My father has been drinking for over 2 weeks. All he does is drink and sleep on the couch. He says he can't stop drinking cause he's afraid of having a seizure. He walks to the store about once or twice a day to get more booze, mainly vodka. I've taken him to detox a few times but after a few weeks he'd go over somebody's house and drink and it'd start again. Anybody have any suggestions on what to do? Should I call the police when he walks to the store and they could take him for 24 hours?
i apologize too..very sad situation and you must be in a lot of pain to have posted this here..call that show intervention on A&E..as far as the police go i doubt they would do anything unless he is walking drunk and even then i don't think they would keep him 24 hours,probably just enough for him to sober up and then he is just going to do it again,so why put him and the police through the trouble..
sorry...i guess you probably feel like the parent now having to worry about him all the time
Do not call the police. Locking him up would result in the DT's which are life threatening. It he is worried about the DT's then chances are he is a bad alcoholic and being locked up would possibly kill him.
The drug they give people detoxing from alcohol that competely prevents DT's as well as most physical discomfort is Valium aka diazepam. He needs to go see a doctor, and tell the doc that he wants off the booze and wants Valium to kill the withdrawals.
Do not put him on Xanax as it is short acting because of the short half-life it has. This drug will take him on a roller coaster of feeling fine then going out of his mind before its time for his next dose. Valium is appropriate and what doctors use because it has a very long half life and stays in your system so it is smooth coming down from it. It will get you through to the next dose. If he is on the correct dose of course.
Also, he may need an anti-depressant because people tend to get depressed after drinking for years. Also he needs his hormones checked.
I was on my way to becoming a pharmacist before deciding it was the most torturous job on the face of the earth.
The drug they give people detoxing from alcohol that competely prevents DT's as well as most physical discomfort is Valium aka diazepam. He needs to go see a doctor, and tell the doc that he wants off the booze and wants Valium to kill the withdrawals.
Do not put him on Xanax as it is short acting because of the short half-life it has. This drug will take him on a roller coaster of feeling fine then going out of his mind before its time for his next dose. Valium is appropriate and what doctors use because it has a very long half life and stays in your system so it is smooth coming down from it. It will get you through to the next dose. If he is on the correct dose of course.
Also, he may need an anti-depressant because people tend to get depressed after drinking for years. Also he needs his hormones checked.
I was on my way to becoming a pharmacist before deciding it was the most torturous job on the face of the earth.
romer
Sammy439 is correct, in no way allow him to detox in jail or even in the house alone or with you. He needs treatment, sounds like he has been to detox before but it has not worked. He needs the following.
1. seven day detox where he is wheened slowly off his alcohol addiction with a drug like valium, He is give the largest dose first and slowly in the course of a week weened down to nothing. Detox is not fun, especially the last 3 days or so when your meds are really being cut but it does work.
2. Once detoxed he needs to enter a good 30 day sobriety program that is the first step an alcaholic needs to take in order to learn how to live without alcohol. He will be introduced to AA and the 12 steps of recovery during the 30 day program.
3. When he is finished with the 30 day program he will be able to come home and it is going to be up to you to get him to at least one AA meeting a day. This job you will have to keep until he can be trusted to go on his own or even better finds a longtime sober AA sponser who is willing to take over. The first year it is imperative that he get to a meeting everyday. If he is serious about getting sober and staying that way he will have to go through this.
4. After a year nothing changes, he will still have to go to meetings and do what his sponsor tells him to do and hopefully work the 12 steps of recovery which can take years to complete.
5. There is no cure for alcohlism but you can learn to live without it, not easy at all but doable I know as I have not had a drink since April 22nd 1990. When I was worse than your father but with a lot of help managed to go thru the detox, 30 day program, thousands of meetings (still go but not nearly as often) and worked the 12 Steps into my life. A day at a time I am sober over 18 years.
6. Check out this website and call the number in your area.
http://www.aa.org/?Media=PlayFlash
7. Talk to Silver7 also, I am sure he can help.
Best of luck, wilheim
Sammy439 is correct, in no way allow him to detox in jail or even in the house alone or with you. He needs treatment, sounds like he has been to detox before but it has not worked. He needs the following.
1. seven day detox where he is wheened slowly off his alcohol addiction with a drug like valium, He is give the largest dose first and slowly in the course of a week weened down to nothing. Detox is not fun, especially the last 3 days or so when your meds are really being cut but it does work.
2. Once detoxed he needs to enter a good 30 day sobriety program that is the first step an alcaholic needs to take in order to learn how to live without alcohol. He will be introduced to AA and the 12 steps of recovery during the 30 day program.
3. When he is finished with the 30 day program he will be able to come home and it is going to be up to you to get him to at least one AA meeting a day. This job you will have to keep until he can be trusted to go on his own or even better finds a longtime sober AA sponser who is willing to take over. The first year it is imperative that he get to a meeting everyday. If he is serious about getting sober and staying that way he will have to go through this.
4. After a year nothing changes, he will still have to go to meetings and do what his sponsor tells him to do and hopefully work the 12 steps of recovery which can take years to complete.
