VodkaDrinker

Hi
I’m a newbie here and I guess I am what you would call a functioning alcoholic. I drink between 35 and 50cl of vodka every day, and haven’t had a day without alcohol in 3 years.

I never get drunk and never have a hangover but have a large drink before work, take 1 or 2 with me to drink during the day and then have another couple of drinks at night.

I realise that this is not normal and is putting my health at risk but I’m scared of stopping and experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Can I just stop and go cold turkey or will that make me ill?
I’ve never tried before so I don’t know if I can do this alone or not? Any advice from others who have experienced the same would be very gratefully received.

Thanks x

August252015

Glad you are here.

I too had a very severe vodka habit by the end of my drinking. Many here will tell you how dangerous it is to go cold turkey, to go to a dr or the ER and such - I, however, did do it cold turkey. It was hard and I had a lot of sickness for quite a bit (immediately and extended PAWS symptoms). This was the right choice for me and I made it through to the other side.

Looking back, plenty of people would have gone to the hospital if they experienced what I did. I only saw my regular dr and new liver dr during the first 90 days or so, and had all my tests etc done.

It's quite possible to do alone. We cannot give medical advice here so my bottom line $0.02 is that it is up to you, and however you quit, make it the one time you do.

Hope to see you on the recovery side.

VodkaDrinker

Hi

Thank you for this. When you say you had a severe vodka habit, can I ask how much you were drinking daily? I guess I’m hoping for someone to tell me that my 50cl a day isn’t severe .... whilst knowing it is and needing someone to give me a kick!
I haven’t been to the doctors or confessed my situation to anyone.

My husband also drinks a lot (though not in the morning or during the day like I do) and his mum was an alcoholic and died after a fall but she was a ‘drunk’ whereas I never get drunk.
So whilst he knows we both have a problem, he tells me I’m not an alcoholic. He generally drinks 8 beers a night, every night, more at weekends but never anything stronger.

Yes I’m hoping for someone to tell me I’m not an alcoholic whilst needing someone to tell me I am!

Any advice on first steps would be so much appreciated. I can pretend because I don’t get drunk I don’t have a problem but I drink probably 4 pub style measure of vodka before I leave my house at 7am every day so I know that I do.

This is very much first steps for me. Do I really need to go and see my doctor? Can I just go it alone with no professional help? That is my preferred route. Am I just kidding myself?

MidnightRider

Hi and welcome to SR!

I quit cold turkey and didn't experience any terrible problem. I was "Sick" for 3 days.... stomach and headaches. Tired and cranky....... But nothing that was life threatening. I was drinking lots of water ... FLush out the system. Make sure to eat as well... Soup and crackers worked for me..... I Stayed in bed for the duration. I treated my detox seriously. Rested in bed and watched movies to pass the time... I Told my family, I had the Flu and to let me alone (which they thankfully did)............ I had my iPad and was on SR most of the time. Lots to learn.

That was nearly 2 years ago and I'm still here!

Hope this helps....

JustTony

I drank 2 to 3 bottles of wine a night - every night - for months on end - and for the best part of 18 years.

I suffered mild shakes and insomnia only.

The safe bet will always be to seek medical help but I seemed to withdraw without it.

VodkaDrinker

Thanks guys, this is really appreciated. I’m considering a few days off work ‘sick’ when the withdrawal kicks in to see if that is enough to get me through it. The addictive part of my brain is thinking if I smoke weed (something I do every now and then) during the not drinking period might help to get me through it. Any thoughts (good or bad) on doing this? At what stage (how many days?) might I start to feel ill? I’m scared of the detox more than the not drinking in future

DarklingSong

Welcome. I don't think anyone can tell you definitively if you will go into withdrawal or how it is likely to be. Some people go into bad withdrawal and others don't. The amount, duration and timing of drinking all may play there part but so does your unique physiology and state of health. It would be safer and probably much easier on you if you get medical assistance (this may just be some librium/benzos to reduce withdrawal).

If you are determined not to go to a doctor then you could try one of two things. One is cold turkey. If you are doing this it is best to have someone with you so they can get you to doctor if it gets too bad. The other is tapering- gradually reducing what you drink. Most people are very against tapering on SR because it is so hard to stick too when you are addicted. A few have managed it but you would need to be extremely determined. Tapering also has risks.....there is no guarantees it won't tip you into withdrawal. Medics in the UK however do suggest this method to some patients. Again this depends on their general state of health. Ultimately, the choice is yours. Honestly, if you can go to a doctor (some people are afraid to have it on their medical record) that is by far best course of action. They can then, for example, look at other meds to help with cravings or link you up with local support groups or counselling.
Keep posting and reading here.....you will find a wealth of information on addiction and great support to get sober.
Best wishes.

VodkaDrinker

Thanks so much, this advice is already helping and getting me thinking / helping me start move forwards. I know if I can’t do it alone then I can go to the Drs and maybe AA but if I’m able to beat this on my own that is my preferred route.

ReadyAtLast

Welcome to SR. Medical assistance from your doc is always suggested. Wishing you all the best.

