Do you have an alcohol problem? (father, toxic, addiction, people)
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This was the part that bothered me so much. Most of the rehab industry (I’m not using that term facetiously) push AA as the only solution. Most doctors too. Very few will recommend other paths to sobriety.
I’ll give you another “absolute” we ran into when trying to help my best friend. We called numerous interventionists and none would take our “case” because no family members were involved. It is still mind boggling to me that an interventionist cannot grasp the concept that addicts might only have their friends left OR might have come from such messed up families that only the friends have a chance of making an impact. The latter was the case for our buddy. His small family was all messed up except for one brother who was away in the Navy.
We did it ourselves. Roped him into a soccer match party at our friend’s house. The bulk of us waited outside. One doctor friend had set up the rehab. When my buddy went to the bathroom we got the signal and pounced. He stepped out of the bathroom and we were all there. First words out of his mouth? “I’m going to rehab aren’t I?” He sat quietly listening to our testimonies. I capped it off by flat out telling him that he would never know my children if he didn’t leave right that minute. Ten minutes later after hugs and cigarettes, he was on his way to rehab with our friend.
Had it been his parents or other family, he’d have never accepted that fact so easily. They didn’t matter to him and he didn’t matter to them. The experts wouldn’t bend but we did it anyway and it worked. He just passed 6 years sober, is marrying an amazing woman not from “the rooms” and is a role model for many who need him.
So both of my experiences with addiction “experts” are sour quite frankly.
You threatened a guy into treatment? Well, that's ironic, isn't it?
Especially since you've painted all "experts" with a pretty broad negative brush based on your experience. Why would you expect such a hopeless profession to help anyone?
I don't think I have an alcohol addiction because I don't crave it and I can go for weeks without drinking anything. However, I tend to abuse alcohol... Whenever I drink, I do it to get completely drunk and have blacked out several times. And I'm likely to drink when I'm grieving or very upset about something... Who knows if I really have a problem or not... but I don't think I'll stop drinking any time soon.. I enjoy it too much.
The old alkie saying is that you can only "abuse" alcohol so often and for so long................................. before alcohol begins to "abuse" YOU so often and for so long.
You threatened a guy into treatment? Well, that's ironic, isn't it?
Especially since you've painted all "experts" with a pretty broad negative brush based on your experience. Why would you expect such a hopeless profession to help anyone?
They probably even made him go to AA illegally.
Pretty dumb comparison. I never said that NO ONE fits the bill for interventions. I said that forcing people into rehab over unsubstantiated allegations is illegal (it is).
A tight group of long time friends who are all in agreement that their friend is on the path to death does not compare to a scorned lover who makes up some BS.
I do not think that alcohol or other drug addiction is a disease.
You may have the addiction gene where you are more likely to become an addict than someone who doesn't have it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nov3
Weak gene??? Okay now it's called that ..
Where was I when the society to twist things convened
I hope neither of you were referring to what I said about my genetic variant. I wasn’t talking about the ‘addiction gene’; I was referencing a mutation on SLC6A4, a Serotonin-reuptake transporter gene on chromosome 17. https://www.techtimes.com/articles/8...xperiences.htm
The substance I called a ‘demon’ has been prescribed to me off & on for the last 38 years & it counteracts the effect of the mutation. To be blunt; when I haven’t had it prescribed, I am highly adept at finding it elsewhere & the only time I’ve been off of it for any length of time, since childhood; is during my pregnancies. It is a schedule 2 controlled substance & I am going this alone, without medical supervision.
The reason, is because I always end up being the teacher; medical professionals are very undereducated about this process & I can’t be bothered with spoonfeeding them through this (again). What I am doing is dangerous. To not do it, is dangerous. This isn’t about willpower or self discipline; this is not ‘addiction 101’.
I should be out of the danger zone in about 9 days & should be somewhat functional in about 6 months but I will never recover. I am losing my lifetime partner & my lifetime abuser, my best friend & my greatest enemy. I am grieving.
99.9999% of addiction specialists would disagree with this approach. With alcoholics, it's all or nothing.
I'm the .00001%. I've had a drinking problem my whole life...99.99999% of the time it's kept under control. I don't really drink currently but may have a glass of wine here or there at a wedding or something. If I actually get "drunk" I make sure to avoid booze for a very long time after the one occurrence.
