Any Advice for Helping an Alcoholic?

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: BotheLumberJack

I've heard Vitamin C stops the craving for nicotine. It's worth a try.

www.doctoryourself.com...

Thank you -- very good to know! I was actually going to look up Vitamin C, just because it's so amazing for so many things. We actually have some drip bars around the valley too, so we could go high dose IV if it helps. I'd even be happy to pay for a couple trips if it helps...

Wow... my list of things to check out is growing longer and longer... and it's wonderful!

I'm glad to help. I usually use the NOW brand non gmo. It's good stuff.

I linked a scientific journal

Guess ATS fails in denying Ignorance with regards to scientific investigation into psychedelics !

Ok so if you arent allowed to discuss drugs, then why is the thread still open , Alcohol is a drug!

originally posted by: sapien82
Ok so if you arent allowed to discuss drugs, then why is the thread still open , Alcohol is a drug!

It's a legal drug.

a reply to: BotheLumberJack

Aye fair enough , but I cant understand why it was removed when no one was talking about recreational use, but the scientific analysis of the affects on the treatment of alcoholism !
it was completely relevant to the post and the OP

Aye that is the conspiracy though , a drug which stops you being reliant on government and its illegal and you cant discuss it on a conspiracy site !

a reply to: Boadicea

My friend Darren McGarvey speaks a lot about his alcoholism
and how he managed to tackle it , he comes from working class Glasgow background,

you should check him out on Youtube
he has some stuff on alcoholism
its mostly his perspective on his life as an alcoholic
and how he recovered, he does a lot of self examination
if you can get past the scottish accent , he is very intelligent, well spoken
and insightful

a reply to: sapien82
Use of psilocybin is illegal in some US states, and it is barely legal in the UK so I can understand the mods being concerned with discussion of it.
Take the UK, even though mushrooms grow naturally here it is massively controlled in law now, since 2005 possession is illegal, with some police interpreting the law as the moment a mushroom is picked and in your hand it counts as possession.
So technically, from the point of picking to the moment it enters your mouth you would be committing a crime with a class A drug - Up to 7 years in jail and an unlimeted fine, although unlikely that's the situation.

It is a tricky balancing act for mods here, I've had threads removed which were legitimately discussing the damage of some drugs within the rules, but then some idiots had to spoil it by talking about their recreational 'fun' while using them.

As far as psilocybin goes though, in legally controlled research there has been some positive results regarding PTSD, depression, anxiety, and various addiction disorders. In a few years we may see alternatives to the current pharma solutions to these conditions from mushroom based compounds. But until then any discussion about it will always be skating on thin ice as far as ATS is concerned, and I can understand why to an extent.
Hopefully this post will be allowed as an explanation about what is a contoversial subject.

On a general note, I consider alcohol as dangerous and damaging to society as heroin. Ask any cop if they prefer dealing with a group of drunks or a group of pot-heads, and the answer is always the same. Take the OP, a legal drug (ethanol) is ruining a life, yet it is peddled in every corner store, and even 24 hours a day in my parts.
The law truly is inconsistent if it is all about 'protection of society'.

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

Aye I completely understand why they removed it , just think that its insane people cant discuss it , even recreational , its only words end of the day we arent sharing numbers and punting gear to each other or sharing tips in mixing benzo with untouched coc aine or , how to cook up meth !

Its reasonable debate and discussion with a little bit of personal perspective thrown in, I just dont understand it sometimes, we are all adults , not sure why its not tolerated , we arent doing anything illegal!

we havent gotten that far in society yet where its even illegal to discuss such matters in public!
lets hope we never get there!

To me its shocking and very telling of government , give them a relatively harmless toxin in low doses (alcohol) , and let them run wild with it allowing them to forget their woes and taxes and their 9-5 job at the plant , but make all the ones illegal that make you question the status quo or the reality of the matter that governments arent even required in order to lead a normal life !

make the very thing that makes us human illegal, the exploration of your own consciousness !

a reply to: sapien82

Thank you for the link! I'll watch it in a bit...

And for what it's worth, I thought your comment was very much on topic as well, and I thought we were within T&Cs as well. We were speaking clinically, not personally. But that shows how much I know!

For those still with me, I finally spoke to my friend today. We had a long talk, and a good cry together. He just found out that there's a problem with his heart... the left ventricle. He told me he doesn't know how his drinking went from "partying" to alcoholism. He told me he's tried so many times to quit, but he can't get through the withdrawals. He said he didn't even know that alcohol withdrawal was "a thing" until he was in the hospital. And he's allergic to benzos -- he just found out the hard way!

