What does dying from alcoholism look like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:wow oh wow steven jobs as he died

What?

[Anonymous]

This is an old and depressing thread.

[Anonymous]

For the Op that worries he maybe drinking too much or have a problem. One major sign is not being able to stop at one drink. Another is that you can't go without drinking , without getting nervous, jittery , even shaky . I seen the warning signs , but brushed them off . Drank all day everyday for 10 years . Had to keep drinking more to have same affect. Then I went to stronger , liquor . My esophagus & liver was shutting down , so I couldn't hold the booze down. Dr. took blood work & told me straight out if you don't quit now your liver wont' last more then 6 months . Esophagus will become swollen & you will have to have a tube in my neck !! So glad my Dr. told me that way & did not sugar coat it . Btw alcoholism runs ram pit in my whole family history . It's been almost 4 years since I've been sober . I have that picture in my head of tube's sticking out of me & my liver shutting down . A very slow painful death for a few moments of So Called Pleasure is not Fun

[Anonymous]

I drink at least a fifth of whiskey everyday, straight. I've been to re-habs, AA meetings all my life, a cure for some, which is great, but won't cure me. I can honestly hope to wake up tomorrow and be alive. I quit doing drugs a while ago, done pretty much everything, but alcohol has always been a staple. My brain feels numb everyday, my physical functions are deteriorating. I've done some research on the effects of alcohol, and can relate to well, unfortunately. It's a slow death, I'm experiencing all the symptoms from 25+ years of drinking. I hope someone who reads this can give me some kind of advice or wisdom, and maybe I can do the same.

[Anonymous]

Before there is the physical destruction
, there is the death of your ability to be honest with yourself and others, your frugality, your presence of mind, your integrity, your maturity, your ability to be employed, etc etc etc.

This is what I think of when people call it a slow death.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sister died of alcoholism about a year ago and it is very painful. I concur with a previous poster that not talking about why she died makes it much worse. She had abused alcohol and drugs (heroin) for most of her life and had gotten sober 5 or 6 times for years at a time, but then would fall back into it. She kept it all very secret. Before she died we didn't even know she was really sick, she just kept saying that she wasn't feeling well. We got a call one day that her friend had found her unconscious in her apartment. She was taken to the hospital. I went to see her and she was extremely yellow and on a respirator. The next day she died. She must have been really sick to die so suddenly, but my family and i had no idea she was so far gone. She had a very difficult life and I was pretty sure she was going to die young, but I was close to her and I am extremely sad about it.

OH MY. Thank you so much for your post. It was very heart felt and touched me. My sister who was only 45 just died a week ago and I am trying to just deal with this on a daily basis. I am not sure exactly what happened but I was told that her body just shut down. She had blood coming out of her mouth and nose and turned blue immediately. Thank God I am two years sober myself. I almost went the same way. I just can't believe she has passed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sister died of alcoholism about a year ago and it is very painful. I concur with a previous poster that not talking about why she died makes it much worse. She had abused alcohol and drugs (heroin) for most of her life and had gotten sober 5 or 6 times for years at a time, but then would fall back into it. She kept it all very secret. Before she died we didn't even know she was really sick, she just kept saying that she wasn't feeling well. We got a call one day that her friend had found her unconscious in her apartment. She was taken to the hospital. I went to see her and she was extremely yellow and on a respirator. The next day she died. She must have been really sick to die so suddenly, but my family and i had no idea she was so far gone. She had a very difficult life and I was pretty sure she was going to die young, but I was close to her and I am extremely sad about it.

OH MY. Thank you so much for your post. It was very heart felt and touched me. My sister who was only 45 just died a week ago and I am trying to just deal with this on a daily basis. I am not sure exactly what happened but I was told that her body just shut down. She had blood coming out of her mouth and nose and turned blue immediately. Thank God I am two years sober myself. I almost went the same way. I just can't believe she has passed.

