A female friend who had been sober for 5 months relapsed last week. She tells me she needs to taper off before she can quit again. So because she drank 20 beers one day she needs to cut back slowly. I am trying to be supportive but this sounds stupid to me.
2006-08-16 07:08:21 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Other - Health
There is some truth to the story but not in her case. People that drink large amounts of alcohol stop cold turkey can go through delirium tremens DTs. People can look sort of psychotic and have Rapid pulse rate, elevated blood pressure, and temperature elevation. If this proceeds it can lead to death.
People in this scenario can taper their alcohol or be given a few different type of drugs. Drinking one day does not give you DTs
2006-08-16 07:20:25 · answer #1 · answered by researchtissue 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
20 beers in one day - this girl is in trouble. You got to start all over again to be considered sober. She seriously needs. Everytime she goes back to alcohol, it's as if she never stopped drinking. If she were sober for 1 year and went back to drinking, if she were sober 10 years -- the minute she picks up again it's as if all the sober time was wasted. Her poor kidneys!!
2006-08-23 01:02:40 · answer #2 · answered by reme_1 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As they say....."Once and alcoholic, always an alcoholic". Sorry to hear she relapsed and her saying she needs to "Taper" off is just an excuse to keep on drinking. Go with her to an AA meeting and try and get her some help.
2006-08-23 04:22:34 · answer #3 · answered by GUITARZAN30 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its an excuse. No she doesnt need to "taper off" to quit, its something she can say to justify drinking rather than quitting cold turkey again.
2006-08-16 14:14:25 · answer #4 · answered by mand 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I used to work in detox and that isn't really true. It is possible for her to stop completely and work on her recovery program again, however, if she was a very heavy drinker in the past and has severe withdrawal symptoms that required hospitalization (high blood pressure, siezure) then she should seek medical help for withdrawal. I am not a doctor, though.
2006-08-16 14:15:24 · answer #5 · answered by ascolli_99 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your friend is a drunk and you are correct to think it is stupid! She is obviously looking for any excuse to drink again.
I don't know what her life is like, but it might take something horrible happening to her or someone she loves to slap her back in to reality.
I hope that never happens, good luck!
2006-08-23 01:25:43 · answer #6 · answered by bigggmatt 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
she can drink 1 or 2, but 20 thats crazy
2006-08-23 00:31:06 · answer #7 · answered by james w 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No she doesn't. Sounds like she's thinking of excuses to drink. She's not ready to stop.
Encourage, but don't nag. Tell her you don't want to be around her drinking, but you'll be there for her when she decides to quit.
Here are some practical tips: http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/DrinkTooMuch.html
(PS - BTW, I wouldn't push AA. from the Orange-Papers:
"There is also experimental evidence that the A.A. doctrine of powerlessness leads to binge drinking. In a sophisticated controlled study of A.A.'s effectiveness (Brandsma et. al.), court-mandated offenders who had been sent to Alcoholics Anonymous for several months were engaging in FIVE TIMES as much binge drinking as another group of alcoholics who got no treatment at all, and the A.A. group was doing NINE TIMES as much binge drinking as another group of alcoholics who got rational behavior therapy.")
2006-08-16 14:37:41 · answer #8 · answered by raysny 7 · 6⤊ 1⤋
i stop drinking 20 years next month she is playing a game so she can drink again and say the same thing again mark my word if she's means it she will stop now
2006-08-22 18:29:45 · answer #9 · answered by duckky44 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its just an excuse to drink. Call her on it. Tough love hun thats the only way in your situation.
2006-08-21 19:50:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