I haven't read this whole thread
I have read bits and pieces here, but alcohol withdrawal is nothing to play around with. I have seen it first hand, and been through it, but not nearly as bad as some people I know. I never had seizures or anything like that, but there was no worst feeling in the world to me to go on a binge for a week or two, then try and stop, and get that really sick feeling. Mine was mild compared to what a friend of mine is going through right now. I met him in rehab last year, and had no idea just how bad off he was, until he became my roommate. This time last year, I had an alcoholic, and a recovering crack addict living with me. Being a recovering addict myself, to both alcohol and opiates, I have a soft spot in my heart for trying to help other addicts. My parents, friends, neighbors, etc, could not understand why I would have people like this living with me, but they also don't know jack about addiction.
The first two weeks this guy lived with me he stayed sober. He was a very intelligent person, graduated second in his class at the college he attended. He made six figures a year at one point, and has two adorable children. We all went out for a night on the town one night last October, and after that it was on like donkey Kong. He got drunk, after I tried to talk him out of drinking, and the holidays last year were horrible with him living here. Within about five days he started drinking in the mornings, and staying drunk all day long. Then one night, my other roommate and I were out in the garage, heard a loud boom, and he was laid out on the kitchen floor, having a seizure. He lived here until New Year's Eve last year, and was hospitalized three times, and had at least six seizures while living here. Me and my other roommate could always see it coming. We got to the point where every time we heard a noise upstairs, we were like "Oh gosh, is it happening again?" We were terrified that he was going to die in front of us.
Long story short, on New Year's Eve, I had already been trying to get him to move out for about two or three weeks, but he was so drunk and strung out he never remembered our conversations. On New Year's Eve, he started throwing up, like he always did before having seizures, and me and my other roommate came up with a plan. He was always out of it for a good half an hour after a seizure, so we just sat around the house, waited for it to happen, and then picked his unconscious ass up, drug him down the stairs, put him in the car, and dropped him off at the hospital. He came too at the hospital, got down on all fours like a wild dog when he got out of my car, and started screaming at the nurses, "Who are you, what is this," over and over again. It was not a laughing situation, but hell, if anyone could have seen him, even the nurses were holding back from laughing. It was really a very tragic situation, though. I said that's the last time he is ever coming in my house, and I meant it. This was his third trip to the hospital, and the next day, he called me up and asked me to come get him. I said no, you can’t come back here; you have no idea the stress you are causing in my household.” He begged, pleaded, said he was through with drinking this time, but I didn't give in, because I had heard it before.
He has been living in the same hotel room ever since. It's like $300 dollars a week, and his mother is paying for it! He is a lot older than me, and turns 40 next week, if he makes it that long. I am looking for him to die any day now. He called me yesterday, and I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was sick. In the middle of our conversation, he all of a sudden said "let me call you back in a little while," and sounded like he was going to throw up. I wish I could do something to help him, it's so sad to see a once intelligent person, who had a wife, has kids, and was living the high life, living out of a hotel room, and constantly going through DT's. I tried to help him when he was here, but I am not sure if he even cares if he dies or not, I think he's given up on life. He's been to like six rehabs, so the only person that can help him now is himself.
Alcohol withdrawals are deadly, even more deadly than any illegal drug out there.
, but I thought I would also add that what your uncle is doing now, wanting to go through this pain, I think it is a lot like self harm. Hurting himself physically is just another way to not feel pain emotionally. Don't know if this will help you at all but it might give you some more depth on why he is refusing to make it easier on himself and do this properly.
