Jennifer is a forty-two-year-old call center manager who has been drinking quite abusively since she and her boyfriend broke up their relationship. In truth, for the past eleven months she has been drinking just about one-and-a-half bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking more than a few wine coolers all the way through the day. In short, Jennifer has been drinking so abusively and hazardously that it’s a wonder that she hasn’t suffered from alcohol poisoning.
After feeling discouraged because she was starting to ignore her health, Jennifer finally told herself that enough is enough, that it’s time to quit the self pity act, that it’s time to stop the irresponsible and abusive drinking, and time to move on with her life. So the following Saturday morning at 10:30 AM, she came to a decision that she would quit drinking suddenly and completely without planning or preparation.
When She Attempted to Quit Drinking She Felt Terrible, She Had Utterly No Appetite, She Was Extremely Restless and Moody, She Started to Perspire Profusely, She Vomited Numerous Times, and Her Head Was Pounding
When Jennifer stopped drinking, she reasoned that she would most likely be tempted to have a few drinks, but she never thought that she would feel so sick. More precisely, around three-and-a-half hours after she stopped drinking, she vomited a number of times, she was extremely moody and anxious, she had utterly no appetite, she started to sweat extensively, and her head was aching.
When she called her best girlfriend and told her that she had quit drinking and that after a couple of hours she all of a sudden began experiencing flu-like symptoms, Emily, her best buddy, told Jennifer to call her physician and explain what was going on.
She Admits to Her Doctor That She Has Been Drinking In an Excessive and Irresponsible Manner, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Experiencing Horrible Flu-Like Symptoms
So Jennifer called her medical practitioner, told him that she has been drinking in an excessive and hazardous manner for more than a few months and that when she tried to abruptly quit drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the worst case of the flu that she had ever gone through.
Her healthcare practitioner told her that she may be suffering from symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and that she should have a friend or family member take her to the emergency room ASAP.
As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a relative to take her to the hospital. Interestingly, all the way to the hospital, as sick as Jennifer felt, the only thing she could think about was whether or not she might be an alcoholic.
Apparently her family doctor had called ahead and told the emergency room medical team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by two emergency room employees who without hesitation told her to get in the wheelchair they had with them. After getting wheeled to the emergency room and undergoing a couple of basic tests, it was corroborated that Jennifer was indeed experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detoxification.
An emergency room healthcare professional gave her some drugs to reduce the discomfort of her flu-like symptoms and also administered some drugs to help get rid of the alcohol that was still in her circulation system.
An Alcohol and Drug Addiction Healthcare Practitioner Goes Over the Fact That She is Addicted to Alcohol and Then Goes Over What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcoholism Stages Are
After a few hours, Jennifer was taken from the ER and wheeled to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for around two-and-a-half hours, Doctor Jacobs, a substance abuse and chemical dependency specialist, came to talk to her. He took quite a bit of time and explained in a clear fashion that Jennifer had experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she quit drinking due to the fact that she had become dependent on alcohol.
He then explained that with heavy drinking on an everyday basis, the individual’s brain slowly but surely becomes accustomed to the alcohol so that it can function in a “normal” way. When the drinker then all at once abstains from drinking alcohol, it can be pointed out, the brain responds by producing alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Not only this, but her physician also explained in a clear fashion the various alcoholism stages that an individual who is alcohol dependent typically suffers through as the disease advances.
It is Determined that Jennifer is in the First Stage of Alcohol Dependency and She Receives a Good Projection For a Complete Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Addiction Treatment She Needs
Fortunately for Jennifer, it was confirmed that she was in the first stage of alcoholism and, consequently, she received a favorable forecast for a total recovery if she will get the alcohol addiction rehab she requires.
Jennifer told the healthcare practitioner that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to re-establish her health and her life. She also stated that she has a first class hospitalization policy that will almost certainly pay for most, if not all, of the treatment costs that will be incurred. It was clear to see that Jennifer was quite grateful about her positive medical prognosis and felt reassured knowing that she will be able to get the alcoholism rehab she needs so that she can start on the road to recovery.