Eaglelizard

Welcome VodkaDrinker! I was a fellow vodka drinker, too, also consuming about 50 cl daily, often with a few beers or 3/4 of a bottle of wine back. I am a 45 yr old male, around 84kg and exercised regularly during my drinking days. I only drank in the evenings, however. I'm not recommending my method, but this is what I did: I decided to quit (by myself) on a Friday night so that I could get through the worst of it over the weekend. Night sweats, insomnia, messed up dreams, lethargy, all pretty common symptoms (except for nosebleeds, which I haven't heard many talk about but it was a problem for me early on)--for about a week after that. I started taking 7mg Ambien to get more sleep for a few weeks, then cut down to half that amount, then stopped that entirely after a couple of months. I read somewhere that a nutrient rich (particularly protein) diet would speed the physical recovery and decided to be very religious about adhering to a very simple, healthy, high protein diet during recovery, but now it's just become a habit that complements my new life pretty well, good habits die hard. Good luck in your sober journey, it is definitely not one-size-fits-all.

VodkaDrinker

Thank you EagleLizard, that helps a lot

biminiblue

It can be dangerous, just be careful and have someone with you who knows what you are doing - just in case. Since I've quit I've heard of people who die trying to go cold turkey - but there is no way to know your situation.

I know in the UK it's recommended to taper down. I'm in the US, but that's how I quit. I went from 12 units to 2 the first day, 1 the second day, and just about a half unit the third day then jumped off. I still had the shakes and all kinds of symptoms - but I survived it.

Just be careful and have someone with you for the first three or four days.

Ghoster18

Hi VDrinker

I got rid of the last of my supply of drink last night, down the drain!
Feeling rough but coping.
Like others have said people react differently to this early stage experience of sobering up.
Being on SR is helping me!
I'm alone physically in my flat
I prefer it that way.
Shame is on me as well as the edginess of withdrawal.
But I genuinely want to reemerge on the other side of this being in the new year with a cup of tea... Maybe only my dog and myself, get back to work on Tues and stay active on here.
Best wishes
Hope to keep in touch with you
The Ghoster

EliL

Know lots of heavy drinkers/alcoholics but never heard of anyone dying from withdrawal. I guess that is because by the time you are that physically alcohol dependent you have already had a few involuntary trips to ER and/otdetoxes that you know you can’t just suddenly stop. As hasbeen said it’s much better to go to the docs and be honest but if not take it seriously, have someone at least check in regularly, read up about the serious warning signs (dts,hallucinations, etc - you won’t have much warning if you have a seizure though?!) and eat/drink as much as possible. Good luck.

Gabe1980

It's a good idea to talk through this with a professional so you know what you are in for and also to have a back up plan if you become really ill.

Good for you for making the decision to quit. I hope you get through this difficult bit with the minimum of discomfort and enjoy a sober and healthy 2018.

entropy1964

Welcome! There's a poster here (doggencarl) who says that 'functional' alcoholism is a stage of alcoholism, not a kind of alcoholic....or something along those lines. That was certainly true for me. I was functional, until I wasn't.

Alcoholism is self diagnosed....I can't tell you if you are or aren't. But I suspect you know what you are. 50cl? Close to 17 oz? If 1-1.5 oz is one drink, do the math.

You won't regret quitting drinking. Get through the hard part to see what's on the other side. You can do this.

Andante

Unfortunately, people die of withdrawal all the time, and not just those who have already become familiar with detoxing.

"Seizures may occur in more than 5 percent of untreated patients in acute alcohol withdrawal. Another severe complication is delirium tremens (DT's), which is characterized by hallucinations, mental confusion, and disorientation. The mortality rate among patients exhibiting DT's is 5 to 25 percent." -- NIAAA

This is why it's always safest to advise medical assistance for any withdrawal -- it's just too unpredictable. Yes, many people can and do detox without complications, but the risk is real enough that it would be irresponsible to dismiss it.

Dee74

I vote for a doctor where possible. People do die from withdrawal, and others like me suffer other health complications.

I suffered a series of mini strokes during my last detox - I'm doing ok but my health will never be the same and I have to carry around with me now.

I'm not scare mongering.

Death or injury won't happen to most people - but the dangerous part is the unknown - there are no guarantees...which is why I recommend some medical input.

Best be safe.

D

Done4today

Welcome vodkadrinker,

A lot of good advice already. If you decide to go it alone, make sure your husband knows what you're doing. And if you do have a seizure then he needs to call EMS asap.

As for know if you're an alcoholic or not is defined numerous ways. I believe I am an alcoholic because once I start drinking I crave the next drink and the more I drink the more I crave the next one. Non-alcoholics don't crave to drink more. And when I don't have booze then I obsessed about having my next one. Another symptom that non-alcoholics don't have. Just those two symptoms convinced me that I was alcoholic. That was the last thing I wanted to accept but it saved my life from an alcoholic death.

Good luck VD.

Eddiebuckle

Having seen someone have a grand mal seizure in rehab, my advice is to see a Doctor. There is no way of knowing whether it's absolutely necessary until it's too late to do anything about it. Folks like us tend to want to do this without letting those around us know we are trying to get sober. I get that, I was that way too. But listening to that voice is what got us to this place and keeps us trapped in the cycle of addiction and denial.

Good luck, please stay in touch.