timeforlife

Hi there. I have been reading for quite sometime and decided it was time for me to jump in. Let me tell you a little about myself. I am a single mother and for the past year I found myself drinking anywhere from 8-12 beers a night but usually it is 10. I started this when I lost my job, I did find a part job pretty quick so I never was one to start drinking when I first got up or anything, usually would start around 3 or so and drink till I went to bed at 11.
I am not sure what if any withdrawals I would have if I just quit so I talked to my doctor today. He said it has hard to say as everyone is different. The part time job I got just turned into full time for me last week (yippee) so I told my doctor I did not want any medication and I have read about tapering (something I know most don't recommend on here) At this point I do feel that I still have some control (but I won't for much longer) as I am making a drink last way longer than an hour and have started to watch. Anyway, here I ramble......my doctor told me it was ok with him if I wanted to try the taper thing with weekly check ins with him. This is how he told me to do it..... cut 1 beer every 4 days until I am down to zero, he said it would take much longer but I shouldn't feel any withdrawal doing it that way.

As I stated, I know not many are a big fan of the taper method but I am giving it a try. Has anyone had success with it? I know it probably isn't ideal but I can't lose this job I have by experimenting with medications (I have never tolerated medication well and my doctor knows that as well)

Any thoughts would be appreciated

smacked

If I were ever able to 'control' my drinking, I never would have come to this board or needed recovery of any sort.

Welcome, I hope your plan works out for you.. and if not, there's lots of ways to quit!

MycoolFitz

I just want to welcome you to SR and thank you for your post. Glad you checked with your doctor. Sobriety is an individual matter and choice. Tapering never worked for me, but that's just me. May you find success in whatever manner you choose.

saphira

To be honest, I never tried tapering because it was clear to me that it would never work. My situation seems to be different from yours, though, so you never know! I hope that even if the tapering doesn't work for you, you won't give up on quitting. Best of luck!

Englishrose70

Welcome to SR, you will find endless support and interesting insights to different peoples journeys here as you have no doubt already found.

Tapering? No way for me. If I could drink 2, then why not 3, 4 and the rest as my inhibition and resistance dissolved with each drink.

I hope it works for you, keep us posted.

sugarbear1

Congrats on seeking a Medical Professional.

bblackbirdflyy

welcome! I'm afraid that I have to echo the above posts. Weening never occured to me because I have no control over alcohol. I had near 30 days of sobriety and I slipped last month. thinking "just one". jUST ONE TURNED TO 2,3,4,5... AND so on. Once I started I could not stop. All of the same urges came back. Anyway. I'm on day 12 now and am starting to feel happy again.

I'm happy for you that you are making this life-change... and congrats on the job turning FT! If you can make tapering off work for you then kudos!!! Pleas keep us posted. SR has been wonderful for me to keep me accountable!

SindyLuhu

I have found that it is WAY harder to taper off or moderate than to just not drink.

Think about it, every drink lowers your resolve and inhibitions. I hope this works for you! Keep coming back!

DisplacedGRITS

Welcome, TimeforLife! If your doctor recommended it and you can keep an accurate and honest record (writing it down makes it more real) and keep up with check ins, then if that works for you go for it. Just if you find yourself lying to youself or your doctor about your intake, change your strategy. It'll take longer with the taper and there may be more wiggle room to cheat but everyone walks a different path but is on the same journey. Get counseling as well. It can only help.

timeforlife

thank you ala for your warm welcome. I will definetely keep you all posted on my progress.
bblackbirdflyy - thank you on your congrats for my job. As a single mom it was quite scary when I lost my job, I feel blessed that I have one now and I am so ready for my life to begin again - sober!
sugarbear - after reading on here about the possibilty of withdrawal (I am not sure I was at that point yet but didn't want to find out) I knew I had to talk to my doctor. .
saphira - if tapering doesn't work I will do something different - I don't plan on giving up. Thanks for the encouragement.

