alcoholism advice please!!

10 Dec 2006

A friend of ours has just come out of hospital with having liver failure. he started drinking about ten years ago after his marriage broke up. The hospital staff have now told him that if he doesn't stop drinking then he only has about six months to live.
Our local rehab place is closing down & he is desperate for help. His GP has told him he will have to go private which he can't afford :cry:
i really want to help him especially now he acknowledges he needs help.
so any advice please bring it on ....
he doesn't need being judged, just some advice please.
to the special lady who has pmed me thank you kiss

10 Dec 2006

I found this site :

As you said, your friend has acknowledged he has a problem. The first step to being able to doing something about it.
Hope your friend gets the help they need.

10 Dec 2006

Quote by Dlep
I found this site :
Recover
As you said, your friend has acknowledged he has a problem. The first step to being able to doing something about it.
Hope your friend gets the help they need.

10 Dec 2006

thank you to another special lady for your help in a pm.
Your help, advice & support is very touching kiss

arh all these :kiss: wink

10 Dec 2006

Can you not get in touch with a local branch of AA ?
There must be an avenue to go down apart from having to pay to go private...
Sounds like the GP isnt being very helpfull either ........ A bit like my GP isnt too helpfull with me and my smoking habbit..

10 Dec 2006

Once the site is more stable I will send you a PM hun kiss

11 Dec 2006

ACAD or AA, advice and support......
xanaisx

11 Dec 2006

:shock: before the site goes off yet again, I would just like to say how touched I am for all the pms around our friend. As there was so many it would take me all day to respond individually so:
thank you so much
you are all wonderful peeps kiss

11 Dec 2006

two words TOUGH LOVE is all that works

11 Dec 2006

Quote by freimation
two words TOUGH LOVE is all that works

Aaahhh if only it were that simple sad

11 Dec 2006

Quote by Shireen
two words TOUGH LOVE is all that works

Aaahhh if only it were that simple sad

some one once told me that when you realise that life is hard- then it can only get easier. Always sticks with me smile

11 Dec 2006

Quote by hisandhers
two words TOUGH LOVE is all that works

Aaahhh if only it were that simple sad

some one once told me that when you realise that life is hard- then it can only get easier. Always sticks with me smile

or, when you hit rock bottom, the only way out is up! :thumbup:

11 Dec 2006

Quote by Darkfire
two words TOUGH LOVE is all that works

Aaahhh if only it were that simple sad

some one once told me that when you realise that life is hard- then it can only get easier. Always sticks with me smile

or, when you hit rock bottom, the only way out is up! :thumbup:
this is very true kiss

11 Dec 2006

if life was easy it wouldnt be worth living cool

11 Dec 2006

Quote by sercher01
if life was easy it wouldnt be worth living

True but it would make a change sad

Back to the original question.... Alcoholism is a bastard to live with... Not only for the person drinking but their family...
If they have admitted they have a problem then that is half the battle, but..... They have to genuinely WANT to stop drinking... There should be a local AA and they should be able to give excellent advice on where to get help, and if there isn't one local then try ringing the national helpline....
It is essential for the family to also get support. This disease is soul destroying for everyone involved and just having someone to talk to who understands is a lifeline...
The only other bit of advice I can offer is to make sure he knows the trigger's and tries to avoid them. Have someone to call when temptation calls (just someone to listen and not give advice is the best) and to drink plenty of water.... If he makes sure he is drinking plenty of water it will not only take away the thirst but will make him feel bloated, and thus reduce the need for a drink (it works wink

)
The last bit of advice is to tell him that no matter what you will always support him... Self esteem is important and by letting him know that someone cares will make a huge difference smile

Obviously all the advice in the world will be in vain if they dont want to give up. Best of luck hun kiss

11 Dec 2006

Quote by Shireen
if life was easy it wouldnt be worth living

True but it would make a change sad

Back to the original question.... Alcoholism is a bastard to live with... Not only for the person drinking but their family...
If they have admitted they have a problem then that is half the battle, but..... They have to genuinely WANT to stop drinking... There should be a local AA and they should be able to give excellent advice on where to get help, and if there isn't one local then try ringing the national helpline....
It is essential for the family to also get support. This disease is soul destroying for everyone involved and just having someone to talk to who understands is a lifeline...
The only other bit of advice I can offer is to make sure he knows the trigger's and tries to avoid them. Have someone to call when temptation calls (just someone to listen and not give advice is the best) and to drink plenty of water.... If he makes sure he is drinking plenty of water it will not only take away the thirst but will make him feel bloated, and thus reduce the need for a drink (it works wink

)
The last bit of advice is to tell him that no matter what you will always support him... Self esteem is important and by letting him know that someone cares will make a huge difference smile