So he is still under a doctor's care, which made me a whole lot happier to hear. I told him that alcohol withdrawals can kill, so not to try to do anything alone. He promised he wouldn't.

We talked about his Native American heritage, and how that affects him personally. We talked about the benefits of CBDs, and I sent him a couple links to check out, and ordered some gummies for him. The CBDs will start healing some of the brain damage the alcohol is causing -- and a whole lot more. It will also hopefully help mitigate withdrawal symptoms when he does stop drinking. I also told him to get some EmerGen-C with Probiotics. He's not able to eat these days, and is subsisting on soup and smoothies. I told him how to make bone broth, and how nutritious it would be for him. He once really enjoyed cooking, so maybe making some bone broth will be a good project for him. He's not eating or sleeping, and said he has no motivation to actually do things -- even things he wants to do. He says his mind wants to... but his body doesn't.

The storms we've been hit with the last week hasn't helped, giving him panic attacks and anxiety. Trying not to minimize his anxiety, I assured him he wasn't the only one... and that was probably a very healthy reaction to these storms!!!

(Just for some context, one storm ripped the carport right off our house -- it was literally hanging on at one corner, and it sheared our fence posts off at the ground. Going to the market this morning, I must have seen a dozen trees toppled, and countless branches on the ground.)

He sees the cardiologist tomorrow, and we're going to have lunch later this week. But I told him he's welcome to come over or call any time. I made him promise he would tell the cardiologist about his drinking -- and be 100% honest -- so that the doc knows exactly what he's dealing with. I guess we'll go from there. That was a wrinkle I didn't see coming.

For now, I'm just happy we've made contact and that he's still seeing medical professionals. When we have lunch, I'll talk to him about a plan.

So far, so good.

a reply to: Boadicea

just keep taking those small steps , everything he does with a positive mind set will help!

its good he has a friend like you to be there for hiM!

keep it going , im sure he will get through anything with friends as compassionate as you!
Wish him aww my best fae Glasgow !

and lang may his lum reek !

a reply to: Boadicea

That’s really positive news OP.. thanks for the update.👍🏼

a reply to: sapien82

Thank you, Sapien -- I will tell him!

I didn't mention this OP to him yet, but I did tell him that he has more friends rooting for him than he'll ever know...

a reply to: Sheye

Thanks, Sheye!

I'm feeling pretty positive about it too. It's a step in the right direction and that's a lot for now.

a reply to: Boadicea

I hope that his recovery is relatively pain free and easy on him , family and friends.
If you keep by his side , he will recover !

if it helps I can have a bash at the circle
welll I shall need to ask some of the celtic deities to help with his healing !

Once i get the hang of the circle and calling the corners , and inviting the deities to commune !
Im sure there are plenty of celtic deities to help your friend !

a reply to: sapien82

That would be really wonderful -- thank you for offering!

He seems very open to healing and finding new answers. And those are the terms I've been speaking in -- healing his body/mind/soul. This might be a really good time for a healing prayer/blessing.

Thank you!!!

Very positive news indeed!

I sincerely applaud your continued efforts as well as your unfaltering acceptance of the realities which lay before both your friend and yourself in helping him.

The World needs more people like you!



ETA - May the good news continue to flow.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Thank you!!!

I'm very hopeful and encouraged that this is the crossroads for him. I was especially encouraged that he didn't even try to make excuses, or minimize his situation. He seems to understand that he is at the breaking point. He just doesn't know how to fix it. No defiance or attitude at all. Just dejection.

But where there's a will, there's a way!

An update -- My friend has been alcohol-free for about four weeks now. His primary doc gave him something for the withdrawal symptoms. He didn't say what and I didn't ask. He's still living with his folks due to the heart issues, and taking care of his disabled mother. He says he's sleeping better with the high CBD gummies, and he's been doing EmergenC with probiotics which is helping his tummy problems. He's also eating better generally.

I keep suggesting AA meetings, but he's not going for it. He says his mom needs him, and she does. But I think there may be more to it and he's just not talking. That's his prerogative of course!

I'm proud of him. He's done this himself. I really had nothing to do with it. Maybe just a shoulder to cry on a couple times... Someone to bounce ideas off. That's about it.

Maybe that's why I'm having trouble writing a follow-up thread about what I've learned... I didn't end up doing much so I'm probably not qualified to speak from any real experience!

I'm still most grateful for the really amazing words of wisdom everyone shared with me -- THANK YOU! -- but I guess I'll have to store it away for future reference, eh?