Appointment with Consultant Psychiatrist

[Longshot]

My Recovery is only a few weeks in. I've lasted about 14 days sober at best. However a few months ago I was in a really bad state.

I mean really bad, taken home by Police, intervention by family, friends walking away, spent some time in hospital bad.

At this point I asked my GP to make appointment with the Health Service, I was in desperate straights.

Today, I am by no means 100%, but I'm doing a whole lot better, I've discovered I have a appointment arranged with a Consultant Psychiatrist, with the local health service.

I don't have to go, but I feel I should, I'm torn about attending.

I'm really worried that if I attend there will be some sort of note put on my record that I've seen a Psychiatrist, that if found out could affect me in later life. I'm not saying I'm planning on running for office, but lets say in a few years time if my wife and I were thinking of fostering children.

At the same time I know any recovery I have at present is fragile and don't want to reject any potential help.

On the flip side I'm on a extremely high dose of Bachlofen, that I've ordered over the internet , do I explain to him straight away about this?

Please advise.

[Guest]

Appointment with Consultant Psychiatrist

The thing you need to balance is your sobriety, with seeing the psychiatrist. If you don't see them and your drinking takes a turn for the worse, how will that affect your record?You may end up in worse trouble.

Do fostering authorities look at your health records?all I think is that having gone for help, that may reflect better than having gone on to have the consequences of drinking.

Only my 2 penneth.

I don't know which country you are in but I see my counsellor privately without any communication with my Dr, and no mention on my health records.

By the way from my experience successful recovery is held in high regard by a lot of authorities, including the police, social services as well as Drs.

[RedThread12]

Appointment with Consultant Psychiatrist

Well, Longshot: 2 issues here: 1) attend the session and deal with the consequences of a medical record and 2) talk about baclofen.

I'm not so much concerned about of what goes on your record; I don't know where you live, what the laws are, etc.; but the response you get from forthcoming counselor should you talk about baclofen could have a strong impact on your fledgling journey out.

Baclofen is still way off the charts as a treatment for alcoholism. Looking through these boards you'll find that it does work. But if said counselor is unfamiliar with it, and especially if counselor is particularly inclined toward another approach, talking about baclofen could bring up unnecessary challenges. At the very least, if you want to talk about it, go armed with Dr. Ameisen's book and print-outs of the studies (available here on the "Consolidated Baclofen Information" thread).

Once you've decided whether or not you want the appointment and its possible effects on your record, consider whether or how ready you are to take the professional opinion of one who dislikes, disbelieves or discounts your means so far. Not saying it will happen, just that it's more likely than not. Maybe counselor will be delighted with whatever helps . . . or maybe, should you decide to go, you could get a feel for what the sessions will be like, how they will help you, and then decide about spilling the beans that you are among a few hundreds . . . maybe thousands . . . people worldwide doing the baclofen experiment.

Whatever your decision, all the best to you. Congratulations on getting even a little bit of a life back! I remember how awesome that feels. Baclofen did it for me. Good luck to you!!

[Longshot]

Appointment with Consultant Psychiatrist

RedThread12;1053305 wrote: Well, Longshot: 2 issues here: 1) attend the session and deal with the consequences of a medical record and 2) talk about baclofen.

I'm not so much concerned about of what goes on your record; I don't know where you live, what the laws are, etc.; but the response you get from forthcoming counselor should you talk about baclofen could have a strong impact on your fledgling journey out.

Baclofen is still way off the charts as a treatment for alcoholism. Looking through these boards you'll find that it does work. But if said counselor is unfamiliar with it, and especially if counselor is particularly inclined toward another approach, talking about baclofen could bring up unnecessary challenges. At the very least, if you want to talk about it, go armed with Dr. Ameisen's book and print-outs of the studies (available here on the "Consolidated Baclofen Information" thread).

Once you've decided whether or not you want the appointment and its possible effects on your record, consider whether or how ready you are to take the professional opinion of one who dislikes, disbelieves or discounts your means so far. Not saying it will happen, just that it's more likely than not. Maybe counselor will be delighted with whatever helps . . . or maybe, should you decide to go, you could get a feel for what the sessions will be like, how they will help you, and then decide about spilling the beans that you are among a few hundreds . . . maybe thousands . . . people worldwide doing the baclofen experiment.

Whatever your decision, all the best to you. Congratulations on getting even a little bit of a life back! I remember how awesome that feels. Baclofen did it for me. Good luck to you!!

I think you're spot on. Do I come straight and say "BTW I've been taking a drug that I bought on the internet, thats responsible for my remarkable turn around" in my first session, or do I wait and leave it till my second or third session.

One thing that will annoy me is if he starts going on about AA. No disrespect to AA, and the work it does, but part I stopped attending AA, starting reading here, and started taking Bachlofen around about the same time, and credit these three things with pulling my life together.

[Popeye]

Appointment with Consultant Psychiatrist

A couple of years ago, I was in the same position as you.
Everything had fallen apart.
Then one day, I decided that it was either get help, or die, and that is the truth. Those days could have been the last days of my life. I may sound melodramatic, but that is how it was.
So I decided to get help, any help.
I made an appointment with my GP and she was brilliant. I laid myself bare and asked for anything that she could give me or arrange for me. I was way past the point of caring about stuff being on my medical record. It was an honest cry for help.
I thought I was above asking, but I'm so glad that I did. I've managed to get a grip of myself with the help of a lot of people; professionals who know what they're doing, and the good folks here (who also know what they're doing) and elsewhere. Maybe I was just lucky, but I prefer to think that I dug myself out of my own hole by any means available.
It really was a Longshot, but it's working.
Good luck to you.

[Popeye]

Appointment with Consultant Psychiatrist

P.S.

I'm also seeing a phsychiatrist, just in the last month or so.
I'm having short term memory problems, possibly drink related.
Nothing serious, he tells me, but I've to go for in-depth blood tests and a brain scan (yes, I do have one).
To drink, or not to drink?
A no-brainer.

[Longshot]

Appointment with Consultant Psychiatrist

RedThread12;1053305 wrote: Well, Longshot: 2 issues here: 1) attend the session and deal with the consequences of a medical record and 2) talk about baclofen.

I'm not so much concerned about of what goes on your record; I don't know where you live, what the laws are, etc.; but the response you get from forthcoming counselor should you talk about baclofen could have a strong impact on your fledgling journey out.

Baclofen is still way off the charts as a treatment for alcoholism. Looking through these boards you'll find that it does work. But if said counselor is unfamiliar with it, and especially if counselor is particularly inclined toward another approach, talking about baclofen could bring up unnecessary challenges. At the very least, if you want to talk about it, go armed with Dr. Ameisen's book and print-outs of the studies (available here on the "Consolidated Baclofen Information" thread).

Once you've decided whether or not you want the appointment and its possible effects on your record, consider whether or how ready you are to take the professional opinion of one who dislikes, disbelieves or discounts your means so far. Not saying it will happen, just that it's more likely than not. Maybe counselor will be delighted with whatever helps . . . or maybe, should you decide to go, you could get a feel for what the sessions will be like, how they will help you, and then decide about spilling the beans that you are among a few hundreds . . . maybe thousands . . . people worldwide doing the baclofen experiment.

Whatever your decision, all the best to you. Congratulations on getting even a little bit of a life back! I remember how awesome that feels. Baclofen did it for me. Good luck to you!!

Nail on the head...Do I want to discuss my Bachlofen straight out with him, or do I want to lie to him for at least the first few sessions and then hit him with a wealth of information.

I think I'll hold off and reserve judgement until the first session is over.

I'll be in touch.