Obviously all the advice in the world will be in vain if they dont want to give up. Best of luck hun kiss

working with clients who suffer from depression, anxiety, low self-esteem & all other issues that can crop up in every day life- I do hope I support my friends as well as I can hun :kiss: your a star shireen

11 Dec 2006

No worries hisandhers kiss

I lived with an alcoholic who no matter what he wouldn't give up.... We went through hell with him and it broke our marriage up... Not even a stint in jail helped him sad

Within 3 hours of being released he was completely pissed.... rolleyes

I am sure that you do a bluddy brilliant job hisandhers :kiss:

12 Dec 2006

Quote by Shireen
No worries hisandhers
I lived with an alcoholic who no matter what he wouldn't give up.... We went through hell with him and it broke our marriage up... Not even a stint in jail helped him Within 3 hours of being released he was completely pissed....
I am sure that you do a bluddy brilliant job hisandhers :kiss:

I know its hard hun for the family of alcoholics, we are still outsiders so not that involved really, even though he's our friend. He lives on his own, his only other friends are alcoholics. Just feel like I'm going round in circles. We get him help- his friends get him drinking again :cry:
Not gonna stop trying but know there is only one person that can do this & that is himself

12 Dec 2006

Quote by hisandhers
Not gonna stop trying but know there is only one person that can do this & that is himself

:thumbup: Aint that the truth hun kiss

12 Dec 2006

Quote by hisandhers
No worries hisandhers
I lived with an alcoholic who no matter what he wouldn't give up.... We went through hell with him and it broke our marriage up... Not even a stint in jail helped him Within 3 hours of being released he was completely pissed....
I am sure that you do a bluddy brilliant job hisandhers :kiss:

I know its hard hun for the family of alcoholics, we are still outsiders so not that involved really, even though he's our friend. He lives on his own, his only other friends are alcoholics. Just feel like I'm going round in circles. We get him help- his friends get him drinking again :cry: Not gonna stop trying but know there is only one person that can do this & that is himself
"Friends" wouldnt encourage him to drink!
If he joins AA he will find himself a whole lot of new friends & they will give him help, advice & support biggrin

12 Dec 2006

Whilst never having experienced this myself, so perhaps im not that qualified to reply, but here goes,
I do believe there is a specific medication that can be used to support detoxification and staying alcohol free afterwards, now obviously its not a magic pill that stops the person from drinking, what it does do is block any effect or pleasure gained from drinking. It is designed to be used in conjunction with counselling and other treatments that a GP can offer.
Im not sure if the forum rules allow discussion of medication by name, so theres a pm on the way.
Regards and our very best wishes for his recovery.
Staffys xxxxxxx

2 Feb 2007

Just to update you that our friend passed away this afternoon :cry:
there are no words I can express to tell you how we are feeling.
RIP kiss

2 Feb 2007

:sad:
honey, you tried. :therethere:

2 Feb 2007

Like I said hun.... Dont go blaming yourself :therethere: kiss

2 Feb 2007

Darkfire, shireen & Laird kiss

for the pms :kiss:

2 Feb 2007

My dad was a alcholic untill you know someone whos been there u can never really understand what its like, most people think cause you go out and have a drink with your m8s every weekend you have a drink problem, but i remeber as a child having no electric or food in the house and going hungry for days cause my dad spend every last penny in the pub, being taken off my parents and even then he'd still be sat in the boozer every day, theres not much help out there for such people they are seen as a drain on the system and cause its classed as self abuse no one really wants to help you.
Sorry to hear about your friend tho smile

2 Feb 2007

So sorry for your loss
At least he was aware actually someone cared for him as he passed on
So many unfortunate souls who turn to alcoholism have given up on interacting with another human being.
You have given him what so many people in this world crave... Love.

2 Feb 2007

Quote by redpantherman
So sorry for your loss
At least he was aware actually someone cared for him as he passed on
So many unfortunate souls who turn to alcoholism have given up on interacting with another human being.
You have given him what so many people in this world crave... Love.

2 Feb 2007

Mikenorth & fabio thank you for your kind messages kiss

wow look how supportive this community is surprised

2 Feb 2007

There is a prescription medicne that will make you physically sick should you consume alcohol.
A family friend of mine died last year having begun a recovery from alcoholism.
He has been 'dry' for 2 months and had a massive heart attack whilst in the van with his workmate at the wheel.
no one knew he had died until the driver pulled up at his house and he never woke up to get out.
his wife came out to see what was going on and was greeted with her husband falling out the passengers door onto the road.
A truely horrible situation to be part of.
It was alcohol that took his life........ I now unerstand what alcoholism is about about and i will never call anyone a pisshead again.
Any help your friend can get is well worth it. My family friend was fortunate enough to have enough money to go private and visit a hospital that he paid £500 to have an implant that would make him sick if he consumed over a certain amount of alcohol.
I only recently got to know the 'real him' and now he has gone :cry: