Weaver

Besides the fact that were alcoholics and tend to not have control over our drinking the OP has admitted to A) drinking himself into "oblivion" at night after "tapering" throughout the day and B) currently struggling with opiate use. Yes alcohol withdrawal can be serious, I've gone thru it and watched ,y mother wither around on the floor like a fresh caught fish fresh of the line. But for us to suggest that the OP consider a medically advised detox is in no way "bad" thing.

Is it really the best advice to play devils advocate and give false hope for the OP to do a self monitored taper at home? We are addicts. We abuse drugs and alcohol. The body has become dependent. What if we all try tapering at home, go overboard and drink then pop a couple benzos to enjoy the rest of the night?Alcoholics self administrating alcohol, to quit alcohol, alone....never seems like a good idea.


Regardless, I wish you well OP

Dee74

Like I said above

I've experienced withdrawal while drinking.

I don't just bang on about this for my own benefit - but, due to my own experience, I may be in danger of becoming too invested in this thread, so stepping back...

Back to you UO. Best wishes with whatever you decide.

D

MattM316

This shouldn't descend into a debate about who is right and who is wrong, but the fact is that doctors do medically advise tapering as well.
So how is tapering a false hope when people in the medical profession (more knowledegable than you or I on the subject) push it as a viable option?

People need to know all of the options.
Getting medical help is clearly the best and safest way, nobody is arguing that.
But to dismiss tapering because it 'might not work' isn't the right way to help people with alcohol addiction.
The TS is trying to do something about it and that's a good start, what happens now is up to them and if they are intent on trying tapering and are aware of a better option, they should still be supported.

Skye2

Matt.... I think it's a UK thing - tapering. I guess each country has their own medical guidelines huh?

GracieLou

I try my best to stay away from these threads because it is like reading about torture. Your log made me cringe in pain. I will not be back to witness the rest of the log.

For me, the torture would have made me jump straight into the bottle to alleviate the pain and I would have taken to a bender.

I wish you luck and please seek help from a professional if needed.

RobbyRobot

Yes, but let's also be honest about the rest of their medical advice: that any advised tapering is done after a consultation with a doctor who may then approve and if so, gives detailed instructions for that specific individual.

The idea your suggesting that since doctors do approve tapering's that this then means people can forgo that individual consultation and just go for it. This is an example of why generalizing medical advice is a slippery slope and disingenuous at best.

I myself had a supervised detox in a rehab. I still went thru DT's nonetheless. I had tried home tapers - no joy. I always went back to drinking anyways. Quitting is only worthwhile if a person intends to stay quit, and staying quit requires more then just being clever about home done medically unadvised tapers.


Yeah. Me too. From those times one really learns addiction is some kind of monster for sure.

RobbyRobot

Yeah. Absurd for sure. Being honest with ourselves is useless when we only do so for continuing leveraging our addictions. Seriously.

ippochick

is everyone missing the part where the OP wants to quit drinking so he can 'safely' take up opiates??

bigger things at stake here than Dr vs tapering vs cold turkey.

OP - can you explain why this seems a good plan to you?

Dee74

I did miss that - mea culpa - thanks very much Ippo.

UO there's some seriously screwed thinking going on here, man, on more than one level.

Rather than resigning yourself to addictive thinking, do something.

You've been around the traps a few years now. I know you're an intelligent thoughtful guy. You have a lot of potential, a lot to give.

You're still young.

You know where help is.
Fight these crazy ideas. Don't throw years away like I did.

I really think your best bet is to get some professional advice - soon...maybe even, as much as I know you'd hate the idea, a rehab stay?

D

john44

Yeah, I have too. Now THAT is misery when the alcohol just doesn't even work anymore. When I went to detox for the last time, they tested me upon arrival and I blew a 0.40. I felt completely sober and in fact wanted another drink. At that point more alcohol could've killed me. A self administered taper would never have worked for me.

Fandy

Under-O, you really ARE smarter than this...you have full health insurance, you are still in school and can get your classes deferred for a medical excuse and not waste your parent's money.

What the hell are you "afraid" of ? quitting? succeeding? You have been himming, hawing and obsessing for a month. Your grades are in the toilet and the future you are looking at if you continue this insanity is living in your parent's house until you will be 40 at this rate...

