Alcoholism
A little while ago, I just found a quiet area in the airport to video call my aunt/godmother. Her son is in the hospital again from severe alcohol poisoning. He's been in and out of rehab awhile now, and everytime he's out he ends up being found passed out every few days until the alcohol poisoning or related issues are bad enough to require hospitalization to prevent his death. Then he's back in rehab. I try to send him supportive messages and talk to him and be supportive and sometimes it's been helpful and sometimes it just makes him angry-which I get. I've struggled too. It's also hard because he lives 800 miles away. :/
Right now he's intubated, and they are watching his liver slowly fail, providing hemodialysis to try to control what they can, and trying to prevent the brain swelling from killing him, etc. They are pretty sure he's suffered some more brain damage again and we don't know what the effects of that will be yet. Or if he'll live for it to matter. He's got numerous injuries that indicate self harm or a fall, probably not a fight of some sort this time, thankfully. But still very dangerous when alcohol poisoning is involved.
I used to abuse alcohol when I was a teenager, my cousin did too. It's how we tried to cope. We both had friends who encouraged drinking and gladly provided lots of alcohol. I managed to successfully sober up after many failures when I was in my twenties and I've always wanted to see that for him too. I wanted to see him happy and successful and be the dad he always wanted to be that he never had in life. He's fought for everything in his life, and I always wanted him to be able to enjoy the fruits of that labour one day and be ok with the person he is. Because he's always been pretty amazing.
He's always struggled with depression, some paranoia and aggression, and anxiety. But he's also very sensitive and sweet and would do anything to help a friend. He also has three children and two ex-wives that are both still in love with him and just want him to stay in rehab and be able to have a relationship with his kids. It's been really hard to see him slowly kill himself this way over the past 20 years, and it's gotten really bad over the past 5 years. Wish I knew what I could do more of to help.
It's a tragedy unfolding in front of me that I don't know how to prevent. Each time he's dying in the hospital, or I find out he's out of rehab and the weekend comes and I know he's going to be found passed out, bleeding, with vomit everywhere....I worry this is going to be the final time, and he dies.
If you know someone who is a heavy drinker and abuses alcohol, don't let them drink too much. And if it's too late, take care of them and watch them carefully to prevent any acute alcohol poisoning issues. The best thing is to try to prevent addiction before it happens. I used to get on my friends' cases when they would drink way too much each week. I never wanted them to have to go through what I did.
If you know someone who is addicted to alcohol be supportive in them trying to sober up.
It's a really difficult journey once you are addicted.
Because drinking is all you can think about sometimes. My cousin is in the hospital with alcohol poisoning and all my brain and body tell me is to get drunk to feel better. I won't though. I know better then to give in, and know that feeling will pass.
If you are struggling with alcohol addiction don't be afraid to get support and help. I've seen alcohol destroy many people's lives. The ones who survive it and sober up are always still picking up the pieces or still working on moving on from all the harm it did and staying sober. But they also live....and have the opportunity to make a new start or work on creating a better life for themselves.
Good luck out there! Watch out for each other! Take care! Xxxx
Right now he's intubated, and they are watching his liver slowly fail, providing hemodialysis to try to control what they can, and trying to prevent the brain swelling from killing him, etc. They are pretty sure he's suffered some more brain damage again and we don't know what the effects of that will be yet. Or if he'll live for it to matter. He's got numerous injuries that indicate self harm or a fall, probably not a fight of some sort this time, thankfully. But still very dangerous when alcohol poisoning is involved.
I used to abuse alcohol when I was a teenager, my cousin did too. It's how we tried to cope. We both had friends who encouraged drinking and gladly provided lots of alcohol. I managed to successfully sober up after many failures when I was in my twenties and I've always wanted to see that for him too. I wanted to see him happy and successful and be the dad he always wanted to be that he never had in life. He's fought for everything in his life, and I always wanted him to be able to enjoy the fruits of that labour one day and be ok with the person he is. Because he's always been pretty amazing.
He's always struggled with depression, some paranoia and aggression, and anxiety. But he's also very sensitive and sweet and would do anything to help a friend. He also has three children and two ex-wives that are both still in love with him and just want him to stay in rehab and be able to have a relationship with his kids. It's been really hard to see him slowly kill himself this way over the past 20 years, and it's gotten really bad over the past 5 years. Wish I knew what I could do more of to help.
It's a tragedy unfolding in front of me that I don't know how to prevent. Each time he's dying in the hospital, or I find out he's out of rehab and the weekend comes and I know he's going to be found passed out, bleeding, with vomit everywhere....I worry this is going to be the final time, and he dies.
If you know someone who is a heavy drinker and abuses alcohol, don't let them drink too much. And if it's too late, take care of them and watch them carefully to prevent any acute alcohol poisoning issues. The best thing is to try to prevent addiction before it happens. I used to get on my friends' cases when they would drink way too much each week. I never wanted them to have to go through what I did.
If you know someone who is addicted to alcohol be supportive in them trying to sober up.
It's a really difficult journey once you are addicted.
Because drinking is all you can think about sometimes. My cousin is in the hospital with alcohol poisoning and all my brain and body tell me is to get drunk to feel better. I won't though. I know better then to give in, and know that feeling will pass.
If you are struggling with alcohol addiction don't be afraid to get support and help. I've seen alcohol destroy many people's lives. The ones who survive it and sober up are always still picking up the pieces or still working on moving on from all the harm it did and staying sober. But they also live....and have the opportunity to make a new start or work on creating a better life for themselves.
Good luck out there! Watch out for each other! Take care! Xxxx
