My first step was going to EDP Drug and Alcohol Services and meeting up with one of the nurses and my key worker:
The nurse said that I had to initially detox off the drink else if I didn’t there was a possibility of a seizure or fit. The nurse setup a plan with me to detox off alcohol. This took seven days and after the seven days my key worker set a plan up for me over the next three months, but we met monthly to discuss my progress.
Whilst I was detoxing the nurse and key worker stayed engaged with me daily to see how I was getting on.
So the detox and what happened to me physically and mentally:
The first day without alcohol
Sweats initially, vomiting and then turning into shakes in day one.
Insomnia – problems with falling or staying asleep.
No food as body rejects anything I try to eat or drink.
Physically white as a ghost and body aching.
Day Two
Sweats, shakes, horrible thoughts turning into suicidal thoughts. Anxiety and negativity.
Insomnia – problems with falling or staying asleep.
No food as body rejects anything I try to eat or drink.
Physically white as a ghost and body aching.
Day Two/Three
Delirium tremens: Severe form of alcohol withdrawal symptoms characterised by extreme confusion, hallucinations, agitation, and fast heart rate – Cardiovascular collapse.
Anxiety
Insomnia – problems with falling or staying asleep
A severe form is of delirium tremens, characterised by extreme confusion, fever, tactile, visual and auditory hallucinations.
No food as body rejects anything I try to eat or drink.
Physically white as a ghost and body aching. Bottom of the back really suffering (kidneys)
Day Three/Seven
Delirium tremens: Severe form of alcohol withdrawal symptoms characterised by extreme confusion, hallucinations, agitation, and fast heart rate – Cardiovascular collapse.
Anxiety
Insomnia – problems with falling or staying asleep
A severe form is delirium tremens, characterised by extreme confusion, fever, tactile, visual and auditory hallucinations.
Physically drained.
Needing to be close to the toilet as my body begins recovery and remove all the rubbish that I’d taken in during my dependency to alcohol. I can now eat again but this has consequences with my body still flushing through.
Day Eight
Finally some normality. I question myself was it worth it? Even after a relapse for two days this is my recovery process. For two days drinking and then eight days recovering – no it is not worth it. A third of the month gone because of this terrible addiction.
Friends can notice this immediately as I’m not sweating physically, not anxious any more, just noticeably different – better.
