soberforbaby

Really worried about quitting drinking. At this point I wake up at 6AM and basically have a panic attack until I get a 4oz vodka drink. Anyone ever detox without a doctor? Any tips. I know I need to see my doctor and will. Just wondering if anyone has some real life advice about stopping when you are an extremely heavy drinker. Thanks

Ghostlight1

I was at the least a very heavy drinker. I didn't see a doctor to quit, but that was my stupitity. I highly reccommend you see a doctor and be bruataly honest.
I suffered alone, needlessly.
I stopped when I needed, and realized, I needed a power greater than myself to quit.
I drank like you, couldn't wait for that first shooter of whiskey to get things rolling, then. it was all day drinking.
This went on for ten years.

You can quit. There's nothing to be embarrased or ashamed about talking to your doctor. They've heard it before and are there to help you.
I wish you the best. You can do it.

soberforbaby

Tapering might not work for me. I think it is the best detox but after 1 drink how to stop taking a second, 3rd etc. I will call my doctor. Told her everything before about other issues. Need to get my wife on board too.

gracetuesday

I agree that it is a good idea to see your doctor. I have detoxed both cold turkey & with medication, and I can tell you that "with medication" is much more pleasant - not to mention safe for the body in general.

phlowing

I am new here and just have a few (very easy) days as of today, but my advice is to see a Dr. I have had to go to the ER (once by family in a complete mental breakdown) and the other while inpatient last year. I slipped since and luckily have had very little detox this time as I have tapered, some help with meds, and plenty of rest, exercise, and I'd like to think general good nutrition. PLEASE see a Dr...when I detoxed last year several staff members said they did not know if I would make it out the same person. Again everyone is different and I am new, but please see a Dr.

soberforbaby

I did some googleing. Looks like doc will prescribe benzo's. There is no easy way. I'm worried about my racing heart rate when I stop. I'm fit otherwise. Just don't want to have a cardiac event and hurt my family more than I already have. 40 oz bottle of vodka used to last 2 days. now I'm probably at 25 oz a day. Problem is it's like medicine I take all day. From 6AM until bedtime. I think that puts me in the worst camp. I going to beat this and will post my progress. Calling doc today.

BBQBOY

I feel for you Soberforbaby . It is no fun detoxing...I've done it many times. Go to your Dr. please. I just detoxed this week at home with the help of my doctor. They will prescribe some benzo's which will bring you relief from those horrible withdrawals. Usually it will take from 3-5 days to feel like yourself again. When you call the Dr. please tell them you need help immediately...this is nothing to take likely. Also, if you don't have prescription coverage, the benzo's are very cheap. Please see the Dr. you won't regret it. Best to you.

Thepatman

Wishing you a safe detox. You can do this, your doctor is there to help

Dave42001

I recently went to a detox facility for 5 days.. They did give me some benzo's but not many. They take you down slow and check your blood pressure 10 times a day.. If you have insurance I would highly recommend it.. Saved my life, I couldn't get clean what ever I tried.. Seek medical help.... Good luck and get better, I've been there and it's not fun!

Soberwolf

I done it cold turkey but it isnt advised as people have died like that and in hindsight i wish i done a safe detox with either my Dr or hospital as it is a lot lot safer like that

Wishing you the best of luck

TroyW

Heavy drinker here, who isn't willing / capable of seeing a doctor. I'm tapering right now, which is actually going quite (somewhat) well. I'm drinking more than I should, but at the same time, have cut my intake by a good 66%. I'm only a few days in, so not too worried about it, and will continue to taper.

I tried going cold turkey, but the withdrawals were scaring me too much, so I switched to tapering. Obviously much slower, but I can tell my body is still slowly healing itself, so hopefully in the next 2 - 4 weeks I'll be able to taper to nothing.

Hardest part for me is I work from home behind a computer, and am no longer married, so live alone these days. Pretty enticing environment for an alcoholic, as it's pretty easy to sit down to do some work, and decide a whiskey would go along well with it.

So now I have a little checklist of things to do around the house, plus I make sure to go into town once to run some errand (always something that needs to be done), before I even let myself sit at the computer. By then I have some endorphines running through the system, which seems to make it easier to keep the bottle away.

Mid-afternoon when the cravings are getting strong, I just go for a nap & movie. Wake up a few hours later, my headache is gone, along with the cravings. Get a little more work in, then it's around midnight, and I let myself have a few drinks before going to sleep for the night.

Still uncertain as to how well this is going to go. To be totally honest, I don't think I'll be able to successfully taper until I'm capable of taking a full three weeks off work, and away from the computer. That should hopefully happen in a month or two, as I'm just in the process of getting my new hires trained. Once I'm confident they can handle the projects without me babysitting them, then I get my first vacation in 13 years.

Whew, long post. But yeah, as others have said, best to see a doctor if that's a possibility.

soberforbaby

Thanks everyone. I am scared. My wife is an MD but not my doctor. I am going to have a heart to heart with her on the weekend. Just so she knows how bad it can be when I stop. I wake up with the shakes at 5am. I tried one day sober last week but was so shaky and itchy and heart racing I wound up curing my problems with a drink. I will beat this. From a non-medical background, in my opinion, tapering off 1 oz a day is obviously the perfect way to do this. Problem with me is the 1oz comes from a bottle staring me in the face. I'll post back with good news.

Soberwolf

Tapering never worked for me

soberforbaby

I have become such a bad alcoholic. Have two 40 oz bottles of vodka in the closet for tonight and the weekend. When I fell off the wagon in the new year I promised myself I would buy a pint of vodka on Wednesdays and treat myself. What a joke. I went from sober to more alcoholic than I've ever been in my life in 2 months.

soberforbaby

like your image soberwolf. Poo-bear being rescued. I think that has some significance. It takes our own will power but fessing up to the ones we love is equally important.

hopeful4

There are meds like naltrexone to help with the cravings.

least

I've detoxed with and without medical help. With medical help is much easier.

I never was able to taper down to nothing. I always ended up drinking too much and getting drunk.

soberforbaby

I 100% believe you anattaboy. working from home makes it tough. I am impressed you did it that way. And I truly believe it's the safest way. That's how I got here. Drinking more and more every day. Just not easy. It's like smoking 20 cigarettes a day and going to zero in 20 days. You did it right in my opinion. Just being a drunk makes it hard if you don't have the backbone.

BBQBOY

Soberforbaby there are a very few of us HEAVY drinkers who can taper.....even just tapering a little can cause problems. You obviously are a very heavy drinker like I was. When I tried to taper, my wife had to take me to the ER in the middle of the night because I ran out of booze ( and I had a lot) it was gone. I must of forgot I drank it all. Anyway I was in a full panic attack, they gave me meds to get me off the ceiling. I detoxed for the next few days...I was back at work that week. I don't know what would have happened to me if my wife was not there. Talk to your wife and tell her what's going on....you might get better....but the odds are against you. Get some help you won't regret it. Best wishes for a full recovery.

Dee74

I've removed some post under our medical advice rule.
Please share your experience but do not make treatment recommendations for others.

thanks

D