lewie111

Just starting and afraid to start. Usually drink one BIG bottle of wine a day and maybe a shot or two. I am not going to rehab - but and scared of withdrawal. Any advice of what to expect or look for? I don't want to DT. I have a five year old. When I lost a baby late term two years ago and I went out of control. I started drinking to combat the postpartum depression and grief but one thing made another worse. Now I am recovered from the Postpartum depression but I am really in the sack with alcohol. It is a horrible thing I created for myself.
I so want more children - but know I have to conquer this first. I CAN do this but I am afraid of terrible withdrawal - the life threatening kind. Does anyone know if I would be at risk?
I talked to my doctor and he said to gradually decrease - but what if I just stop? Help?
Thanks!

Midas

Hiya Lewie111. Welcome aboard. We're glad you're here. Suddenly stopping can almost always trigger some nasty side-effects of withdrawal symptoms.

Please read the following information very thoroughly;
http://www.tlctx.com/ar_pages/paw_part1.htm

Outpatient treatment can be very beneficial, however, it can also be very expensive. If you have insurance, it may be covered. You're employer may be able to help you if you admit your drinking problem. Mine did. In fact, it probably saved my life. I was terrified too.

GlassPrisoner

Here's the link to withdraw symptoms. Mine was especially nasty, I would HIGHLY recomend medical supervision. Withdraws can, and do, kill.

edit: Ooops http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-expect.html

barb dwyer

hi lewie -

alcohol is the only drug known right now that can be fatal to quit cold turkey... so do what your doc says, ok?

you can sit up all night talking to us if you want to!

welcome!
barb

tubesk

so sorry about the baby
i know others who've lost babies... i don't know what that's like to go through. i can only imagine.

i hope you find the help you need to get through all this

c'est la vie

welcome to SR lewie. I'm so sorry for the pain that you are enduring. I'm glad though, that you realize that alcohol is not relieving your pain. It's tough to quit, but it can be done. If you are very honest with your doc then you can follow his advice of cutting back first. I would worry though that by keeping the alcohol in your system at any level, you are not actually allowing your body to learn to cope without it. I think I may have "tapered" without actually realizing that's what I was doing, because I cut back a lot before I quit (I was trying to moderate). By the time I quit I was only drinking a few times a month.

Keep posting and reading and we'll do what we can to help you with whatever choice you make.

UnusedPortion

I'd surely give cutting down a shot. But if you get to an all-or-nothing situation like finding yourself drunk repeatedly, you should have a backup plan. Withdrawl seizures can be very dangerous, my dad had one in his truck on the freeway. I quit cold turkey and it wasn't fun. It was really gross.

parentrecovers

just wanted to say hello and welcome you, lewie. blessings, k

Tazman53

Welcome to SR Lewie, I am not knocking your doctor at all, but there are sadly still a lot of them out there ignorant of alcoholism, it is the very rare alcoholic that can "Cut back" until they quit, that is why there are so many Detox & rehab centers and why AA and other programs are full of alcoholics who could not "Cut back" until they quit!

I would highly reccomend talking to a specialist on alcoholism and addiction as to what you should do. The last thing you should try is going cold turkey wihtout medical supervision, forget your self and think about you child without a mom because she dropped dead detoxing cold turkey.

Hon keep us informed of how you are doing.

hope3

Hi Lewie, welcome to SR, so sorry about your loss, but congratulations
on your decision to quit.

In all my readings it is reccomended to detox under medical supervision. Because it is impossible to tell who will have withdrawals and who will not.
The withdrawals are not just dependent on how much you drank or which stage of alcoholism you are in either.

I agree with Taz quote "I would highly reccomend talking to a specialist on alcoholism and addiction as to what you should do. The last thing you should try is going cold turkey wihtout medical supervision, forget your self and think about you child without a mom because she dropped dead detoxing cold turkey."

after saying this, I should say there is every possibility that you will not have a bad time of it, but do you what to chance it? Hugs, hope3