the world; with some addicts it wont change.
 
Soldato
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Derry
Hope you're Still going strong. What other support are you using to stay sober?

Yep, still no drink, 3 weeks dry now, I get the odd craving but it passes very quickly. I'm not getting any other support at the moment as my counsellor signed herself off sick last Monday and apparently I can't get an appointment til she's back and nobody knows when that'll be, it's a good job I can manage it myself, I'm sure others aren't having it so easily.
 
Soldato
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19 Jan 2006
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15,970
Yep, still no drink, 3 weeks dry now, I get the odd craving but it passes very quickly. I'm not getting any other support at the moment as my counsellor signed herself off sick last Monday and apparently I can't get an appointment til she's back and nobody knows when that'll be, it's a good job I can manage it myself, I'm sure others aren't having it so easily.

good stuff - keep it up
 
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