Jennifer is a thirty-four-year-old bank executive who has been ingesting alcohol in an excessive and hazardous manner since she and her live-in boyfriend broke off their relationship. In truth, for the past five months she has been drinking nearly two bottles of wine every night, and on the weekends she also has been drinking more than a few shots all the way through the day.
After feeling dispirited because she was starting to ignore her health, Jennifer finally told herself that she’s had enough, that it’s time to stop the self pity party, that it’s time to stop the excessive drinking, and time to get going with her life. So the next Saturday morning at 8:00 AM, she decided to quit drinking completely and suddenly without planning or preparation.
When She Attempted to Stop Drinking She Felt Ill, Her Head Was Pounding, She Vomited a Number of Times, She Was Extremely Moody and Anxious, She Had Utterly No Appetite, and She Started to Sweat Extensively
When Jennifer quit drinking, she figured that she would probably be tempted to ”steal” a few drinks, but she never thought that she would feel so terrible. More to the point, around two hours after she quit 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 buddy and informed her that she had quit drinking and that after a few hours she all of a sudden started to have flu-like symptoms, Lori, her best buddy, told Jennifer to call her healthcare practitioner and tell him what was happening.
She Admits to Her Medical Practitioner That She Has Been Drinking Heavily, That She Just Tried to Quit Drinking, and That She is Going Through Awful Flu-Like Symptoms
So Jennifer called her healthcare professional, told him that she has been drinking in an excessive and hazardous manner for a number of months and that when she tried to abruptly stop drinking earlier in the day, within a few hours she felt as if she had the most painful flu-like symptoms that she had ever gone through.
Her physician told her that she may be going through alcohol withdrawals and that she should have a relative or neighbor drive her to the emergency room as soon as possible.
As soon as Jennifer got off the phone, she got a neighbor 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.
Obviously her healthcare professional had called ahead and informed the emergency room medical team to expect Jennifer because when she got to the hospital, she was met by a paramedic and a nurse who immediately asked her to lie down on the portable bed they had with them. After getting transported to the emergency room and undergoing a few important tests, it was verified that Jennifer was indeed suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms and was in need of alcohol detox.
A healthcare practitioner administered some medications to lessen the intensity of her flu-like symptoms and also administered some medications to help get rid of the alcohol that was still in her bloodstream.
A Substance Abuse and Chemical Dependency Healthcare Professional Explains That She is Alcohol Dependent and Then Goes Over What Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms and Alcohol Dependency Stages Are
After a few hours, Jennifer was removed from the emergency room and transported to the recovery room. After she was in recovery for about three hours, Doctor Stern, an alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency specialist, came to visit her. He took quite a bit of time and explained in laymen’s language that Jennifer had experienced alcohol withdrawal symptoms when she stopped drinking because she had become addicted to alcohol.
He then mentioned the fact that with continuous and heavy drinking, the person’s brain slowly but surely becomes accustomed to the alcohol so that it can function in a “normal” manner. When the drinker then all of a sudden stops drinking, it can be pointed out, the brain takes action by creating alcohol withdrawal symptoms. What is more, her doctor also explained the various alcoholism stages that an alcohol dependent individual usually goes through as the disease progressively gets worse.
It is Established that Jennifer is in the Earliest Stage of Alcohol Dependency and She Receives a Good Forecast For a Full Recovery if She Gets the Alcohol Dependency Rehabilitation She Requires
Fortunately for Jennifer, it was verified that she was in the first stage of alcohol dependency and, consequently, she obtained a favorable diagnosis for a full recovery if she will get the alcohol addiction therapy she needs.
Jennifer told the physician that she will do whatever it takes to get sober and to restore her life and her health. She also articulated that she has a first-rate hospitalization insurance plan that will more likely than not pay for most of the treatment costs. It was clear to see that Jennifer was quite pleased with her optimistic medical forecast and felt at ease knowing that she will be able to get the alcohol addiction treatment she requires so that she can begin the path to recovery.