Originally Posted by
ElChupacabra 
Yet I am most definately an alcoholic. I am able to control the amount that I drink when I choose to.
Well if you are able to control your drinking, then you should have no problem with giving up.
I do not believe it's a fantasy that one can taper. It just takes discipline. To suggest that every alcoholic is a mess that can't help but drink endlessless all the time is stereotyping.
Well I make no apology for stereotyping in this instance. Alcholics cannot control their drinking. That's why they are alcoholics.
Also, who is to say that tapering could not be administered in a controlled hospital enviroment?
Interesting thought, although I am not sure any politician would get votes for spending taxpayers money on treating alcoholics with alcohol in hospital.
It's just simpler and probably easier to control to give medications for a few days to assist with the withdrawal rather than feed the addiction.
Speaking as an alcoholic who has given up, when I wanted to give up, that was it, I was done. Thankfully I didn't need detox but if I had to go through detox which involved doctors feeding me alcohol I am not sure where that would have taken me.........probably back out to drinking again.