help and advice
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 1
help and advice
Good evening 
i need a little help and advice on alcohol, first of all im not looking to go completely sober i am looking to cut down, hopefully to weekends only.
My current weekly routine at the moment is i get drunk at least 4 nights out of 7, and i really want to tune that down to two maybe one.
I just turned 28 and realised enough is enough and started searching around the net for advice and or help, i know the only one who can do it is myself, but peoples experiences help. I have been drinking 4 nights a week for a period of around 3 years, where i would normally consume around 8 cans of 440ml beer or around 7 pints, i realise this is too much and really want to cut it down, i am being honest here when i say i only drink beer and not spirits not sure that matters? and it is never an all day thing, its usually after work around 6pm and always am in bed by a decent enough time also 11pm, i might add this is at home, im not out down the pub or bars which again is irrelevant.
i really want to cut this down, but i have read on a few forums about withdrawal symptons and pretty much sh*t myself with what some people were saying, seizures, heart attacks, shakes, mood swings, the response from some people was the same as mine holy hell why would i quit, i mean they were on about drinking bottles of whiskey / vodka all day and night, yes my case is over the top but not that extreme, and im scared to quit now, although i know its good for me.
When i woke up yesterday morning i felt great, i felt great this morning both non hangover days, then at lunch i read peoples experiences and it really scared me, saying you need medical help, medication, i do not want any of that, so basically i want to stop drinking during the week, less on the weekend, but i do not want medication or inpatient therapy, and i do not want to run the risk of seizures and / or heart attacks. Am i really at that level?
i know you have read this type of post millions of times and i maybe coming across naive, but this is important too me.
any advice or help would be great
i need a little help and advice on alcohol, first of all im not looking to go completely sober i am looking to cut down, hopefully to weekends only.
My current weekly routine at the moment is i get drunk at least 4 nights out of 7, and i really want to tune that down to two maybe one.
I just turned 28 and realised enough is enough and started searching around the net for advice and or help, i know the only one who can do it is myself, but peoples experiences help. I have been drinking 4 nights a week for a period of around 3 years, where i would normally consume around 8 cans of 440ml beer or around 7 pints, i realise this is too much and really want to cut it down, i am being honest here when i say i only drink beer and not spirits not sure that matters? and it is never an all day thing, its usually after work around 6pm and always am in bed by a decent enough time also 11pm, i might add this is at home, im not out down the pub or bars which again is irrelevant.
i really want to cut this down, but i have read on a few forums about withdrawal symptons and pretty much sh*t myself with what some people were saying, seizures, heart attacks, shakes, mood swings, the response from some people was the same as mine holy hell why would i quit, i mean they were on about drinking bottles of whiskey / vodka all day and night, yes my case is over the top but not that extreme, and im scared to quit now, although i know its good for me.
When i woke up yesterday morning i felt great, i felt great this morning both non hangover days, then at lunch i read peoples experiences and it really scared me, saying you need medical help, medication, i do not want any of that, so basically i want to stop drinking during the week, less on the weekend, but i do not want medication or inpatient therapy, and i do not want to run the risk of seizures and / or heart attacks. Am i really at that level?
i know you have read this type of post millions of times and i maybe coming across naive, but this is important too me.
any advice or help would be great
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 507
Doesn't hurt to ask a doctor. Everyone experiences different things when it comes to alcohol. What I would suggest is being aware of withdrawal symptoms. If you feel them, seek help.
And yes, cut down to 1-2 days a week. For most of us here, that's too slippery a slope but if you can do it, go for it!!!
And yes, cut down to 1-2 days a week. For most of us here, that's too slippery a slope but if you can do it, go for it!!!
Random Guy
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: America
Posts: 2,034
If that is what you want to do good luck let us know how it works out for you.
As far as withdrawls go, yes it is best to see a doctor, especially if you have anywhere near severe symptoms.
I did however run the numbers on how much you say you drank, I am American and was raised on our ******** system of measurement so mililiters mean nothing to me
. So you drink about 9-10 beers a night by American standards.
