Trying to Cut down
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 1
Trying to Cut down
Hi everyone. I am glad i found a forum that is more to my liking than some of the other ones I have found. A bit long winded but it is my first post and would like all my info out there.
I would like to be honest right off the bat, I do not plan on stopping drinking completely. Please don't flame me for that. I would just really like to cut back drastically. Is this possible and is this site ok for someone like me?
For the past year I have been drinking probably 2 cases of lite beer a week but over the past month or 2 that has jumped up to a 6-12 pack every morning. I do work the late shift so that is my drinking time. I figured it is costing me $300-400 a month. A lot for me and it is really affecting my health and family time. Recently i decided to cut back and it has been 5 days since i drank a beer. No bad symptoms just some bad insomnia. But I still get 5 hrs of sleep an afternoon and wake up feeling 10 times better than ever. I have also started working out in the morning which probably helps a bit with the withdrawal. I also take .25mg of klonopin a day for other reasons that helps with the anxiety and suntheanine which is a relaxing agent found in green tea.
Is there any thing else i should expect from withdrawal after these 5 days? If I do have a few beers this weekend will this make my withdrawal worse when i go all week again without beer? I plan on drinking a bit on the weekends and at social gatherings but never enough to feel it like i have in the past. I also smoke and plan on quitting that to but after I work on this drinking thing.
Thanks for the help and keep up the good work.
I would like to be honest right off the bat, I do not plan on stopping drinking completely. Please don't flame me for that. I would just really like to cut back drastically. Is this possible and is this site ok for someone like me?
For the past year I have been drinking probably 2 cases of lite beer a week but over the past month or 2 that has jumped up to a 6-12 pack every morning. I do work the late shift so that is my drinking time. I figured it is costing me $300-400 a month. A lot for me and it is really affecting my health and family time. Recently i decided to cut back and it has been 5 days since i drank a beer. No bad symptoms just some bad insomnia. But I still get 5 hrs of sleep an afternoon and wake up feeling 10 times better than ever. I have also started working out in the morning which probably helps a bit with the withdrawal. I also take .25mg of klonopin a day for other reasons that helps with the anxiety and suntheanine which is a relaxing agent found in green tea.
Is there any thing else i should expect from withdrawal after these 5 days? If I do have a few beers this weekend will this make my withdrawal worse when i go all week again without beer? I plan on drinking a bit on the weekends and at social gatherings but never enough to feel it like i have in the past. I also smoke and plan on quitting that to but after I work on this drinking thing.
Thanks for the help and keep up the good work.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
Hi and welcome jtfoxan 
We're open to everyone recovering from alcohol and substance abuse addictions, and their family and friends
To be honest with you tho, most people here do favour abstinence, simply because we've racked up many many unsuccessful years of trying to moderate or control our drinking.
If you're a drinker like me, I don't think cutting back is possible.
I could not control my drinking - I have 20 years experience of trying to do that - how can I control the uncontrollable?
I'm sure you have the same kind of long history of bad experiences as the rest of us - maybe you can explain why it is you don't want to stop completely?
D
We're open to everyone recovering from alcohol and substance abuse addictions, and their family and friends
To be honest with you tho, most people here do favour abstinence, simply because we've racked up many many unsuccessful years of trying to moderate or control our drinking.
If you're a drinker like me, I don't think cutting back is possible.
I could not control my drinking - I have 20 years experience of trying to do that - how can I control the uncontrollable?
I'm sure you have the same kind of long history of bad experiences as the rest of us - maybe you can explain why it is you don't want to stop completely?
D
Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,410
OP welcome to SR. Sorry about your health. It's better off going cold turkey and quit all together. It's not always easy but a lot of people have done it. Good luck.
Talk to your doctor about withdrawal after quitting drinking if you do decide on that.
Talk to your doctor about withdrawal after quitting drinking if you do decide on that.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Between Meetings
Posts: 8,997
Originally Posted by jtfoxan 
I would like to be honest right off the bat, I do not plan on stopping drinking completely. Please don't flame me for that.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,146
'I plan on drinking a bit on the weekends and at social gatherings but never enough to feel it like i have in the past.'
