Drunk and nowhere to go

General health and lifestyle
1

i had an appointment at the dr's this morning, and witnessed first hand how people treat and perceive AUD, it was most unpleasant .

A woman about 30ish stumbled in through the door into the waiting room. She looked very dishevelled and unkempt. The very helpful receptionist shouted to one of her colleagues, "oh god that's all we need, she's back again, you'll have to deal with her"

​To cut a long story short, she was another 'alkie' (according to a waiting patient) A receptionist shouted to her 'go home, we've told you not to come her, we can't do anything, no you can't see a dr as you're wasting their time.'

Apparently the woman had been picked up by the police for drunk and disorderly in town. She was released from the police station, and went to the mental health unit at the hospital. The same thing happened there (bear in mind that all the waiting room were staring at her,) the receptionist was so condescending and told her to go to the hospital. The woman by now was practically screaming that she needed help to stop drinking and no-one would listen to her and she had nowhere to go. She had been evicted,,was drunk in town , went to hospital where she was told to see her GP. Arrived at the dr's to be told a dr wouldn't see her and go to the mental health unit.

She could have been taken into the confidential room in reception and dealt with discretely. I'm sure some of the patients in the waiting room thought it was a side show, all sorts of comments were made in front of her, even one saying they should lock people like that up and throw away the key.

According to the receptionists, she had been going there once a week for months. No-one knew where she lived, and nobody cared either. She wanted to use the telephone by the staff wouldn't let her. I did let her use my phone, to which I was told, careful she'll run off with it and it'll be full of germs!!

She left the surgery and staggered up the road. Obviously I only know what I saw, not the background behind her or what she'd done before. She was pleading for help to stop drinking and in the end.

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she went from the police station to the hospital. Hospital to her GP, where she was told to go back to the hospital for a list of hostels to try.

I felt so sorry for her, but I was definitely in the minority, the rest had judged made their minds up and it was something to liven up their waiting time.

i don't want to go into government funding and overseas aid, but with the daily increase of people wanting to live in the UK and NHS cuts, money is being spent In the wrong direction 

3

GPs don't see alcohol dependency as a medical problem,other than perhaps a mental health problem or some one lacking in moral fibre.

The only reason I believe I got given diazepam, is because I had already been to hospital and spent nearly two months there and they knew if they didn't help, I might end up back there.

The GMC tell GPs it is not their job and the funding of alcohol problems goes to the alcohol recovery charities. Once I have finished sorting my own small issue with the hospitals and them trying to say my stroke was from trauma (because I was a drunk who fell down) despite there being no recorded signs of trauma, instead of is being spontaneous, I will turn my attention to other subjects.

One is a letter to the well known ARC, who I have emailed to and spoken to before, to try and see if my experiences might persuade them to change their policy. Then I will be asking my local hospital what facilities they have for alcohol dependency and if they have an alcohol specislist nurse and if so, I shall request a meeting with her. Then I shall be writing to the Chief Executive of the NHS for my area to invite him to comment.

Some may say I'm wasting my time, I don't think so, I am very good at wording things, that highlight areas for improvement that they ignore at their own risk. So far, in the last 12 months, I have spoken with the director of an ARC and got myself seen properly at another branch to the original I went to, withotu having to jump through the usual hoops and also written to the General Manager of the stroke rehab hospital and refused to see the neuro consultant, stating the reasons for my complaint, which resulted in an invite for an hour long meeting and being swapped to the lead clinician (neuro surgeon).

I wish I had been at that GP's surgery today, I would have shamed them all into action, not by getting angry (you lose the battle as soon as you do that) but by pointing out their lack of humanity and would they be the same if that was one of their relations. People really backtrack and are taken aback if someone says something to them, when they think they are on home ground, they don't expect it.

The way then to deal with it, would be to demand to see a doctor, if necessary, threaten to walk in if ignored. Ask the GP, who is going to help her, the hospital or the GP, when he says hospital, I'd say she's just come from there, they sent her to you. If you want her to go back, then phone the hospital and get their agreement to take care of her.

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sorry I was cut off!

just to summarise, here was a youngish woman, worse for wear through drink, arrested for drunk and disorderly, sent to mental health unit, then sent to GP and then told to go to mental health (where she'd just come from!) or A&E. The walk in clinic next to the hospital closed last year!

i was under the impression the NHS were trying to get patients not to go to a&e unless it was an emergency, and that first contact should be with your GP.

