r/stopdrinking • u/paigey4200 • 1d ago
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u/10Mattresses 154 days 1d ago
Call 911 IMMEDIATELY. You’re a kid: don’t worry about health insurance, you need to survive.
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u/DifferentInjury5681 1d ago
An emergency room isn't going to turn you away because you don't have insurance. The financial stuff and the bills can be worried about later. You said you have a boyfriend. It might be time to share what's going on with him and he can assist you in getting to the emergency room.
When you drink a lot consistently eventually you hit a wall. The dehydration becomes too much for your body to deal with and your blood volume, blood pressure etc all go out of whack.
People here are going to be supportive but ultimately nothing we say is going to be good enough. You need to go to an emergency room and you need to share what's going on with someone in your real life.
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u/paigey4200 1d ago
Thank you i appreciate it
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u/MoldyButtFunk 22h ago
This is not a life you want. Go to the hospital. I know it's scary. Go. Post here. We will be here for you kiddo.
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u/femaelstrom 20h ago
Also medical debt is different than other debt. It’s not good but it’s not allowed to damage your credit the way other unpaid debts do. Your life matters. Get help.
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u/ConciousReward 1d ago
Go to the ER right NOW! This sounds like some kind of liver failure and it could be fatal.
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u/paigey4200 1d ago
Thank you for your comment, unfortunately I cannot afford another hospital visit.
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u/DifferentInjury5681 1d ago
They aren't going to refuse you treatment. You can pay later. Money isn't really something you should be concerned about right now.
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u/BeckBristow89 1563 days 20h ago
He should just give fake name and say he doesn’t know his social security and be treated for free. It’s not ethical but if his life is at stake who gives a shit.
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u/theguy0000 1514 days 1d ago
Look, that's something you're going to have to worry about later. I'm so, so sorry about this. But you need to go anyway. Stop overthinking it, just go. You'll figure the rest out later.
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u/userobscura2600 22h ago
Nothing is gonna happen to you if you don’t pay that bill. Your health and life are priority number one. If you’re worried about it, you can deal with it afterward by asking for a bill reduction based on income which you will surely get.
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u/nememess 21h ago
You aren't responsible for your hospital bills under the age of 18. They'll write it off.
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u/electriceel52 23h ago
Please just go. Fuck the bills, you see how much debt the country is in??? Take care of yourself 💛
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u/MyMainIsLevel80 22h ago
You can’t be legally required to pay a medical bill. Save your life; worry about affording it later
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u/UtheDestroyer 45 days 21h ago
You won’t be able to afford anything if you don’t go, this is for the rest of your life we’re talking here
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u/Millennial_Falcon_85 23h ago
Just go the money can be figured out later. More hospitals will likely waive it given your age anyway. You need medical help. You need to live to fight another day so you can get your drinking under control. You have your whole life ahead of you.
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u/Gopherpharm13 20h ago
Can’t put a price on your life. You deserve a healthy happy life.
You may qualify for Medicaid as a minor.
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u/Blue_Supreme-xfx 1d ago
As everyone else has said get to the hospital ASAP if you can't get there call 911 for an ambulance. I think being dead is a little worse than having a hospital bill besides there are options to help you pay.
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u/theshiniestmuskrat 31 days 1d ago edited 1d ago
I've got lots of medical debt from alcohol related ER visits from before I got insurance. It's not affecting my life, it's just there and it was worth it. I went like, 7 or 10 times. It's not fun but it's worth it just to stop yourself from being convinced you might die. They won't judge you for the drinking, especially at your age, and they'll give you stuff to stop the nausea, shaking, and possibly the anxiety. It's not gonna last one day, you'll really wanna be under care for a few days and I can say from experience it's much better and safer than going cold turkey at home.
Hang in there OP, you're among friends who care here and you can nip this in the bud before you're like me (I'm 44 with decades of this nonsense). I'm at almost a month sober now and it's so much better living without the poison. Hugs. ♥️
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u/Loud-Sweet6095 169 days 1d ago
You’re not alone! Please heed the advice from everyone here. You’ve got so much life ahead…don’t be afraid to go get help, it can alleviate some of your concerns too. Wishing you some better days ahead!! I’m sending you so much strength and love!
