Breathalysers

If you are dependent on alcohol, you strongly crave drink and your body becomes physically used to it. Once you’ve been drinking heavily over a long period of time, your body may begin to experience withdrawal symptoms if you don’t drink. These could kick in up to three hours or a day since your last drink. The symptoms include trembling, feeling sick, sweating and even hallucinations. Experiencing these symptoms can lead some people to carry on drinking to avoid them. Obviously, if you want to quit drinking for good, you’ll need to stop drinking at some point and could experience these symptoms.

A detox programme supervised by a GP or in an alcohol rehab clinic can help with this phase. During alcohol detox you’ll be prescribed some medicine which manages the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol. You’ll also be monitored by your GP or an addiction professional in a rehab centre. You must agree that you won’t drink any alcohol whilst you’re going through detox and you must stick to this — you may be breathalysed by your GP or at the clinic to make sure that you are not drinking.

Before and during detox it’s normal to feel nervous about what’s going to happen and about not drinking. Talk to a doctor about everything involved and this should ease your concerns. The anxiety should dissipate after a few days. You may also have some difficulty sleeping and this is normal. You may be given something to help you sleep but the temporary insomnia will pass after a few days anyway. It’s also likely that you’ll still have some withdrawal symptoms and cravings but these will be less severe than they would have been without detox medication.

As well as detox medicine, you may also be prescribed vitamins, particularly Thiamine (B1) which is a nutrient many alcohol dependent people are lacking in.

After detox It’s important to understand that detox is not the end of the story when it comes to quitting drinking. There is still a lot of hard work to do and detox is not a miracle cure. It won’t make you suddenly not want to drink and won’t stop you from being tempted. Rehabilitation through counselling and therapy and aftercare services will be key to abstinence. You’ll learn to re-adjust to an alcohol-free life and to cope with day-to-day situations without turning to alcohol.

Originally published here.

When people are dependent on alcohol, their body has a strong physical dependency on it and if it does not get the alcohol it’s used to, withdrawal symptoms will be experienced. These usually occur within one day of the last alcoholic drink being drunk.

Withdrawal symptoms from alcohol include shaking, sweating, being sick and in extreme cases hallucinating. Without another drink, these symptoms can last up to a week, but even after they have passed the craving for alcohol may persist. Withdrawal symptoms are not just unpleasant; in worst-case scenarios they can make someone very ill or even be fatal. That is why anyone quitting drinking after a history of heavy drinking should consult a medical professional.

Through detox, the worst of these  symptoms can be managed through the use of medication. The medication usually used is chlordiazepoxide. Detoxification can be done under the supervision of a GP or in a rehabilitation clinic.

Usually, on your first day without alcohol a strong dose of medication will be prescribed and will be gradually reduced over the next week. It works to stop or minimise the worst withdrawal symptoms. You must not drink any alcohol during the time you’re on detox medication. In a rehab centre you’ll be monitored and a GP may expect you to take a breathalyser test to prove that you are dry. You’ll see a medical professional in-house at the rehabilitation clinic or at a doctor’s surgery during the rehab period.

Rehab clinic, rather than home-based, detox can be especially beneficial for those who don’t have much support at home, those who have experienced very severe withdrawal symptoms in the past and those who have repeatedly tried and failed to stop drinking. Those with illnesses caused by heavy drinking are also better suited to in-house detox as they will receive round-the-clock supervision.

Many people feel quite well during detox because of the effect of the medication they are prescribed. However, there can be side effects but these are much less severe than the ones from alcohol withdrawal without medication would be. Anxiety may be experienced, as well as bouts of mild insomnia. Some people still experience mild but manageable withdrawal symptoms.

As well as medication, those undergoing detox may also be prescribed vitamins — especially B1 (thiamine) which many heavy drinkers are deficient in.

Detox medication does not just stop someone drinking and is not a magic cure. Cravings are still common even after detox so willpower and perhaps therapy are also required in most people.

Originally published here.

One of the best places to go on holiday in Europe is France, and one of the best areas of France is the Dordogne. The Dordogne is a department in south west France in the Aquitaine region and has many gites to chose from.

The Dordogne has warm summers and short cold winters. In the summer, there are usually 8 days per month with temperatures above 30 degrees. It also rains her e which is why it is so green,so don’t expect a completely dry holiday.

Fortunately in the summer you find that the heat builds up, followed by a dramatic thunderstorm, often at night, which clears the air and enables the pattern to begin again. These storms occur more frequently in the north and east of the department.

So what is there to do in the Dordogne? As with the rest of France, there are markets on every day of the week somewhere in the area you are visiting. In the summer, there are night markets as well.

Food is based on the “Terroir” — the earth. This is a good are for growing crops for sale and for food. You will see field upon field of sunflowers, wheat, maize and orchards of fruit trees. The area is famous for its Duck dishes from Confit du Canard to Foie Gras.

If you have children, many gites have swimming pools. If you venture out, you will find medieval castles, jousting tournaments, aerial walkways and swings through the forest and canoeing to name but a few.

This area has been settled since the Stone Age so you get cave drawings, Roman museums, 100 Years War castles through to memorials to the Free French Maquis of the 2nd World War.

If that isn’t enough then just spend your holiday wine tasting. There are so many vineyards offering free tasting that you are spoilt for choice. Just be aware that the police can breathalyse you so have a designated sober driver.

Where to stay? The best place to stay is a French gite. Once they were very basic French cottages, they now come with mod cons. Many have pools and play areas for children and as the weather is good BBQing is the cooking choice of most guests.

Originally published here.