Iopu

I was drinking 8 beers every night. 500ml 4.3% alcohol. I have cut it down to 3. I been stuck there for the last month or two. I take them late at night, coming up to bedtime. They get me nicely buzzed.
But I am having trouble making that final step to quitting completely. I need some motivation.

doggonecarl

I don't know if it will serve as motivation, but if you are an alcoholic or in the early stages of alcoholism, you won't be able to maintain "control" over moderation. Your tolerance will increase. Your usage will increase. Then you will find yourself on a very slippery slope and the slide down is quick.

If you are at three beers a night, just quit. You don't know if you will ever find yourself so close to the goal line again.

oak

It helped me to focus on why I wanted sobriety- the benefits of sobriety.

Iopu

I am giving up those beers. I am into going to the gym. So I am starting a new diet plan to motivate me to cut out the alcohol.

deeker

This is my plan
1 Prayer
2 AA meetings
3 Accountability with another alkie in recovery-12 steps
4 SR
5 Service work in AA/NA

It works for me, you can borrow it if you want

Ghostly

Congrats on giving sobriety a chance. Keep in mind what Carl wrote cuz he is right on:

For people with alcohol problems, moderation does not usually work. Long term anyway.

instant

Its an addiction. It melts motivation.

Just keep trying and observe yourself

visch1

Welcome. Motivation for me when I was bouncing around AA was listening to what happened to people who continued to drink. I realized that I was heading towards that resulting misery if I continued. It was described as things that WOULD happen not might happen. I wanted to be comfortable in my own skin and by doing the work today many years later, I still am. It works IF we work it. BE WELL

Iopu

Thanks for your replies guys. I went my first night without any alcohol in nearly a year! Just posting on this forum gave me a reason to do it. When I was drinking heavily I saw a serious need to quit. But because I had cut it down so much I didn't see such a serious need to stop and I guess I forgot to quit! But I've done it now.

sparky78

That's great, keep it up! Your plan sounds good too! How are you doing today?

Iopu

I'm lucky I only have to get off a low amount. I think I have a bit of a withdrawal. I went alcohol free for 2 nights. I kind of felt awful yesterday when I was outside. But felt fine when I got home. Today, I feel awful. I still feel bad now at home. I might just be tired because it took me a long time to sleep last night.
I'm currently having an anxiety attack that I'm in a withdrawal. I don't suffer from anxiety attacks. So maybe it is a withdrawal. I'm afraid I will have to go into college tomorrow in a haze, panicking that I'm in an alcohol withdrawal.
I'm going to get my beers for tonight and get my head straightened out. I may see If I can see a doctor tomorrow and talk about it.
I also bet that if I get those beers I will feel great tomorrow. If I don't I am going to spend the day in an anxiety attack. Am I suffering from a withdrawal?

sugarbear1

Your body is waking up. Try staying stopped and heal your entire body. You can do this!!

whiskeyman

This is the only recovery plan that worked for me as well.
and i tried everything. I lost everything but this program helped me get sober. now for two years, i never thought i would get here.

raja12

Although I never drank everyday, the days off were ruined by the decision later on to just have a few. Then it becomes more often, and more. For me, its just easier to not drink at all. You have 2 decide how you choose to do it tho. Just giving you my experience, and opinion. I would never be ok in one drinking session with just 3. Even everyday.

Iopu

I think I had an anxiety attack. I was really tired today and got afraid I was going into a delerium. Back to it tomorrow!

Iopu

It wasn't anxiety afterall. I still feel quite ill this morning. It isn't an alcohol withdrawal though. I had my 3 beers last night. They weren't that good. I was only drinking them out of habit.

doggonecarl

I don't know what you were suffering from, but you rushed back to the alcohol pretty quick. If you've got concerns about withdrawals, see your doctor. But if you've been at a three-beer limit for a month, you should be able to quit with a minimum of physical withdrawals.

It's the mental withdrawals that will get you.

Hop back on the sober train. Good luck.

Dee74

Have you seen a Dr Iopu - I think it's the best way to go when you can't quite make the final jump and you feel sick when you try

D

Readysteady

To go from 8 500ml beers down to 3, and keep it that low consistently.....wish I could do that! That is a minimal amount to come off of, but of course, it's good that you're asking a pro. I've been cutting down here and there but have yet to make a 100% go. Also, I've been getting bad anxiety ever since I had a light night over a month ago.....no matter how many I have. Good luck!

fallgirl613

I tried doing the same thing. Drank on average 8-10 drinks a day (sometimes more). On a few occasions, I got myself down to 4 drinks a day but it didn't last. I'd always increase my drinking again (and pretty quickly). That's what scared me. For me, I've discovered, it's either all or nothing. I can't moderate my drinking. Once I start, I can't stop until I pass out (doesn't help that I would mix it with benzos too).
I'm very, very new to the whole sober thing, but for me I've learned that I just had to stop-completely. So, I guess my motivation to stop after 2 days of 4 drinks per day was knowing that I'd always wind up back right where I started because I knew it wouldn't last.
By the way, hang in there with the withdrawal symptoms. You'll feel like poop for a few days but it does get better. I needed Librium for my withdrawals, but I was drinking more than you. It does get better though. Promise!