You were sober and much more logical previously, then you were accepted to the school you had hoped for (and had to wait a year because of previous drinking)...Now what? you are giving your Dad ammunition to keep you under his wing for a very long time.

it's not my intention to be harsh with you, but what would YOU say to someone who was doing this while you watched?

once you get over the withdrawals and get it over with, I think you will start to make sense. We are here for you. Just do it, because you are getting yourself in even deeper poo.....go and read about Impurrfect's step mother who just OD'd on opiates yesterday.

underoath

we will see what happens, I am obviously grasping at straws here, eventually I will throw in the towel. Yeah I know I know, it could be too late but whatever, I'm not done playing yet. I have established that I drink 14 drinks a day, which was the purpose of this initial log, to determine how much I drink, considering the fact Ive never counted. And during the whole time I never once got drunk or experienced a buzz. It was just shots, between noon yesterday and now. Will respond tomorrow when I get some sleep. No, I'm not currently using opiates, I don't have a death wish and my drinking habit is a major hindrance regarding other downers, but I wouldn't mind trading one addiction for another at this point. Before it was cocaine, speed, benzos and weed, this time around it's purely alcohol... had I known such a well used/advertised drug could be so addicting I would have left it alone, but this alcohol habit really seemed to have crept out of nowhere. I was warned this would happen...

underoath

honestly the best thing my parents could do for me at this point is wash their hands of me, and medical withdrawal didn't work because I ended up dropping out anyways. The school services never did get in touch with me when I needed them to, and according to them there would be no reimbursement only a requirement to get treatment and sit out for a semester. I withdrew before the deadline and it has the same effect on my gpa and everything, only difference is I don't have to go to rehab

Fandy

Well how can Medical Withdrawal work if you drop out?

don't blame the school for not getting back to you...did you pursue it? and at this point, treatment (maybe IOP)? might be what you need.

But the biggest factor is that you are honest in saying you are NOT done. Under-O, right now you are young and resilient, but you are doing more damage than you think, this is a losing proposition. You are losing LIVING your life as you could. many would give up their thumbs to have the choices you have at your age. don't throw away the opportunities you are so blessed to have....including your brain cells.

just go to the ER and detox?

Muns

I tapered from a doctors plan. I suffered mild withdrawals but never missed work. I did it over 6 weeks. Finished a week early and am on day 14 sober. I was drinking about 2 handles of 80 proof a week. It's possible but not easy in the beginning.

kentuckydan

I am afraid someone who is trying to quit alcohol so they can substitute opiates will end up doing both. Your judgement can be impaired while under the influence

Hawkeye13

I teach in a university and have seen many young people who have a similar story to you over the years I have been there.

They are bright, talented, with every option and are supported by their family so even top graduate programs or internships are something they can have if they want and manage to get through this first round of BA / BS or even MA / MS degrees.

But because of too much money, unhappiness at home, or whatever, they change in the course of a few years from the sharpest student to the one who rarely shows up turns up to class, hands in a few crap assignments, and always have a reason why. Addiction of some kind is right up at the top of the list.

Usually they don't finish, or if they manage to squeak it out the letters they get from professors for jobs or graduate work are not good, since we can only base our data on what we see in the classroom. Then the future is pretty much set, which is not fair but is a reality.

I sometimes have people show up to my office years later saying "you were right about the drinking, smoking, snorting, etc., and now I can't get in a MA or PhD program, can't get a good job, I blew my credit and can't buy a house, car, or get married. My parents have finally disowned me since I put the trust fund up my nose and they won't help, please help me."

But you know the official gpa is what it is, and the school just won't admit them to get another chance so I can do nothing. I hate that so much because I know that the potential is there and that the person has so much to contribute to the world and to their own growth. You do run out of "do overs" and get stuck. I've seen it so many times and it looks to me that's what you're working on pretty hard here.

I wish you could skip ahead 5 or even 10 years and see possible outcomes of what you are doing now. Because you have been lucky enough to be protected from lasting consequences of your actions so far, you seem to think it will just keep happening.

I'm sorry if this sounds tough and prescriptive. I hope you are the exception that proves the rule, but your "honesty" is not really honest in my view. You are trying to rationalize something that is possibly going to destroy you. Please wake up.

IOAA2

Yes this post is both! Honesty and justifying are two different things.

When I was trying to look at different angles and planning to go against the flow it was pointed out to me, in my sick and suffering thinking, that with less effort I could plain stop. A bit later I found that was true.

BE WELL

EndGameNYC

A couple of thoughts. Making suggestions is not always about discouraging someone to find their own way; it's often about considering healthier or more effective alternatives. We all have a tremendous amount of experience to offer, experience that may help someone avoid the pain and suffering we've brought upon ourselves.

In all my time here, not one of the dozens of people who've posted their plans for tapering/moderating changed their plans based on receiving "discouraging" comments from other people. Not one. We are all infamous for following through on our bad decisions regardless of the consequences. We make bad choices while we're in the throes of addiction.

Tapering/moderating often ends in binging which, by itself, places the person in a dangerous situation(s). None of us can guarantee our safety, or the safety of others, when we drink heavily. If discouraging someone from binging saves a life or two, directly or indirectly, then it's a worthwhile thing to do. But, as I wrote, no one here changes their poorly conceived plans based on others' experiences.

Finally, the OP is tapering so that he'll be able to abuse painkillers without worrying about mixing them with alcohol. A bizarre and misguide decision, but one that makes perfect sense for those of us who struggle with addictions.

Weaver

Given your responses I am lead to believe you have not read any of the OP's posts other than the title of the thread.