I need some advice please, from any GPs. Am pretty desperate.
My mother has been a heavy drinker for 20 odd years. She was drunk every second night while I was growing up pretty much. I left home ten years ago as did my sibling. He left as a direct result of rows caused by her drinking. She has caused many horrible rows over the years.
I have distanced myself for the sake of me and my now two small children however I do see her a couple of times a week when she comes to my house but I live far enough away that she needs the car so she is never drunk when I see her. I have also told her that she is not to ring me when she's had a drink as has my sibling (because she is horrible on the phone).
But, she is my mum and I love her. It's killing me to see her drink like this and I'm so worried for her health. She's mid fifties, works full time, is overweight (although she's recently started dropping weight which has concerned me too because I know it's not down to diet or exercise, she does no exercise and eats badly) and also smokes. Her neighbour is moving out and when my sibling popped in to say goodbye the other day he took her to the side and said he was worried about our mum, that she's a 'raging alcoholic' and he wanted to make sure we knew before he left.
It's brought it all to a head for me. I have spoken to her many times about her drinking and she always refused to stop and says she won't be told what to do. She only drinks in the evenings after work and is in bed super early after a skinful so I guess she sleeps it off then functions fine for a day at work.
I am thinking of going to see her GP. I know 100% that he can't discuss her with me, and that fine but I am hoping if I explain to him exactly what's going on he'll bear it in mind next time he sees her and perhaps will do some tests - the results of which might scare her - or at least be able to raise the drinking and open her eyes to what she's doing to her health. She has regular appointments as she has type 2 diabetes. She lies to him about how much she drinks and smokes.
I'm probably clutching at straws here but I really don't know what else to do. I'm so scared that she's going to choke on sick in the night, or burn the house down with a cigarette or make herself really irreversibly unwell.
Is there anything that the GP can do to help?