Alcohol induced seizure

Life in Recovery
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Hi all,

I have been a long-time drinker, probably over 15 years straight now. I am the type that once I open 1, it’s going to be 15. I always told myself I was fine because I was able to go a week without drinking so “clearly I didn’t have a problem”.

Thankfully, I work in a hospital setting, because 3 days ago I went from working as usual, to the next minute in the ER with doctors around me telling me I had a seizure. I sat there arguing because there was no way I had a seizure, I would remember right?

Well after 3 days in the PCU and multiple tests, they concluded I had an alcohol withdrawal-induced seizure. I had decided the prior two days to slow my drinking on my own (which I thought was the right thing to do) but didn’t realize the true problem I had. My body didn’t know what to do with the sudden cutoff and it resulted in a seizure.

I have been a long time reader of this app, reading from an afar and hoping to one day get the courage to stop. I BEG you, if you think you may have a problem, seek medical help before trying to do it alone. If I hadn’t been at work, at a hospital nonetheless, who knows what may have happened to me?

This has been a complete eye opener for me. As I hug my two kids tight so grateful that I made it home, I keep telling myself over and over: I will not drink today. And that’s the promise I hope to keep.

Thank you all for listening, I just needed somewhere safe to get it off of my chest.

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Josh, that sounds terrifying! I’m glad you’re home and ok but please stay with us now. Read as much as you can here and get to know the community. Sobriety is so much better than addiction

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James,

thank you for the response! I absolutely will be spending as much time as I can here. I always told myself, nah that could never be me. Found out the hard way that wasn’t true! But sometimes the hardest lessons wake us up. I’ll just work on today and worry about tomorrow when it comes.

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The “but I don’t drink every day”, “but I can hold down a job” “but I don’t get the shakes” has tricked many people into suffering longer than they should.
Thanks for sharing your story, and welcome. :purple_heart:

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Yes I’ve told myself far too many times I didn’t have a problem because I was successful in my career and family life. I now realize I was successful in spite of my problem and probably could’ve been so much better at each.

So thankful to be here and read everyone’s stories. Sometimes it feels like I’m alone and the only one dealing with the “demons”. I think this app will help me realize I’m never alone

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Hello James.

Welcome.

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Welcome to the TS family Josh! Glad you found us. How are you feeling today?

You are not alone, we are in this together. We all know the battle and we all believed the lame excuses your addictive minds told us.

Congratulations on your decision to live a sober life. It’s the best thing you can do for your family and yourself. Addiction is a progressing desease and I am glad you are stopping this now. We are rooting for you!

This thread could be helpful for you, too:

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Thank you for sharing your story. Experiences told as honestly and seriously as yours can shed a lot of light for those of us who fight this addiction one day at a time.

Not because we have already managed another 24 hours without drinking, but because stories like yours remind us where we came from — and where alcohol can take us.

First of all, I wish you all the strength and luck in the world. I sincerely hope this is the beginning of your life without alcohol.

Following on from what you said, I would also like to share something from my own experience: when you are trying to get out of this, don’t hold back when it comes to asking for help.

At the beginning, I asked for help from almost everywhere I could. Obviously, I relied on my wife. I also found support in people around me who, sometimes without even knowing the extent of my problem, were helping me simply by being there.

But I also went to AA meetings. I sought help from public addiction services. I received help from psychologists and from doctors.

I used every support available to me.

And little by little, I began to find my way out.

My own experience afterwards was that, as I became more stable, some of those forms of support could gradually become less necessary, particularly the more intensive medical ones. Today, support groups continue to play an important role in helping me maintain my sobriety.

But that is only my experience. Every person is different, and everyone’s recovery will have its own path and its own needs.

What I do believe very strongly is this: ask for help.

Don’t be ashamed of it. Don’t be afraid of it. If you need medical help, ask for medical help. If you need psychological help, ask for it. If you need AA or another recovery group, go. If you need your family, your partner, your friends or other people in recovery, reach out to them.

Use the help that is available and appropriate for you. Especially at the beginning, there is no prize for trying to do this alone.

Because this is difficult. Nobody should forget that.

Giving up alcohol — or overcoming any addiction — can be incredibly difficult.

You don’t have to prove how strong you are by doing it alone. Sometimes asking for help is part of the strength it takes to recover.

I wish you all the best.

Just for today.

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Welcome @Jrm1121 . Thank goodness you’re ok, that sounds terrible! I’m so glad you found this place. It has saved my life and I’ve been sober for just over 7 years. This place is my only sober support. Please be gentle with yourself, look forward to seeing you around :folded_hands:t2:

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Welcome to TS Josh and thank you for sharing your story. That must’ve been super scary for but so glad you were in the right place. Unfortunately alcohol has a sneaky way of creeping up on you without even realising. Glad you’ve posted and hope to see more from you. Have a good read around on here and join in on threads when you feel comfortable, it’s a fantastic community with great support. Moving forward be kind to yourself and take one day at a time, sometimes one minute if you need to. Life is so much better sober as you’ll find out :100::flexed_biceps:

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Thank you! Feeling good today, first Saturday I’ve woke up not hungover in years. I could definitely get used to this feeling. I appreciate the resources!

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Thank you for these words, I really needed to hear these. I’ve spent far too long trying to do it alone not realizing the amazing support system I have around me. I guess part of me just never wanted to admit it out loud to them (even though I’m pretty sure they could already tell). But as long as I never said it, in my head it was a secret.

I’ve now been open with a few loved ones about my struggles and they’ve been nothing but supportive. I wish I would’ve asked for help sooner but I’ll take better late than never.

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Exactly the same thing happened to me except I was at home - luckily a friend was with me.

One minute we were talking normally and the next I was on the floor with absolutely no idea how I got there. He told me I had suddenly just had a seizure and called the doctor. He arrived and, knowing I was a heavy drinker and not liking it (I suspect he simply didn’t know what to do about me), just threw some valium at me and said to call an ambulance if it happened again.

It hasn’t - to my knowledge - and now that I’m nearly four years sober won’t happen again.

Good luck with your sober journey, it is well worth some pain for the fantastic gain.

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Sorry to hear you went through the same thing. Definitely scary times for sure but a little part of me is glad it happened and gave me the wake-up call I needed.

Congrats on your sober time! I’m on day 7 and finally starting to feel better day by day. Just keep stacking the days that’s all I can do!

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I drank for 25 years, telling myself I was ok because I could quit for a little while. I had bouts of sanity and would go to an AA meeting when something really bad would happen, about every 4 years. Then I would decide I was ok and go to the bar. Finally, it caught up to me. I started getting depressed, and my personality was changing when I drank, so I thought I’d quit. To my dismay, I couldn’t make it past 10 days, and I was obsessing over it. I remembered one thing from AA: “This is a progressive disease; it always gets worse, never better.” I continued to drink despite this revelation for a few more days until that one day I drank from 6 am to 8 pm and came out of a blackout yelling and screaming. I made bad choices that day. The next day I had a mess to clean up, and I surrendered to a power greater than myself and walked into the rooms of AA. I haven’t left since. 4 years sober.

I became a sponge. I was told to be willing, so I was. I was told to get a sponsor, so I did. They said to do the steps; again, I did it. 90 meetings in 90 days saved my ass. I had a spiritual awakening. The obsession was gone, and I live a good life. My perspective changed. I don’t have to drink over anything or anyone. I celebrate life to the fullest with a clear mind. I was always afraid I wouldn’t know how to have fun without alcohol, but that was a silly fear. I have more fun now than I ever did while drinking. I am sending you good energy, confidence, and hope. Get started by going to a meeting. <3

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