b729

Starting today I am going to be tapering down over a period of approximately 14 days, I am setting a baseline consumption of twelve drinks per day, and will be cutting down one simple drink per day, recently I have sometimes consumed more than 12 drinks, so I am going to start at 12 tonight. I will update frequently, at least twice a day to keep me on track, I will only be buying enough alcohol each evening to meet my daily allowance, and only buying pints/ 12oz bottles rather than cases. Wish me luck, I know I can pull this off, I'm determined.

sugarbear1

you are still putting alcohol in your body daily

you are still at risk when you stop

please seek proper medical help for detoxing

totfit

I commend you on your efforts. Just be careful as buying in the evening will give you a good opportunity to "cheat" on that day. If you need medical attention, it will not likely come as a surprise. I would not hesitate to get it if needed.

Dee74

I hope you decide to see a Dr instead b729.
Tapering never worked for me, and it can be every bit as dangerous as cold turkey.

D

b729

Thanks, I have cut down before with no physical difficulties so I'm sure I will be okay to just go the whole route, I haven't been drinking more than 4 months anyways, and I only drink in the evenings, usually only spending 4 hours per day drinking

ImReadyToQuit

I tried tapering on my first attempt... It by far the worst of all methods I've done since.

b729

Why exactly?

b729

Well, it's day one, keep in mind I have severe anxiety, and that's why I started drinking, I am working on it, I was taking Zoloft and all was well until I started becoming suicidal and had to quit taking it, f* it, I might as well be honest. Eventually I have to solve it but its a work in progress, looking up alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it's pretty much exactly the anxious hell I was dealing with before I started drinking, so it's going to be hard to tell what's withdrawal and what's anxiety, but whatever, I'm determined to do this ****. I am truly upset that many people's are shooting down my attempt to get better, it's been done before, I've spent weeks researching it and many people have successfully done it, if it does get to the point I need medical attention, of course I will get it, but at this point, this is the best option for me.

EndGameNYC

Maybe I missed something, but I don't recall comments that contained ill will towards you. What I do recall is that people are concerned for your safety and well being.

Though, as you've said, you've been able to moderate before without consequences, this has no bearing on your present or future attempts, any of which has the potential to land you in the ER or worse.

If "tapering" for alcoholics and other problem drinkers were a safe process, then the AMA wouldn't warns us not to try this home.

yukonm

Update??

Boleo

I see a lot of math here. Unfortunately for me, one the first things to go out the window when ever I picked up a drink, was my math skills.

waynetheking

I have to chime in here. And if any of you ever read my other post im always positive. But this tapering down method of trying to quit drinking is ludicrous. Seriously! Your disease has taken over the logic in your brain. My belief is that this way of quitting is NEVER going to work. Why?, because you think you can control it. Thats completely illogical. We all know alcoholics cant control their drinking. Goodluck in you're quest for sobriety.

EndGameNYC

My math skills were just fine when I was drinking. I could tell you how much I drank on a given day with decent accuracy, with the exception of the many times I blacked out.

However, geography ("Where the hell am I?"), history ("How did I end up here again?"), chemistry ("Why can't I remember anything I did last night?"), and physics ("Someone probably took apart my car, and then rebuilt it in my neighbor's swimming pool. Yeah, that's it.") were always challenging for me.

Eleni58

So how is the tapering going for you? I started tapering 3 days ago and so far it's working. I went to going 18 hours without a drink and then drinking 5 drinks, to 21 hours without a drink and then drinking 4 drinks, to 22 hours without a drink and then drinking 2.5 drinks and today I went 23 hours without a drink and my goal is 2 drinks or less..but the night is not over.

davaidavai

Good luck! I'm interested to read more posts of yours to see how it goes. I'm not a doctor, but tapering seems like a pretty rational concept to me. Perhaps the others could explain the ins and outs of why it's a bad idea, or just as bad as cold turkey. I suppose seeing a doctor in all things is preferable, but is his thinking really that flawed? Maybe some elaboration beyong the 'stinkin thinkin!' argument is in order.

Soberpotamus

Lmao

Sent from my iPhone using SoberRecovery

Grungehead

I think most people are simply sharing their experience with trying to control their intake of alcohol. In order to taper you need to be able to control your intake. I have tried tapering and controlling my drinking several times over the past years without success. If the OP succeeds I would/will be the first to congratulate him. If he is succeeding I am surprised he hasn't come back to update his quitting log.

trent333

Definitely super hard to do and didnt work for me either. Good on you though if you can make it this way.

karate

I think tapering can work ,But would require Iron will .

I could not do it ,Because i always lost count

You can google-how to taper off alochol ,IMO it would be a good plan -if someone could do it .

ImReadyToQuit

Of course the argument can be made that tapering has been done for centuries. That is true, however, there was always a baby sitter/doctor to administer the taper. So does it work? Yes, it's proven. But to be the administer of alcohol yourself is probably worse than being your own lawyer.