I am not going to offer medical advice as it is strikly against this sites user agreament rules. What i will say is that I am a 180-190 lbs or about 85 kilos, male, 29, and drank about 5-6 litters of beer a day, everyday for a few years. I didn't have any of the extreames of withdrawl no seizures, hallucinations, or anything like that. Now I am not saying that it was fun, it deffinetly was not so every time I did it and I am glad that I am not going to have to go through that again. That is about as far as I think I can get with this post without violating the SR rules so I will end there.
As far as withdrawls go, yes it is best to see a doctor, especially if you have anywhere near severe symptoms.
I did however run the numbers on how much you say you drank, I am American and was raised on our ******** system of measurement so mililiters mean nothing to me
. So you drink about 9-10 beers a night by American standards. I am not going to offer medical advice as it is strikly against this sites user agreament rules. What i will say is that I am a 180-190 lbs or about 85 kilos, male, 29, and drank about 5-6 litters of beer a day, everyday for a few years. I didn't have any of the extreames of withdrawl no seizures, hallucinations, or anything like that. Now I am not saying that it was fun, it deffinetly was not so every time I did it and I am glad that I am not going to have to go through that again. That is about as far as I think I can get with this post without violating the SR rules so I will end there.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Between Meetings
Posts: 8,997
Originally Posted by lithium 
i know you have read this type of post millions of times and i maybe coming across naive, but this is important too me.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,146
Getting drunk every 5th or 6th day is going to mean you'll spend 2-3 days feeling sick and the following 2-3 days in withdrawal.
Go for it, if that's how you want to live. It'll be too miserable to continue after a few weeks or less.
You really need a better plan.
Go for it, if that's how you want to live. It'll be too miserable to continue after a few weeks or less.
You really need a better plan.
Choosing Life
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Montana
Posts: 1,435
So you basically want to just stay sober during the week and get drunk on the weekends? How drunk? Doesn't really sound like cutting back at all ... what this sounds like to me is binge drinking. Most likely, you'll drink all of the beers you usually drink during the week on the weekends instead, and perhaps even more. Binge drinking is every bit as unhealthy and problematic as daily drinking so you're not really going to end up any better off in the long run. That's probably not what you want to hear, but as you said, we've read these kinds of posts hundreds of times before and what you're proposing is rarely, if ever, successful.
Most of us can't drink in moderation, whether that be limiting ourselves to 1-2 drinks a day or drinking only on certain days of the week. It never worked for me ... the 1st drink always led to more because once I started, I couldn't stop. My attempts at moderation were only an exercise in frustration that always ended up with me getting drunk. It really doesn't matter whether you drink beer or the "hard stuff," the result is the same. And you're already consuming more than 4 times the recommended daily intake for an adult male.
If you honestly want to give it a try, then by all means, try it. Wait until this weekend to drink. Until then, pay attention to how you're feeling physically and mentally. Are you feeling bad physically? Are you craving a drink? Do you feel like you'll go crazy if you don't drink? How you feel will be a big indicator as to whether or not you have a real problem. Then when the weekend comes and you have those drinks ... can you stop at just a couple? If you try to stop, how do you feel? Will you drink until you're drunk or will you stop when you think you've had enough? And how much is enough?
After you've tried it, come back and tell us how it went.
Most of us can't drink in moderation, whether that be limiting ourselves to 1-2 drinks a day or drinking only on certain days of the week. It never worked for me ... the 1st drink always led to more because once I started, I couldn't stop. My attempts at moderation were only an exercise in frustration that always ended up with me getting drunk. It really doesn't matter whether you drink beer or the "hard stuff," the result is the same. And you're already consuming more than 4 times the recommended daily intake for an adult male.
If you honestly want to give it a try, then by all means, try it. Wait until this weekend to drink. Until then, pay attention to how you're feeling physically and mentally. Are you feeling bad physically? Are you craving a drink? Do you feel like you'll go crazy if you don't drink? How you feel will be a big indicator as to whether or not you have a real problem. Then when the weekend comes and you have those drinks ... can you stop at just a couple? If you try to stop, how do you feel? Will you drink until you're drunk or will you stop when you think you've had enough? And how much is enough?
After you've tried it, come back and tell us how it went.
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