![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Greg A. on November 10, 2001, at 0:33:48
Hi Julie,
I've been busy the last two days so I haven't had much time to check up on you. Still getting relief from Serzone? Isn't it funny how good things can be when something cuts the anxiety. (Something other than alcohol) Remeron seems to help me. I certainly am not anxiety free, but I am functional pretty much all the time. Knock on wood.
Hope things are going okay. Let me know.Greg
Posted by juliedealer on November 11, 2001, at 8:33:07
In reply to Keeping in Touch Julie, posted by Greg A. on November 10, 2001, at 0:33:48
well, just thought i'd let you know how things are going. After my first day back at work, i drank when i got home. but didn't drink after that. I was really hungry, but reached for a beer rather than eat. But i still feel hopeful that maybe the drunken days are in the past.I've been on the serzone about a week now, and i THINK i see some AD results, from the literature i really need a good 5 - 6 weeks to evaluate the results properly. So i'll just keep hoping for now.
But I still don't hear from you how your abstinence is progressing. I assume things are getting better. Let me know how you are feeling ok?julie
Posted by Greg A. on November 11, 2001, at 11:33:04
In reply to hi there greg!, posted by juliedealer on November 11, 2001, at 8:33:07
> Julie,
Good to hear that your choice is getting a bit easier regarding drinking. Do you feel better, or is the serzone reduction in anxiety the main benefit?
I can't even remember how long I have gone without a drink now. I am having a few problems - quite the opposite of your situation - where I don't think my meds are working as well as they have been. I have also had a fair amount of stress lately. The urge to reduce the anxiety with alochol is there, but I feel I have too much time invested in not drinking to blow it now. In a crazy way i feel some responsibility to the people I have shared this experience with, not to fall back on old ways. I see my pdoc this week for the first time since June, believe it or not, so perhaps I'll be altering my meds. It'll be nice to tell her that i have stopped drinking.
I drink fruit juice with lots of ice in the evenings now instead of beer or wine. That seems to get me by. I am waking up in the mornings feeling kind of shitty though. Not rested. Sore and achy. It passes and i certainly have a lot more energy. I have accomplished a lot in the weeks i have been sober.
Tell me about your job Julie. I have been to L. Vegas once, about 25 years ago. i doubt it has changed much! Are you actually a dealer? Do you work weird hours? Do you wear some funky outfit in keeping with the babylonian theme of the casino? Just curious.Greg
Posted by juliedealer on November 12, 2001, at 16:01:32
In reply to Old ways and new ways, posted by Greg A. on November 11, 2001, at 11:33:04
hi greg,
glad to hear form you. Do you wear some babylonian out fit in keeping with the theme....yeah, ever since the new owners. The old owners had us dressed pretty dignified. But, inmy small town, the uniform is kind of a badge of honor? People know you work at the casino and the money is good. The casino i work at is in the midwest, and it is different from Lost wages. We get alot of hardcore gamblers, Vegas gets more of the "let's have fun" vacation crowd. Yes, i am a dealer, After 3 yrs. exp the job is pretty easy, and the money is ok. Health benefits and 401k are good too. I had 17 days of vacation available in 3rd year, not sure what i get this year, but it goes up.Bad news on the serzone, seems the anxiety relief was only temporary. Now i just feel sleepy all the time, lasst nite i drank 5 beers. But I am willing to try some other things to get the drinking out of my life. I haven't seen a therapist in a long time now, but i made an appointment for next week, i'm gonna keep working at it.
the other thing i have done is make an appointment for a complete physical, haven't don that in a few years. some of my problems may have a medical source. (perimenopausal.. hope that doesn't make you squeamish..LOL)You said you "felt some responsibilty to the people you shared this with". Are you going to AA meetings?If so do they help?
Your bud
julie
Posted by Greg A. on November 12, 2001, at 23:51:32
In reply to you crack me up!, posted by juliedealer on November 12, 2001, at 16:01:32
Hey Julie!
Even though the serzone seems to have lost some of its magic powers, you sound rather up. Good for you. Scheduling an appointment to get some help is also a good sign - although I think my non professional wisdom is highly underrated.
A small town casino dealer . . . who would have thought. I had you pegged in some big palace in Las Vegas.
You are right to get the medical side checked out. I went for many years, at a time much earlier in my life, with a thyroid problem and never mentioned it to my doc. I just figured that's the way I was. I still thingk a lot of the depression and anxiety problems started at that time.
It's my wife's birthday tomorrow. We are sort of fighting. Our oldest daughter (going on 16)is driving us nuts - well I guess I'm more than half way there to begin with - and the tension is getting to us both. I have not done a thing for her birthday. I feel kind of bad.
I have an appointment with my therapist this week as well. I am not sure what to say, Am I doing okay or not? I'm not where I should be, but like I said before I am continuing to be functional. Sometimes I think I ask for too much.
What do hard core gamblers do to make them hard core? I only have familiarity with hard core depression.Greg.
Posted by Kristi on November 13, 2001, at 1:02:26
In reply to Re: you crack me up!, posted by Greg A. on November 12, 2001, at 23:51:32
Greg,
I'm the one in Vegas. That's what has made it sooooooo incredibly difficult to quit smoking. Everyone here smokes... it should be called the smokers capital of the world!! Hoping your well, Kristi> Hey Julie!
>
> Even though the serzone seems to have lost some of its magic powers, you sound rather up. Good for you. Scheduling an appointment to get some help is also a good sign - although I think my non professional wisdom is highly underrated.
> A small town casino dealer . . . who would have thought. I had you pegged in some big palace in Las Vegas.
> You are right to get the medical side checked out. I went for many years, at a time much earlier in my life, with a thyroid problem and never mentioned it to my doc. I just figured that's the way I was. I still thingk a lot of the depression and anxiety problems started at that time.
> It's my wife's birthday tomorrow. We are sort of fighting. Our oldest daughter (going on 16)is driving us nuts - well I guess I'm more than half way there to begin with - and the tension is getting to us both. I have not done a thing for her birthday. I feel kind of bad.
> I have an appointment with my therapist this week as well. I am not sure what to say, Am I doing okay or not? I'm not where I should be, but like I said before I am continuing to be functional. Sometimes I think I ask for too much.
> What do hard core gamblers do to make them hard core? I only have familiarity with hard core depression.
>
> Greg.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Social | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.