Whilst I don't want to be modded, or get all political, it's obvious that AUD comes way way down, if not the bottom of the ladder. With the number of people coming to 'live" in the uk the situation will get worse. Surely with the amount of money we send overseas to 'other' countries, the money could

be used to provide better care, support , counselling for AUD sufferers, particularly as the number of people requiring these services is increasing all the time

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It must be said for once, that the purpose of mainstream addiction treatment is to thwart and delay sobriety. 

My heart goes out to that woman, but you and I know she's only one of many. 

Is there any organization that challenges this nonsense? There should be a campaign of shame that gets published in the newspapers. This is just hideous incompetence that's killing people left and right.   

6

WTF are the hospital claiming! Are they seriously saying that the trauma you suffered, which resulted in your stroke, was due to you having been drunk and falling over? Unbelievable, words fail me.

if I remember correctly, didn't you start with swollen legs, then couldn't walk? you and your wife went to your GP who sent you to hospital immediately. So when were you supposed to have fallen down!!!!?

I certainly don't think you're wasting your time, infact quite the opposite.

You have a talent in writing, your research is excellent (apart from you not knowing about folic acid during pregnancy!!!!! Lol!!!) You're using your brain and not stagnating, plus it's given you a purpose to focus on. You're always telling people on the forum how well and sometimes not well they've done. So for once, praise yourself. You sorted out your own medication, which in itself would send folk to drink, and you've not had a drink. BE PROUD OF YOURSELF

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ADE it was very upsetting, that could have been any one of us.

she was literally pleading for help, but no-one would help. As you say, she is one of many. Money which goes overseas needs to be used to fund proper alcohol recovery services

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I know aht you mean - it's so sad isn't it? I tried to some help for my drinking today. All that happned was the doctor looked down on me 

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That's awful, neville. There are medications for detox and post-detox, but so many doctors don't know about them or don't want to use them. Are you in the UK, neville? 

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My previous dr had never heard of TSM, naltrexone or nalmefeme. He actually said its a load of America mumbo jumbo

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Yes, basically when I went to see my GP, it was because I felt an awful nausea and my legs were completely starting to give way, I could hardly stand up. He sent me to hospital because he spotted jaundice and sent me because of suspected liver failure, although he didn't tell me that.

At the hospital, they checked me over and sent me for an CT. Afterwards they asked me if I had had any falls, to which I said yes, two. But I did state this wasn't to do with being drunk, I have never fallen over in my life due to alcohol. I said something is wrong with my balance, something is not right. If they'd told me I had an acute cerebral haemorrhage and 6mm midline shift, I'd have said, well there you go, that's why I feel awful and can hardly stand up.

But no, it was put in the notes, to the effect of, drunk/fell over. But nothing in my notes, shows anything about trauma to the head and they examined me top top bottom and even spotted a small bruise to my knee and x-rayed that. The second hospital carried on with what the first had said.

When I was at the stroke rehab hospital, I was seeing the neuro surgeon and I asked him about this and he actually turned around to me and said, did you have a fight the night before? I said no, but under my breath I was going, idiot.

The first hospital has written back to say they cannot be sure and batted it over to the second hospital, so I shall wait and see. They know I have the hospital records and they can't state anything that isn't there.

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RHGB

Did you know you had damaged yourself with alcohol before this or did it come out of the blue

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Out of the blue. Used to drink after work in the evenings and at the weekend sometimes lunch time. No signs whatsoever. The GP and the hospital seemed more interested in my alcohol intake plus how long, rather than the fact that the stroke almost killed me.

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I can't see your comment RHGB,only the notification in my mail

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I'll try again, same post and it wasn't moderated.

Out of the blue. Used to drink after work in the evenings and at the weekend, sometimes lunch time. No signs whatsoever. The GP and the hospital seemed more interested in my alcohol intake plus how long, rather than the fact that the stroke almost killed me.

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Is that the one that started humming "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves"? 

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"...rather than the fact that the stroke almost killed me."

And then they walked in with big floppy shoes and told you it was all in your head. Then started running around the room, shooting seltzer water everywhere.

 

18

Got it👍

That's the scary thing to all of us isn't it,you didn't think you really had a problem and ended up with cirrhosis,we all know we have a problem and it could happen to any of us

19

Haha

"we'd hear it from the people of the town they'd call us.................."