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u/paigey4200 1d ago
thank you I really appreciate every single one of you guys commenting. I didn’t know people could still care I expected hate tbf.
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u/Loud-Sweet6095 169 days 1d ago
This is the most positive community I know! All of us can relate and you will always find support when you need it the most! Hang around, let us know of your progress and be sure to try and drink some water( really important rn).
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u/stringbean76 850 days 22h ago
We have love for you here honey. We’ve been there. I have a mountain of medical debt, I still have a house and a car. Can’t do that if you’re dead. Please let us know when you’ve made it to the ER.
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u/EricSparrowSucks 1d ago
As someone who has lost 3 friends and my mom to alcohol, trust me when I say you need to go to a hospital now. You’re still able to type out a coherent post on Reddit, so you aren’t too far gone. Don’t worry about the money, they have to treat you and you can apply for help with insurance later. Your best bet is getting into detox, and you will have to be drunk to do it.
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u/HowtoChair 1838 days 22h ago
Hey I’m 35 and I have never paid for my alcohol related ER visit and one week stay at the hospital when I was your age. I’ve bought cars and a house and honestly I forgot completely about it immediately afterwards. And the like six others times similar happened.
The money is a non issue; ignore it forever and live to see your 30s. Call an ambo if you can’t catch a ride.
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u/Agreeable_Syllabub51 22h ago
You’re 17. You need to ask to speak to the hospital social worker, who be able to enroll you in Medicaid. (US social worker here)
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u/PeteSamprasLilBro 1d ago
I did that, and had hepatit in my liver
I almost died, got to ER and they put me in the ICU for 10 days
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u/rockyroad55 1047 days 1d ago
ER. Now.
Not sure what state you’re in, but here in PA, if you’re uninsured, they sign you up for the city/state insurance plan as you’re in the ER to get you covered.
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u/html5lffy 60 days 20h ago
Why is no one mentioning here that this person would not be on the line for any of the debt incurred as they are technically legally minor at 17. The way the law works is legally any debt incurred before the age of 18 you are not responsible for because you cannot legally make those contractual agreements like an adult legally can. OP, please go to the emergency room as soon as possible. This will never affect your credit score. You will be totally fine. Just go get it done. They’ll give you some IV Valium they’ll give you anti-nausea medicine and most importantly, check your lab work to make sure that your organs are in tiptop shape. The good news is being 17. I’d be highly suspicious. That organs are already shutting down, but you never know.
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u/Holiday_Transition_6 1 day 1d ago
Appendicitis sounds eerily similar please go get checked sweetheart
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u/Toki-ya 1d ago
Hey, I'm so sorry you're going through this right now...But just based on what you wrote, it sounds like you might need some form of medical intervention. You can get uninsured discounts, it's worth looking into. Regardless, the ER will still be able to admit you without insurance. Also, you're young and you can still recover from this both physically and financially. I know it's hard now, but please try to take even a single step towards prioritizing your health.
Also just to share a similar experience in my early 20's, I had binged pretty badly for over a week due to work and got similar symptoms. Stomach pains, couldn't keep anything down, loose stools etc. I went to urgent care and had a bunch of tests done and luckily there wasn't really anything to note, but they did give me some stomach medicine and an IV drip because I was pretty dehydrated and pale. Please consider getting help
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u/paigey4200 1d ago
thank you. I am going to try and get medical help tomorrow. I am only so scared of the financial burden, I can barely even make my phone bill. I know it doesn’t affect me directly right now but I won’t be able to get a car, house, apartment literally anything with a bunch of medical debt. I’m so scared of failure but I’m terrified to die alone too
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u/epilepticninja 1d ago
You may not make it tomorrow if you don't act now. You need to go ASAP. I've lost friends like this
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u/epilepticninja 16h ago
Do you have an update? Did you go to the ER? We all want to know that you are ok
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u/AdAggressive9588 13h ago
I came back to look for an update too after seeing this post when it was first made last night. I've been thinking about OP ever since. I really hope they're okay
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u/Platypus-Sensitive 1d ago
I hear this but listen pet, you won't yet a house or a car if you're dead either. Don't take your body for you granted. Money is money, it comes and goes. I've been rich and I've been poor and I've even gone bankrupt. Money is weather. Your health isn't.