NP here. It sounds like ruptured esophageal varices based on your description. Know that it was a quick death, OP and may you find comfort in your good memories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This all sounds horrible.

How much alcohol, over how long a period, would someone have to drink to get to this point?

I worry about my own alcohol consumption sometimes. About two or three times a week I will have around 2 glasses of wine, sometimes 3 glasses. So, typically I'm drinking anywhere from 4-9 glasses a week.

You are fine.

[Anonymous]

I am a Hospice Chaplain and am happy to answer questions about death. Dying from alcohol abuse is ugly. All death is hard to watch. Preventable death is particularly painful for family and friends. Alcoholism affects the liver. Death usually comes from multiple organ failure. It is often prolonged and unpredictable. In Hospice we can keep the patient comfortable and fairly pain-free. Unfortunately, we cannot do the same for family and friends who have to watch.

Sorry. Just being honest.

[Anonymous]

It can be sudden. My brother died in his late 30s of alcoholism and we didn't even know he was an alcoholic. He lived alone and was found dead after not showing up for work. 2 weeks before he died was the last time I saw him. His skin was turning yellow, but I didn't know what was wrong with him and didn't think it was a big deal because he acted totally normal. He never went to the doctor and died from throwing up blood. There was over a gallon of blood. The autopsy found a fatty yellow liver. I'm still shocked about it to this day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Aunt died of alcoholism. She decided to go cold turkey and ended up in the hospital. She seemed to get better, but then succumbed. This is after several decades of heavy drinking, yellow eyes, liver failure, etc. I'm at least glad that she was almost pain-free at the end, but she left behind young adult children who will have pain for the rest of their lives.

That's so sad. And she was trying to quit? Isn't that how Amy Winehouse died? I'm guessing going cold turkey is dangerous . So very sorry about your Aunt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My uncle died of this. His heart basically gave out one day. His urine had been black for about two weeks, and he was going less and less. He just laid on the couch. He turned very yellow. One day he had chest pains and his wife took him to the hospital, he died before they could get him out of the car. His heart just died. My uncle was put on a list for a liver transplant. He gave up drinking for six months. He got the call that one was available. He had to be honest with the dr. that he was going to start drinking again with the new liver, and he decided to pass on the transplant so that someone else could have it. He died two months later. Even though he had gone six months without, he couldn't imagine living without alcohol forever. So sad.

That's very sad, RIP to your uncle he was brave man

[Anonymous]

I drink only on the weekends but I’ll drink three or four pints of vodka Friday through Sunday.

[Anonymous]

I do not feel one bit sorry for alcoholics. It does them an injustice to say it is a disease. That is big fat lie. Its one BIG FAT CHOICE. Alcoholics are selfish people and do not think about anyone but themselves and how they can get their next drink. They damage relationships. families, and are miserable people, who blame everything else and everyone else for their poor choices and decisions. They love to drink and that is all they love. They believe their own lies and are the most selfish people I have ever met. Every alcoholic I have seen wants sympathy, blames, lies, manufactures chaos, and they HAVE a long list of other behavioral personality issues. They enjoy living in misery and self pity they thrive on. Most need to get over themselves. They get in their own way. Destroyers. I wont apologize for this statement most people wont tell it like it is. I have lived it and seen what it does. Enablers need to move on. Let them drink themselves to death. I dont pity them one bit. Its stupid.

[Anonymous]

I am on this page because my brother, 35 years old can not stay sober. He passes out, wakes up, drinks, passes out. He quit his job, does not listen to anyone and has put my poor sick mom through so much. He’s been drinking for about 2 years and refuses help. He passed out in the snow at night and almost lost his foot. We don’t know what to do, I can’t lose him. My mom cries day and night, she doesn’t sleep at night because she thinks if she sleeps, he will leave the house and might pass out somewhere in the cold again and die. I wish the government would force these addicts into treatments because if we leave it up to them, their brains don’t function anymore and they will kill themselves. I am so lost and frustrated and need help.