Pumpkin Soup

Welcome timeforlife.

As you expected there isnt much enthusiasm for tapering on here but at least you have
recognised you have a problem and are addressing it so well done for making that huge step and for speaking to your doc.

One of the first few times I tried to give up (and there have been many) I went to a community drug and alcohol place (recommended by my GP) and they advised me to taper and all I really thought to myself was yippee I can still drink. It never worked, not at all, once I had had a few I didnt care how many more I had and I carried on for years - I only wish I could have found acceptance at the level I have it now back then.

It seems to be working for me now with the help of AA, meetings, this wonderful website and doing the 12 step programme - I have got to day 60 so far and hope I never drink again.

If it works for you to taper and you can really control it then good on you and you probably dont need to be here but in my view its just putting off giving up. Total acceptance that you have no power over alcohol and your life has become unmanageable is a good place to start.

I wish you the very best of luck and please keep us updated. Everyone here wants to help you.

recoverywfaith

Welcome to SR.

timeforlife

pumpkin soup - thank you so much for your insight and your encouragement

displacedgrits - My doctor said the very same thing - he wants me to write down every drink I have and keep a log and bring it when I go back to check in. I have made up my mind that I am going to be totally honest with him and myself on this journey, that is the only way I have a chance of overcoming this.

I have so many good things happening in my life now...a new job, my daughter made the highschool volleyball team last night, these are all things I want to enjoy.

Again, thank you all for your support!

holdfold

Not to swim against the stream, but it did work for me because it teased out the withdrawl getting a little easier everyday But I had a strong wife helping me ... I don't condone it because if you are struggling with withdrawl it is too easy to lose control ... however, everyone is different. Good luck ... it can be done!

Dee74

Hi timeforlife

It never worked for me either.

It's kind of bizarre to me - I would never take meds either, but I would happily still take that permission to drink a little longer...

I hope it works out for you though

Welcome to SR
D

timeforlife

holdfold - it is so nice to hear a success story of the taper off method. I truly hope it works for me and I will update. I know it will take longer but with just starting a fulltime job and my daughter making the volleyball team I really can't be on medications..... I have never been able to function on pills and I really don't need to replace one bad addiction with another. I have never had the morning shakes or sweating that I have heard nor have I ever had to have that morning drink so I am truly hoping that I caught it before it got there because I am sure it would have gotten there at some point.
I would love to hear your story sometime.

Dee74 - thank you for your warm welcome and I know I will be checking in here a lot during this process.

Oh, my doctor told me to start taking a vitamin B complex - has anyone done this?

Again, from the bottom of my heart....thank you all!

onlythetruth

I tried tapering several times and found it impossible, but that's just me--there are many differences when it comes to what works and what doesn't for different people.

You might want to check out the Sinclair Method--it's basically a tapering method using Naltrexone to combat the cravings, and I know several people who have been successful with it.

tomdecel

It worked for me. On my last week of drinking I consumed (4) 1.75 litters of scotch. I finished a full bottle in just one day. Quitting (again) was inevitable. I was so sick that I just knew I had to stop but was afraid to go cold turkey. I had some beer (boy I hate that stuff) left over from a party so I had 4 of them in on day 1. Two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

Day 2, I had 3. On days 3 and 4, I had 2 beers. Then nothing on day 5 and a big oversize bottle on my last day. That was 300+ some days ago. Never looked back.

I must state: This was not about control. I had already made the decision to stop. I just had to do so gradually over several days.

sugarbear1

I tapered from 12 to 6, trying for 3, but got stuck at 6. Only my emotional bankruptcy got me on my knees begging for help. Miracle it worked, but at 77 days, I am more aware of my incorrect thinking abilities. I call it brain fuzziness.

Blessings to everyone!!

Dee74

Having had a bad experience with home detox, I always advise people: if you're too sick or too scared to stop, you need professional medical advice/supervision - it's the responsible thing to do

D