Any Advice for Helping an Alcoholic?

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

Hi CCG

I went cold turkey, initially under supervision. But through the medical model wasn't successful
Next time around gave AA a try and with a sponsor was able to get off the drink and stay sober.
Entailed a lot of meetings.

Did I mention the 1st & 2nd steps were the hardest - hahaha - admitting we are powerless etc

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I suppose you see yourself as one of those in the first group , who has the empathy to deal with another’s problems and really care about them. You say it was an intervention that caused your friends suicide, yet the following is a post you made regarding suicide.

Oh, I'm not mad. I haven't even gotten to the parts which make me mad yet. I haven't EVEN gotten to those parts yet! I might be sad for his family, but I'm not mad. No, the things which make me mad are the calls in the middle of the night to pump out the flooding in the basement, the calls to come kill the rattlesnakes or to fix the fence, or to go round up the cows who got out. THOSE are the things which make me mad! So why? Why do I scream "Suicide is for SELFISH COWARDS!"? Well, just in case someone else is thinking about doing it, the whole world should know what everyone's opinion of your whole life is after you do it! So that any single person who's even contemplating the act KNOWS that every single good thing they ever did in their life will be instantly vaporized the very second they commit the act. And that the only memory of them going forward will be one of contempt and dishonor! And why is that, you may ask? Because that was their "parting shot". That's why. Perhaps you could call it a deterrent.

Says a lot about your compassion for someone in pain... including his family.

Have a good one FCD

My apologies to the OP for reacting so vehemently to the assumptions and judgements made by a few on this thread.

I wholeheartedly wish the best regarding your son’s friend, and I know with patient loving care, things can turn around eventually.

You’ve had some amazing advice on this thread ... and some very solid ideas of your own.

Once again , sorry for letting my personal feelings muck up your thread.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight
I don't know much about formal steps with changing our thought processes, and stuff like that, but all I needed to do was go through full withdrawal then I didn't need a drink anymore.
No more early onset withdrawal symptoms a couple of hours after a drink, because I'd gone through it.
I just don't drink now for fear of reminding my body and wanting another drink again. Nope, I fear alcohol as I do heroin, neither are on my 'to do' list.

So Boadicea, did he show up for dinner tonight?

a reply to: KansasGirl

No, KS, he didn't... I knew it was a long shot, but I'm still so sad. No time for that though. I moved on. I sent him a long text message. I thought very carefully about what to say and I think it was a good start.

I told him I knew about his hell, and I can help, and I want to help. I told him I was doing my homework and I was armed and dangerous. I told him we can beat this beast. I told him we can make him whole again. I told him it wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth it. I said I couldn't do it for him, but I would do it with him. That he could share my strength and faith as long as he needed it. I said to call me when he's ready, and I would be ready too. And, of course, that we love him.

I have a bunch of stuff I printed out for his parents that I will drop off tomorrow. Maybe I'll see him then. (Probably not if he sees me first!) In a couple days, I'm going to take him some things he can use while still drinking that will help mitigate the damage the alcohol is causing his body... Vitamin C gummies (I figure he's more like to munch a couple of those than take big old horse pills), as well as some EmerGenC with probiotics and I think they have a B-Complex formula also. I'll send him a text message again first, let him know what I'm dropping off and why. I've also found some high CBD gummies to order, which will go a very long way in undoing the damage to his ECR1 receptors, and hopefully make withdrawals much less severe. That will be the next care package I drop off.

I'm basically going into "Mom" mode. I will be persistent... but patient.

a reply to: Sheye

Thank you, Sheye -- no apologies necessary. It's an emotional subject, there are no one-size-fits-all cures. We're all just doing the best we know and can. And I really appreciate it, because there's much wisdom in this thread that's going to benefit my friend greatly in the end. And I'll let him know too one of these days!!!

It may benefit more people than we ever know, given the many lurkers we never hear from... I'm going to write a "Part 2" thread for easy reference -- citing all the great information in this thread, providing links, giving some help and hope to others in the same position. Maybe a few of those fighting their alcohol demons will even read it and understand -- just a little -- how many people really care and that there is hope and it's worth it.

Just maybe, right?

a reply to: Boadicea

Beautifully said OP.

originally posted by: sapien82
POST REMOVED BY STAFF

Thank you! I've seen that mentioned in some of my reading; I know it's popular in Mexico, I thought it was more geared towards opiates though. I'm sure his parents are getting advice from his doctors about appropriate meds. I'm assuming he wouldn't take them once he was out of the hospital.

a reply to: sapien82
Depends where you are though mate, soon be season for them here, but they changed the law so now you can only legally eat them as soon as picked in situ.
I of course would never dream of breaking the law taking a bagfull home and drying them out. Picking wild mushrooms which the law says I can eat immediately is the only option now. How on Earth they enforce that law in the rural countryside I have no idea though lol, the police can't even catch tractor thieves let alone 'shroom foragers.
The cops don't care in these parts though so nothing will change around here.
I've read some interesting articles about low dose 'shrooms, and they seem encouraging.

a reply to: Boadicea

B15 or pangamic acid from i-herb.com and vitamin B6
pangamic acid known by different names was researched by the russians for 20 years they found that It removed the craving for drugs and alcohol the russian version is called calgam and the fda banned it when the russians tied to market it in america.