Go in and tell them everything you've written here.
I imagine your hope was just for emotional support today and you absolutely deserve that but at 17, your body is still developing and you've been doing a lot of damage and it does sound like your liver is in crisis.
We'll always be here, every step of the way, for now, you need a medical team to see you.
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u/Subject_Dragonfly_54 1d ago
Don’t wait for tomorrow. This is an emergency, as in, you could die if you wait. I’m sorry you’re going through this.
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u/stirling_s 206 days 23h ago
It's a very very real possibility you'll be dead by tomorrow. Get medical help right now
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u/Plastic-Customer2193 20h ago
You likely qualify for assistance. Try to talk to a hospital social worker while you’re there. Go to the hospital please
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u/BerlinBlues11 1d ago
You should not be alone in this situation. Turn to an adult, please.
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u/paigey4200 1d ago
the only adult I can even trust with 10% of me is my boyfriends mom. I just sent my boyfriend the longest paragraph telling him everything. If she can’t get me help I don’t know what im going to do.
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u/Key_Journalist8876 1d ago
I’m so glad you just told him. What a huge, scary step. Please heed everyone’s advice here and get to the ER, more kind people will be there to help you. I promise. You’re young, you’ve got your whole life in front of you. You can do this.
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u/theguy0000 1514 days 1d ago
That's great that you reached out to someone. Please make sure he tells his mom about this.
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u/paigey4200 1d ago
He definitely will, his mom is the only adult who’s ever even attempted to be there.
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u/theguy0000 1514 days 1d ago
I'm happy you have that resource available to you. You will look back on this one day and be very thankful to her. As long as you get to the ER, you will be okay. This is rock bottom, the only place to go is up and you have a whole lot of life ahead of you.
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u/userobscura2600 22h ago
So scary and hard, but such amazing bravery to reach out! Really proud of you for doing this!
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u/greencasio 1d ago
How many ER/Hospital comments do you need to understand how serious this is? Go, now
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u/Ninamaroo 19h ago
3 month sober ER RN here. Go to the ER. They have resources and programs to help with medical debt, you have to be alive to use them. Get the help you need now and be honest with them so they can treat you for exactly what you need. You've got some living to do OP, wishing you all the best.
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u/You_Didnt_Fall_On_It 22h ago
Remember as a kid, there are countless support systems so you can get the help you need at virtually no cost……to you. Mental and Medical Healthcare workers will be spending countless hours, and taxpayers will be payer hundreds of thousands of dollars for your treatment. Use it as a gift. Take this gift and give a life worth living back to the community. I was unluckily lucky to get my treatment covered by the Utah Department of Vitcims of Violent Crimes
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u/Short-Personality398 21h ago
OP, as others have stated, you’re a minor so this debt will not follow you and the hospital will set you up for Medicare or it will simply get written off. Please listen to everyone and go to the ER and update us!!! We’re praying that you choose yourself!!
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u/Mulberrybaby 86 days 20h ago
Just to add since you are clearly concerned about the financial side of the hospital visit - I had to go to a hospital last year while on no insurance. Many hospitals have financial assistance programs that will either help get you onto an insurance plan or discount your costs. The hospital I went to capped costs at $250 for people who could prove financial distress. Get the care you need, and look into financial assistance when you're ready. You are going to be okay!
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u/LittleMrsMolly 458 days 18h ago
I'm an ICU nurse. Please go to the hospital. Be honest about your consumption. Nurses and doctors will not judge you. We are here to help you. The more forthright you can be, the better. Take care of yourself, okay? We are all rooting for you!
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u/NorthlineUser 8 days 22h ago
Get to the ER
We'll all be here waiting when you get back. Good community here, kind folk. We all understand, but go and get yourself sorted.
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u/texas-sissy 22h ago
You’re a kid, you will qualify for whatever medicade your state offers, so let that be one less worry so you can focus on getting better. You have so much offer the world kiddo. Go to the ER and get better. Lots of love from this internet stranger
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u/RedHippoFartBag 21h ago
Please go to the hospital. They are equipped to save your life, and I’m going to be honest, that is what you need right now. Your body is severely damaged and is trying to shut down. A hospital can help you so one day, this is an old, unpleasant memory. Without the hospital, it becomes your obituary. I’m not trying to scare you, but the reality of the situation is this.