5. There is no cure for alcohlism but you can learn to live without it, not easy at all but doable I know as I have not had a drink since April 22nd 1990. When I was worse than your father but with a lot of help managed to go thru the detox, 30 day program, thousands of meetings (still go but not nearly as often) and worked the 12 Steps into my life. A day at a time I am sober over 18 years.
6. Check out this website and call the number in your area.
http://www.aa.org/?Media=PlayFlash
7. Talk to Silver7 also, I am sure he can help.
Best of luck, wilheim
Romer
Cold turkey qutting is possible but not recommended for individuals actually addicted to alcohol, that can be very dangerous and is most difficult even if the person is just a moderate drinker for psychological reasons.
If your Dad is drinking heavily everyday say a quart of vodka or more a day chances of him quitting cold turnkey are not good at all and definitely not recommended.
Seizures and DTs (delerium tremors) are a distinct possibility for an alcoholic who tries to quit cold turkey. Both are dangerous to ones health and can be fatal (especially seizures).
Alcoholism is considered a progressive disease, meaning that the symptoms and effects of drinking alcohol become increasingly more severe over time.
Those who use alcohol may begin to show early signs of a problem, then progress to showing symptoms of alcohol abuse; if drinking continues, they may later show symptoms of alcoholism or alcohol dependence.
Once a person is dependent on alcohol quitting cold turkey is pretty much out of the question and can be very dangerous for the person attempting to quit.
Symptoms of Alcoholism
wil.
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Cold turkey qutting is possible but not recommended for individuals actually addicted to alcohol, that can be very dangerous and is most difficult even if the person is just a moderate drinker for psychological reasons.
If your Dad is drinking heavily everyday say a quart of vodka or more a day chances of him quitting cold turnkey are not good at all and definitely not recommended.
Seizures and DTs (delerium tremors) are a distinct possibility for an alcoholic who tries to quit cold turkey. Both are dangerous to ones health and can be fatal (especially seizures).
Alcoholism is considered a progressive disease, meaning that the symptoms and effects of drinking alcohol become increasingly more severe over time.
Those who use alcohol may begin to show early signs of a problem, then progress to showing symptoms of alcohol abuse; if drinking continues, they may later show symptoms of alcoholism or alcohol dependence.
Once a person is dependent on alcohol quitting cold turkey is pretty much out of the question and can be very dangerous for the person attempting to quit.
Symptoms of Alcoholism
wil.
<SCRIPT type=text/javascript>h1 = document.getElementById("title").getElementsByTagName("h1")[0];h1.innerHTML = widont(h1.innerHTML);</SCRIPT>
Andre the Giant used to warm up with a case of beer and usually drink a couple handles of jack or 8-10 bottles of wine...
drank 100 beers in one sitting...sick dog...hes dead now...I wonder why...
Everyone goes through something like this...im sorry you are now...my advice is same as wil's...needs to ween off of the sauce...you cant just put the bottle or pill or needle down if you do it everyday. If he's drinking a bottle a day slowly ween off it...
I dont know if suboxen works for alcohol but it is wonderful for opiate addiction...maybe look into that
drank 100 beers in one sitting...sick dog...hes dead now...I wonder why...
Everyone goes through something like this...im sorry you are now...my advice is same as wil's...needs to ween off of the sauce...you cant just put the bottle or pill or needle down if you do it everyday. If he's drinking a bottle a day slowly ween off it...
I dont know if suboxen works for alcohol but it is wonderful for opiate addiction...maybe look into that
As Usual Wil Was On The $$
This is a private matter and since it involves a 3rd person I'd rather do it in private. But will tell you that all Wil said is just about everything that can be said. There are some things that may differ, since it's not quite the same for all. Except one thing that's for sure, the party (your Dad) has to WANT to quit. Or else nothing will work. As for Cage's portrayal, it was very chilling. Grim, but worthy of his Best Actor award. Some "poetic license" but overall accurate. BOL NO police, med. help is needed at his stage! That's the 1st step so to speak. At some point you're going to have to seek help also, i,e, Alanon.
This is a private matter and since it involves a 3rd person I'd rather do it in private. But will tell you that all Wil said is just about everything that can be said. There are some things that may differ, since it's not quite the same for all. Except one thing that's for sure, the party (your Dad) has to WANT to quit. Or else nothing will work. As for Cage's portrayal, it was very chilling. Grim, but worthy of his Best Actor award. Some "poetic license" but overall accurate. BOL NO police, med. help is needed at his stage! That's the 1st step so to speak. At some point you're going to have to seek help also, i,e, Alanon.
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I don't want to hijack the thread either. It's a very tough way to go through life. But does it seem that vodka (good labels) leads the list of bevevage favorites for alcoholics? (I know for me it was/is) And when I want to wean off the bottle, I'll switch to a cheap bourbon that I don't particularily care for with. This seems to quiet my urges for up to a week; when I've been on a 3 or 4 dayer. So maybe an idea. On my 3rd day dry and it feels good. I don't like the meetings, simply because of too many young kids that are there to get papers signed for a court. Plus, I think the bottom line is I--ME--MYSELF are the ONLY ones that stop this pain. I have started to think of it as "pain".
BOL
BOL
sounds stupid but this show works miracles...
http://www.aetv.com/intervention/participate/index.jsp
http://www.aetv.com/intervention/participate/index.jsp
