Alcohol self help thread II

micheleen

Hi village,

Initial thoughts from me are that while she's drinking the antidepressants simply wont work. Alcohol is a depressant (apart from the feelgood factor when you're drunk) so she's simply negating any effect the pills could have.
Whatever other meds she's on could also react with the alcohol.

When you say she gets 'flustered' do you mean she just can't cope with situations without having had a drink ?
If so she's probably getting panic attacks (familiar to many of us) and she's using alcohol as self-medication to avoid them. The next step is avoiding the situations altogether and she really doesn't want to go there, it's not nice at all.

I know this is easy to say (and horrible to hear), but unless you can get her to accept help and act, there's nothing much else you can do. Short of locking her up for the weekend that is

beer2006

Wow Village, thats a horrible situ, I've read it through a few times now.
I'd like to say, that these views are only my own and may not be correct for your personal situation.

"and its got to the point that when she goes out (shopping or on holiday) as my dad describes she gets "flustered" and cant cope with it- i am guessing thats some sort of alcohol withdrawal? or craving for a drink!?"

Sounds like social phobia, or some other sort of thing like that, could be why she takes the pills.

If she doesn't drink during the week, or 4 nights that would be, thats good trust me.
The not going in to work at the begining of the week isn't good Thats very bad.

There is no magic answer I'm afraid, I wish there was and I'd send some over tonight.

I think your dad has to stand up and say, no more. I can't have this anymore. Partners of alcoholics have to allow this behavier to carry on and alcoholics will take advantage of every little thing they/we can. Your Mum is taking advantage of nobody bringing it up when she is sober. She's in a happy warm place atm, exactly as she wants to be.

I'll see what others say.

kazmac_3

Hi village and well done you for having the guts to post...welcome!

First of all I am by no means an expert. What I do know is, that your mum sounds VERY much like the woman I have been over the past two or three years. My children are 17 and almost 16, and I now realise that I was almost 'taking their lives' with me while I was drinking heavily.

I too, have a 'respected job' and had on occasion, binged so much that the thought of getting up for work on a monday morning made me (along with the alcohol) physically sick. I cannot obviously tell you what will happen with your mum etc, but I was actually diagnosed with clinical depression in 2004 (Dec) and was also on anti-depressants. I didn't really take anynotice at first as by that stage, the booze was a way of 'escaping'. It sounds a little lame as Im reading this, but, I do realise now that it was a case of the chicken and the egg...which came first? Alcohol problem or depression?

I was initially on Citalopram, then seroxat, then worst of all, Venlafxine which induced suicidal tendencies with me..(obviously not in everyones case)...there is active research into this drug.

I used to use the alcohol as a confidence booster, I was the life and soul, my friends thought I was great (heaven only knows what everyone else thought). I'd finish work and think; right! Thats me done...my turn now...and so it began....

I will say this for the first time on here....I knew I had to do something when I was so low, my parents (who are quite well known in our area), had to watch me being dragged out of a river at 2am as I had decided to end it all.
From your name, Id hazard a guess that you come from a small town, so do I which made it an awful lot harder for me, and of course my immediate family. Small town people can have small minds, as they see you continuously and can make things unbearable.

I had 14 months off work, and re-prioritised my life. Things have not been easy by any means, but I know now within myself that my children deserve better....and so do I.

I have shed a few tears reading your post, but, thats something I wasnt capable of doing while sober 2 years ago either. I just wanted to let you know that you are not on your own xxxxGood luck :grouphug:

micheleen

Seroxat was the worst one I was ever on Lithium worked best for me but I was taken off it due to renal complications

kazmac_3

awwww beer!!!!How can u NOT like ovaltine...its a huggie drink..please dont ask me what that means....daughter talk from when she was about 3!!
OOooo I hope I CAN make it 13 tom mich, will be a milestone on fri! I think Village is gone, hope she/he comes bak tomorrow ..hope shirl ok too

beer2006

Kaz............good post, if there was a thanks button, I would have pressed it 20 times by now.

We've all got big problems in one area or another, its good to hear yours, even though they brought a lump to my throat when I got to the river thing. Had the same thoughts myself, still do sometimes, although they are getting less now.

xxxx

kazmac_3

micheleen wrote:

Seroxat was the worst one I was ever on Lithium worked best for me but I was taken off it due to renal complications

Seroxat (Paroxetine) terrible for renal complications .....venlafaxine is my arch enemy!!!

micheleen

The old Ovalities advert was enough to put anyone off it for life

beer2006

kazmac wrote:

awwww beer!!!!How can u NOT like ovaltine...its a huggie drink..please dont ask me what that means....daughter talk from when she was about 3!!
OOooo I hope I CAN make it 13 tom mich, will be a milestone on fri! I think Village is gone, hope she/he comes bak tomorrow ..hope shirl ok too

NO no no no no, Ugh drink for kids, even then I didn't like it, maybe I can blame all of my problems on oveltine? Stress got from being forced to drink it when young.......caused massive social inhibitions.........and drinking. Maybe I could sue :rolleyes:

micheleen

kazmac wrote:

Seroxat (Paroxetine) terrible for renal complications .....venlafaxine is my arch enemy!!!

Seroxat was suicide in pill form for me Boosted sales of Leonard Cohen albums though