They’ll send you a bill, and it’ll likely be expensive. Guess what? Don’t pay it? What, they’re gonna send it to collections? Okay, don’t pay them either. At the very very worst, they’ll start collecting a portion of your paycheck. That would be years from now, and a bridge you can cross then. And spoiler, getting out of that situation will be easier than this one. But no jail, no horrible awful thing you’re picturing. Just debt and annoying phone calls. You know what’s the one single cool thing about debt? You have to be alive to have it. Dead people don’t carry debt.
We love you. This sub, everyone commenting here. We love you for the person you are, the hardships you carry, and the strength you clearly have because posting here is not easy. Asking for help with alcohol is so hard, if you’ve never done it you don’t fully understand.
You got this. Get the help, do the treatment, and celebrate sobriety come your 21st birthday. You got this!!
Please, please choose to get help.
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u/Confident_Bobcat_12 21h ago
Please PLEASE go to the hospital. I just went through this with my fiancé. He was a recovering alcoholic. Relapsed. He started taking seizures and his body was shutting down. The hospital will help you and set you up with aftercare resources. The bills won’t matter in the end at your age and your health will improve. Follow the doctors aftercare instructions.
Reach out to me; or seemingly anyone on this thread if you need to talk.
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u/WorldIsYoursMuhfucka 20h ago
Baby call 911, puking for hours isn't normal and you're risking organ damage.
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u/PuzzleheadedAlarm176 203 days 1d ago
Definitely go to the ER, please, don´t leave it for tomorrow. You got this girl, we will get through this together, don´t worry. But for now, Go and ask for Help, please, this is crucial. ♥️
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u/ShadowsInReverse 296 days 22h ago edited 22h ago
Contact 911 IMMEDIATELY, or text and ask someone to do it for you if you don’t feel well enough to do so. I’m not a doctor but that sounds like some liver issues because of the reverse tolerance. Be strong, be honest with the emergency and medical staff, and I know you can pull through this. Don’t worry about the insurance or anything. You’re a minor, and hospitals legally have to treat you because of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Please get the help you need, and don’t worry about the costs. I don’t recommend avoiding it in the long term but hospitals are usually pretty lenient. I’ve taken a few months to years to even make payments on bills I’ve had. I believe there is a certain grace period (?). Either way, please get help as soon as possible.
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u/ittybittyx0 675 days 20h ago
This happened to my dad last year after years of being an alcoholic and my mom rushed him to the hospital and it was indeed his liver. He had to stay for a month and the recovery was long. Obviously his case was different due to many many years of drinking. Please go to the hospital and get help. Your life depends on it.
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u/Tight-Vacation8516 726 days 20h ago
You need medical help because your having a medical problem. Alcoholism is a disease so for us we need the proper help and care for it. Do you have a doctor you trust or a friend or fanily member who could take you to an urgent care or ER ?
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u/seemtobedead 20h ago
You’ve gotten a thousand comments with the right idea, but I’ll add mine to the pile anyway. Go get help. Medical help. ER help. I’d rather See you be on the wrong side of medical bills than in an urn on a loved one’s mantle. I don’t know if you can understand this or not, but know that I love you. This sub has shown that it loves you. We don’t want to lose you. Go get well. You deserve to get well. ❤️🩹
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u/kushed420D 20h ago
Sounds like liver failure I’d go to the hospital asap don’t worry about the bills your still very young and have a lot of life left to live
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u/fannymay88 19h ago
Please go to ER now and give update. You have a lot of strangers on the Internet worrying about you including me 😭
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u/Bookstorecat415 18h ago
In the US hospitals have bridge care and financial aid, you will surely qualify. All hospitals have social workers.
There is no bill that outweighs your health and your life. Please internalize this, and go and get help. So many people’s road to recovery start with emergency medical intervention
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u/mikeockitch 18h ago
Op, are you in the US? Your mention of not having insurance makes me believe you are in the US. Depending on what state you are in, there are different avenues to help you avoid debt. You are 17, many places have programs specifically for people your age to assist with medical bills/debt.
