# Waiting to fall off the wagon



## ljl (Sep 6, 2012)

So I started counseling this week to deal with the fact that I am ready to leave my alcoholic husband. However, he has now been sober for 11 days (this is the first time he has ever tried to quit) and says he's done. However, I can't help the fact that I don't believe it. I'm worried I will sabotage the efforts by doubting it.


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## wiigirl (Jun 14, 2012)

Just stay positive and focus on the positive.

If things get negative deal with them then.








_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ShawnD (Apr 2, 2012)

Science to the rescue again 
(I'm not a doctor!)
Naltrexone

This drug is a competitive opioid antagonist, and it is an effective treatment for opiate, barbiturate, and alcohol addiction. Even if you try drinking alcohol while taking this drug, it will take a lot more alcohol to get even the slightest buzz, which is good because that removes the positive reinforcement to drink. This drug also relieves some of the withdrawal symptoms, which is a good thing because alcohol has a very strong physical addiction.

A few other things can be done to make the withdrawal easier. Alcohol is mostly a GABA drug, and GABA is extremely important for calming the nervous system. When addicted to alcohol, GABA is downregulated so the body relies on alcohol just to stay normal. Suddenly removing the alcohol causes the body to lack GABA activity. Without GABA to calm things down, glutamate (the main excitatory neurotransmitter) can run out of control, and this can lead to seizures or death. Several B vitamins play an important role in keeping glutamate under control, and they can reduce the amount of nerve damage caused by glutamate, study. Vitamin C is another important one because vitamin C is an antioxidant. When there is too much glutamate, it can lead to a lot of reactive oxygen species like nitric oxide being released from cells. Reactive oxygen in your brain does the same thing as the oxygen in your car engine - it oxidizes things. study

All of this is for nothing if you don't fix the underlying problem. Why does this person need to drink? Is there something physically wrong with them? Addictions are often a sign of serious physical problems because drugs relieve the symptoms of certain illnesses. For example, about 20% of the population smokes, but more than 90% of people with schizophrenia smoke. The obvious conclusion is that people with schizophrenia really love smoking because nicotine actually does something positive; they don't just smoke for the hell of it. People in Alcoholics Anonymous like to say that alcoholism is a disease, but what they should be saying is that it's a symptom of a disease. Alcohol fixes a lot of problems, especially ones related to GABA or glutamate like ADHD, autism, parkinson's, etc. Alcohol is great if you have epilepsy. In fact, the medications given to people with epilepsy (benzodiazepines) work on the same GABA receptors as alcohol.

summary:
-get prescription drugs to deal with withdrawal
-take more "B complex" vitamins (B complex means it includes all B vitamins)
-take more vitamin C
*-figure out what is physically wrong with this person*


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## oddball (Sep 5, 2012)

Ljl, only you can decide when you have had enough., Some of us alkies and addicts do change. Many do not. But some of us do recover


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## 67flh (Sep 26, 2011)

if you say this is the first time he has tried to quit, and he seems serious at least give him the benifit of the dought and hang in there and see what happens,might surprise you.


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