Home » Expert Q & A » Co-Occurring Disorders » Co-Occurring Disorders: Jill Edwards

Treat yourself as ill not bad

  • anonymous Asks ...
    anonymous

    I drink a lot, my life is a mess and I am totally depressed. The only reason I really get out of bed most days is because I need to get to the beer store each day and then I just watch TV and drink all day long and I don’t know if I have the energy or desire most days to do anything to change this. Today is a good day which is why I am writing this. I am starting to get the shakes in the middle of the night and I have to drink to make them stop. This is screwed up and I am only 27. Tomorrow I am probably going to be really depressed again and there is no way when I feel like I normally do that I am going to drag myself to some AA meeting or something. There is just no way that is going to happen. How am I supposed to stop drinking when I need to and when I am so depressed I can’t be bothered to even leave the house?

  • Jill Edwards Says ...
    Jill Edwards

    I am very sorry to hear how unwell you are. Coping with a drinking problem as well as being depressed is very difficult. It sounds to me that since you are shaking so much that you have developed a dependency on alcohol. when you decide to stop, you must see your doctor for some medicine or you will be at risk of fitting, which is dangerous.

    Otherwise, you can reduce slowly by reducing your daily drinking by about one can or 2 units a day. I have known a lot of people have a much better life even on 4 cans a day. And you can think about things on 4 cans.

    The drink usually makes your depression worse. It is a depressant. However it would not be bad once you are drinking less to have an anti-depessant. I have seen some very depressed people feel absolutely wonderful when they had gotten over stopping drinking.

    The worst of all this is that Mr Alcohol makes you feel worse about yourself and your life. He tells you that you have to spend all your time attending to his needs, just to get up to look after him. It is like having to look after a baby that keeps on yelling. No wonder you feel bad. Things can be better.

    If you can look at the fact that you are ill and that with help you can get better, then you may be prepared to get that help from yourself, from your doctor and on a day when you are feeling a little easier from AA or any other association of people who help each other to keep sober.

    My very best wishes to you

    Jill Edwards

     

Featured Experts