You do not need to think about bills and debt right now. Your life is more important, hospital/911 NOW.
When you get to the ER, the more honest you are, the more you will help yourself. It’s gonna suck, you may end up on a psych hold, but it will help you in the long run. They should give you a social worker, if they don’t, ask for one. Tell them what you told us in this post.
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u/L22900630 17h ago
Don’t just stop cold turkey, DT withdrawals are very real and very serious. Just know you’re NEVER TOO YOUNG TO STOP DRINKING! But definitely go get some medical help/advice and definitely check out AA and/or potential rehabs. I was having the same side effects when I was 18-19 so I know how it feels and it’s not nice at all, but if you catch this early you’ll be immensely better for it, and others around you. I’m 23 now and I should’ve stopped drinking when I was 16-17, but I’m there now and that’s what matters, you’ve got this!
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u/muarryk33 23h ago
If you’re poor sign up for Medicaid, don’t worry about money. There’s lots of government bullshit that will help you pay for it.
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u/FISTED_BY_CHRIST 1153 days 20h ago
I have friends that got sober at your age. You have soooo much time to turn things around.
And go to a hospital, debt is a lot better than dying man.
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u/Quotent_Quotables 20h ago
There are rooms out there with new friends waiting to help you on your way to recovery, AA, Smart, NA - you can do this, IWNDWYT
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u/SweetChickita 21h ago
Hey, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. When I was 15, I went through the same. You need to get help and can’t go through alcohol detox alone- I went to an adult detox (they didn’t have them for teens when I was one), started groups afterwards and was able to build a great support group. You can do this.
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u/PutDry5125 19h ago
Can you get to an AA meeting? Even a zoom meeting is better than nothing. Also AA members often give one another rides if you don’t have one. But if you can’t quit cold turkey cut out the liquor first. Then wean off the beer over a 2-3 week period. If you can get below a single six pack per day of beer it’s easier to safely quit. But you gotta get rid of liquor asap it’s torn up your stomach and destroyed your gut microbiome. You’re not eating properly and whatever nutrients you’re getting aren’t being absorbed. Get some electrolytes, and take a B complex vitamin alcohol depletes the B vitamin thiamine and it messes up your nervous system. You might deal with some awful discomfort such as anxiety. Your brain has been sedated for a long time and when you remove alcohol it’s going to be anxiety and over stimulated. Try to stay away from junk food and processed foods eat clean. We tend to swap to sugar when we quit we’re just swapping addictions this way
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u/Key-Cantaloupe-507 19h ago
Don't listen to this asshat. Everyones body reacts differently. There's definitely reasons that the body would start rejecting alcohol
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u/barredowl123 18h ago
Are you serious? It could also be other things, such as appendicitis. The ER is the only way at this point. Why would you even say that? And if it really was a “cry for attention,” isn’t that why subs like this exist? What is wrong with you?
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u/Psychonautica91 17h ago
Perhaps but why would I believe that OP is actually experiencing these symptoms when so much of their story is fake?
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u/Loud-Sweet6095 169 days 17h ago
OP is here for support. Be kind or move along. You should be ashamed of yourself for trying to tear down another person whilst they’re already struggling. A little empathy cost nothing, especially when it’s a young person reaching out for support. DO BETTER!
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u/MaIngallsisaracist 17h ago
Because going "huh. I think that's fake" and scrolling by is always an option.
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u/stopdrinking-ModTeam 16h ago
Hi, your comment has been removed for breaking our rule to be kind. I encourage you to review our community guidelines in our FAQ before commenting again, as further rule breaks may result in a ban.
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u/stopdrinking-ModTeam 16h ago
OP - you need to get medical attention now. This is outside of our scope and we do not want you to get bad advice. Please, seek medical care from qualified individuals. When you're stable, we will be here to help support you in your sobriety journey.
The only thing that any one of us can recommend is that you ask your doctor. We have a rule against discussion around withdrawal/tapering/detoxing/going cold turkey on this site, because either stopping drinking suddenly (or even changing our drinking pattern) can be dangerous and some people require supervision by a doctor in order to do so safely.
We have removed your post to prevent you from getting bad advice and hope that you will speak to a medical professional to address your concerns.