However, if some traumatic or very stressful event occurs I can't go near it because I will start drinking vodka and just not stop. That's my coping mechanism (I have a chemical imbalance), always has been since I was 15.
Now, with the help of my DH and support system, I can avoid alcohol when those "triggers" occur.
I never went to AA nor rehab, I always dried myself out by myself. Wasn't always easy. I always used to "joke" and say, "There are millionaire doctors, lawyers, etc. that can't dry out without help, so why can't I be paid for it??"
When I say "dried out" I mean it was so bad I needed hospitalization, but I was always able to use benzos to ease the withdrawal and avoid the ER. I've had severe withdrawal with the tiny hallucinations (looks like bugs in your peripheral vision), metal mouth, liver and kidney pains, you name it. I'm lucky I survived the DTs I had, if I didn't have xanax I probably would be dead if I didn't go to the hospital.
I'm the .00001%. I've had a drinking problem my whole life...99.99999% of the time it's kept under control. I don't really drink currently but may have a glass of wine here or there at a wedding or something. If I actually get "drunk" I make sure to avoid booze for a very long time after the one occurrence.
However, if some traumatic or very stressful event occurs I can't go near it because I will start drinking vodka and just not stop. That's my coping mechanism (I have a chemical imbalance), always has been since I was 15.
Now, with the help of my DH and support system, I can avoid alcohol when those "triggers" occur.
I never went to AA nor rehab, I always dried myself out by myself. Wasn't always easy. I always used to "joke" and say, "There are millionaire doctors, lawyers, etc. that can't dry out without help, so why can't I be paid for it??"
When I say "dried out" I mean it was so bad I needed hospitalization, but I was always able to use benzos to ease the withdrawal and avoid the ER. I've had severe withdrawal with the tiny hallucinations (looks like bugs in your peripheral vision), metal mouth, liver and kidney pains, you name it. I'm lucky I survived the DTs I had, if I didn't have xanax I probably would be dead if I didn't go to the hospital.
Alcohol can be the worst poison known to man.
That's very dangerous. I would not recommend anybody detox on their own. Alcohol is the worst drug to detox off of.
That's very dangerous. I would not recommend anybody detox on their own. Alcohol is the worst drug to detox off of.
Agreed. I'm lucky to be alive, honestly. Like I said, I always had benzos and I do know a thing or two about medicine, chemistry, etc. I know the medical protocol to dry someone out and just did it myself. I'm lucky.
But yes, you are right, absolutely I would never recommend doing what I did.
Agreed. I'm lucky to be alive, honestly. Like I said, I always had benzos and I do know a thing or two about medicine, chemistry, etc. I know the medical protocol to dry someone out and just did it myself. I'm lucky.
But yes, you are right, absolutely I would never recommend doing what I did.
Full blown DTs can and will kill you.
Yes. And I'm glad that you know this. Others should too. Alcohol withdrawal is the very worst. It's the only drug with which you could die from trying to withdrawal off of. Even heroin doesn't come close.
Yes. And I'm glad that you know this. Others should too. Alcohol withdrawal is the very worst. It's the only drug with which you could die from trying to withdrawal off of. Even heroin doesn't come close.
Yep. Just thinking about all of that, wow. It's not like it's some pleasant memory. I literally held myself up in my bedroom for 5 days. By about day 5-6 I was alright. By day 3 I was feeling a little better.
Benzo withdrawal isn't as dangerous but it's just as bad, I've been through that, too. It doesn't get better one day at a time like with alcohol. It gets bad and stays bad and gets WORSE before it gets better.
I guess in short you could say I know a lot about addiction firsthand.
Why is there a need to continue to go to meetings for life?
My understanding from clients who've participated is that the community itself becomes an integral part of their lives.
Connection to others is, generally speaking, one of the most measurably therapeutic forces there is. It's why mental health therapy of all kinds tends to be most effective when strong relationship is established, and why the particular theory or modality of treatment ends up not mattering nearly as much as the therapeutic relationship. Simply put, good relationships help people heal. And people who, via the crisis of addiction, alienation from loved ones due to the same, etc., may not have solid and empathetic relationships with people who really understand their struggles. For those who find it, along with an atmosphere of accountability, in their 12-step program, it can be the difference between life and death. So those bonds matter to them.
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