Am I at the level where it's dangerous to quit cold turkey?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1
Am I at the level where it's dangerous to quit cold turkey?
Hey everyone,
26 year old alcoholic here. Started drinking at about age 20, but it's gotten especially bad over the last 2-3 years. Looking to make a major change, but need advice as to how to go about doing. Mainly, I'm concerned with whether or not I'm at the level where it's outright dangerous to quit cold turkey. I want to make it clear that I in no way mean the following as some sort of "holier-than-thou" boasting; I consider my level of alcohol consumption to be absolutely pathetic and something that I will regret for the rest of my life. But after having researched alcoholism recovery for a few weeks, I've come to think that maybe my drinking isn't quite as bad as I had feared, relatively speaking. I've been drinking roughly 1/2-3/4 of a fifth of vodka every night for about two years and change(I'm 6'4 and weigh about 190). Generally I drink 5-10 coffee mug size drinks of Sprite/Vodka, and then sometimes a shot or two. About a third of the time I puke before going to sleep. This is over a period usually ranging from 9PM to about 2AM. Generally I rise the next day at 10AM, and though I have all but forgotten what it's like to wake up without dry mouth and a twinge of nausea that determines how much I can eat for breakfast, I am essentially completely functional and had no problems working a 9-5 job the next day for a period of about six months. The reason I say all of this, again, in researching recovering "alcoholics", I've found that the stories tend to consist of people who have been drinking entire fifths every day [I]for decades[I], and who can't even go a few hours without drinking without serious physical side effects. While you can probably count on two hands the number of nights I've gone without drinking at all over the past year, those nights were attended only by annoyance that I wouldn't be able to get buzzed and would have to sit deathly bored in bed until about 3AM until I finally dozed off. There has never been any physical problems attendant to not drinking.
Again, none of this meant to convey any sort of "Haha, I guess I'm not a drunk after all!!" boasting. I'm just very concerned with how I should proceed moving forward, and want the steps I take to be commensurate with the severity of the problem.
One final thing I should probably note-I take 20 mg of Paxil daily.
Thank you everyone for your help. Just knowing there's a community out there suffering from the same problem means a lot.
26 year old alcoholic here. Started drinking at about age 20, but it's gotten especially bad over the last 2-3 years. Looking to make a major change, but need advice as to how to go about doing. Mainly, I'm concerned with whether or not I'm at the level where it's outright dangerous to quit cold turkey. I want to make it clear that I in no way mean the following as some sort of "holier-than-thou" boasting; I consider my level of alcohol consumption to be absolutely pathetic and something that I will regret for the rest of my life. But after having researched alcoholism recovery for a few weeks, I've come to think that maybe my drinking isn't quite as bad as I had feared, relatively speaking. I've been drinking roughly 1/2-3/4 of a fifth of vodka every night for about two years and change(I'm 6'4 and weigh about 190). Generally I drink 5-10 coffee mug size drinks of Sprite/Vodka, and then sometimes a shot or two. About a third of the time I puke before going to sleep. This is over a period usually ranging from 9PM to about 2AM. Generally I rise the next day at 10AM, and though I have all but forgotten what it's like to wake up without dry mouth and a twinge of nausea that determines how much I can eat for breakfast, I am essentially completely functional and had no problems working a 9-5 job the next day for a period of about six months. The reason I say all of this, again, in researching recovering "alcoholics", I've found that the stories tend to consist of people who have been drinking entire fifths every day [I]for decades[I], and who can't even go a few hours without drinking without serious physical side effects. While you can probably count on two hands the number of nights I've gone without drinking at all over the past year, those nights were attended only by annoyance that I wouldn't be able to get buzzed and would have to sit deathly bored in bed until about 3AM until I finally dozed off. There has never been any physical problems attendant to not drinking.
Again, none of this meant to convey any sort of "Haha, I guess I'm not a drunk after all!!" boasting. I'm just very concerned with how I should proceed moving forward, and want the steps I take to be commensurate with the severity of the problem.
One final thing I should probably note-I take 20 mg of Paxil daily.
Thank you everyone for your help. Just knowing there's a community out there suffering from the same problem means a lot.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,362
Hi Ludivician 
The short answer is noone can answer your question. Withdrawal is unpredictable and each of us has individual factors that will influence our outcomes.
If you're concerned at all the best idea is always to see a Dr
D
The short answer is noone can answer your question. Withdrawal is unpredictable and each of us has individual factors that will influence our outcomes.
If you're concerned at all the best idea is always to see a Dr
D
Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Middle of Nowhere, Canada
Posts: 144
When in doubt, please contact your doctor or a local detox facility. Believe that you will not be looked at cross-wise or judged. They are there to help.
Everyone has different physiology and can detox differently - if you have concerns, it is best to be under medical supervision. The added advantage of a medically supervised detox is that they can also help mitigate non-emergent symptoms if needed, and depending on the set-up, provide psychological support. This can help smooth the first few days and set you up for success for the beginning.
Everyone has different physiology and can detox differently - if you have concerns, it is best to be under medical supervision. The added advantage of a medically supervised detox is that they can also help mitigate non-emergent symptoms if needed, and depending on the set-up, provide psychological support. This can help smooth the first few days and set you up for success for the beginning.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 341
I am no freakin expert if you have read my partial story,...but it sounds like you need serious help and is craving it. I can tell you from my past being a major binge drinker....u r ****@d. I am strong but I know damn well I can't do this freakin alone. All my best...Peace, Love, and Happiness.
Keep posting. There is help for us.
Keep posting. There is help for us.
Every Mother's Worst Nightmare
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Deep in the heart of LaLa land
Posts: 688
Probably closer to a bottle and change then? At those levels Ive been carted off to detox before or done supervised detox. You need to get medical help mate.
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