When to taper
 

Hello. I am really wanting/needing to stop drinking. On average, I drink about 6 beers a day. Well, a night, from about 4:00 to 7:00.

Then, on weekends, I drink about 5 in the morning, then nap with the kids, and 5 or so at night. This past week, more, since it was my wife's birthday. But otherwise, that's about the average. A lot less than I drank in college, or when I was single, but still EVERY day.

And even though I wake up every morning wanting to quit, I don't. By that afternoon, I am buying drinks. I have a high tolerance, and rarely get drunk, and am a good husband and father, but nowhere near as good as I would be if I didn't have to time booze naps, etc., and was more thoughtful towards them rather than always thinking of myself and my need to quit or desire to drink, etc. It's exhausting.

So, can I quit cold turkey? Or do I need to taper off? As it happens, I take/am prescribed a mild dose of benzodiazepenes twice a day to overcome general anxiety. I would rather just stop drinking flat-out, because, as we all know, it is hard, of not impossible, to drink and limit ourselves at the same time. I think I can handle the anxiety part, but I don't want it to be dangerous, and I am not comfortable going to a doctor, for insurance reasons.

Thanks.

If you are drinking every day (regardless of the amount) it is dangerous to quit cold turkey. If you are unwilling to see a doctor, then I'm sure there are detox facilities in your area that can get you past those first few days of sobriety to make sure you aren't in medical danger.

"Tapering" rarely works. Once the "drinking switch" is flipped, your body will just want more. You're better off just stopping and being done with it.

It's dangerous anyway to combine benzos with alcohol; you probably already know that. The GOOD thing about your taking the benzos is that they can help you get off the alcohol with a minimum of withdrawal. I do wish you'd see a doctor though, and let him/her know what you're doing with quitting alcohol. That's always a good idea because detoxing can be a dangerous proposition. If you start feeling funky during detox, please call a doctor or go to the ER. Better safe than sorry.

Good luck to you. :)

I think it's hard to know without going to a doctor because everybody is different and every time is different. Some people who drink more than that and quit cold turkey have no issues but others who drink less and quit do have problems. Tapering is a difficult thing to do...I have had absolutely no luck with that. I always ended up returning to my normal drinking.

Welcome to SR. A sober father is the best thing you can give your kids.

Could you clarify this, please? Why don't you want to go to a doctor?

If you go to a doctor for alcohol withdrawal you *may* have a diagnosis of alcoholism on your medical records for the rest of your life. This can sometimes make it difficult to get medical insurance and even employment. (A first hand account of this has made me wary.)

While I am sure it is avoidable, and I know the risk is slight, I simply cannot risk my employment and insurance.

Of course, if I cannot taper off or quit successfully, I will completely reevaluate. I understand my health and family are the most important. I just want to try something risk-free (the risk being defined re: insurance, etc.) first.

We are not able to answer medical questions here, and as others have said detoxing from alcohol can be dangerous, so you really should talk to your dr. We are here to offer support for you.

Tapering is pretty much impossible for alcoholics.

OK, thanks. I apologize for asking the wrong kinds of questions! I see that in good conscience there is only one responsible answer.

Sorry again.

I never had luck tapering off. I would just get pissed and want more because I couldn't limit myself.

I would definitely look into the Doctor or going to check out some weekend detox facilities.

Congrats on wanting to get sober. Best wishes.

Don't apologize .... it's good that you have the desire to stop.

Like Anna said - detoxing can be dangerous and life threatening. We cannot give medical advice so please speak with a doctor.

Try your tapering experiment and if it doesn't work, just call AA.

It works, it's cheap and it's anonymous ... sounds like a win/win/win doesn't it...

All the best.

Bob R

Thanks, Bob! I actually have a question about AA, and just posted about it. I'd really appreciate your advice on the matter.

Thanks again.

Taping down is not a easy thing to do. I have done that before but I would need to be in a good state of mind. Widthdrawals can be dangerous but most people don't die from it. Seeing a doctor for detox is really helpful. The hardest part of alcohol is staying sober which most people have that trouble aka me too. Good luck with your recovery.

Welcome ForMyKids

I understand many member have insurance issues, but speaking as someone who had a bad home detox and suffered a series of mini strokes, I think there are more important things to consider.

Not everyone has the experience I did of course, and I'm not suggesting that, but I definitely think it's best to be safe, especially with a family involved.

D

I drink alot more beer than you do. Been doing it for around 30 years. Occasionally I quit for 3-7 days, but unfortunately no longer. I never really have any physical issues during the quitting time, just the psychological part of wanting to drink. You have a family so you have a great incentive to stop. You can do it!

Thanks! Yeah, after a decade of daily drinking WAY more than I do now I "cut down" to the current intake to get to this "functional" period in my life (I credit the kids). But 6/12 daily (weekday/weekend; a conservative estimate since I'm leaving out the odd bottle of scotch hidden or the bottle of wine on top of the beers when my wife wants a glass (gotta empty the bottle!)) is still way too much, and I can't only have one or two or not drink every day, that's just not an option, or at least it's been tried over a thousand times and failed each time.

Long road, but I am getting physically ready to stop (the easier part [Day 1 was a success, and there are only 3 days in the plan]). It's the psychological road that's gonna be the real toughie.

Why not go to a doctor and discuss proper detox? If you are like me, I was never truly ready! Just go and then stay stopped. Sounds more like a mental "get ready" than physical, which just puts off the inevitable....worse consequences!

What exactly is the plan?

I sent you a PM.

Bob R

a long road on a 3 day plan?? i'm intrigued ...lol