Good plan.
Serves no purpose at this early point to chart the way this always goes. Seems we have to live it out ourselves, and then will not allow ourselves to grasp what it means for many years, because what it means is something unpleasant we don't wish to be so.
Enjoy your weekend, and well done on your 5 days.
Good plan.
Serves no purpose at this early point to chart the way this always goes. Seems we have to live it out ourselves, and then will not allow ourselves to grasp what it means for many years, because what it means is something unpleasant we don't wish to be so.
Enjoy your weekend, and well done on your 5 days.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada. About as far south as you can get
Posts: 4,768
Originally Posted by jtfoxan
I plan on drinking a bit on the weekends and at social gatherings but never enough to feel it like i have in the past.
Looking forward to hearing from you often, we can all work together and recover.
All the best.
Bob R
Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New York City
Posts: 221
Welcome to SR! In the experience of most all of us, you're most likely prolonging the inevitable; quitting entirely. From what I understand, SR is an abstinence support site. There are no forums for moderating drug and alcohol intake here.
That said, we are here to help and support you any way we can in sobriety and the path to sobriety. Living vicariously through you is not beyond us either! By reliving our own failed attempts at moderation and how that worked out for us (me!)
My 'moderating' only resulted in blacked-out regretted nights, that confused and frightened me. Moderating for me, meant 2 to 3 days without a drink. Then a major Friday or Saturday binges that almost killed me, almost got me divorced, certainly embarrassed me and lost and estranged friends. Stopping for an entire month or 3 (or forever) I never even considered! Perish the thought!
Addiction hides as a "want" when it's in fact it's a "need." It uses our mind to convince us we don't have a problem. It surrounds us with people who are also just heavy partying drinkers, casual heroin addicts or harmless party cocaine users, etc. to add to the addiction camouflage. Addiction fools many of us to death.
Perhaps you may want to quit for 3 solid months and see how it goes? Best wishes to you! May you find health and peace!
That said, we are here to help and support you any way we can in sobriety and the path to sobriety. Living vicariously through you is not beyond us either! By reliving our own failed attempts at moderation and how that worked out for us (me!)
My 'moderating' only resulted in blacked-out regretted nights, that confused and frightened me. Moderating for me, meant 2 to 3 days without a drink. Then a major Friday or Saturday binges that almost killed me, almost got me divorced, certainly embarrassed me and lost and estranged friends. Stopping for an entire month or 3 (or forever) I never even considered! Perish the thought!
Addiction hides as a "want" when it's in fact it's a "need." It uses our mind to convince us we don't have a problem. It surrounds us with people who are also just heavy partying drinkers, casual heroin addicts or harmless party cocaine users, etc. to add to the addiction camouflage. Addiction fools many of us to death.
Perhaps you may want to quit for 3 solid months and see how it goes? Best wishes to you! May you find health and peace!
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 146
I'm also trying to moderate. to me it seems like alcohol is still more in control than I am. I think I can handle it; hell, that's what I feel right now! but then it zaps me unexpectedly and i'm back feeling scared and obsessed about how to get my imaginary control back. the whole thing just takes up too much brain space.... I think you will know what's true for you as time goes by. :-)
Heathen
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: La La Land, USA
Posts: 2,567
There are some moderation type websites/programs.. a lot of people here are still struggling to quit drinking or using drugs, but it's actually against the rules here to promote drinking or using.. we promote abstinance. I hope if your plan doesn't work out for you that you come back, we're here for support.
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,564
Welcome jtfoxan! Glad to have you here with us.
I'm one of those drinkers who spent many years trying to control the amounts - or when - I drank. Everything I tried failed miserably. Because I didn't quit, my life became a nightmare. I was completely out of control in the end. I hope things work out the way you plan, but we are here to help you through this turning point in your life. Please let us know how it's going. We care.
I'm one of those drinkers who spent many years trying to control the amounts - or when - I drank. Everything I tried failed miserably. Because I didn't quit, my life became a nightmare. I was completely out of control in the end. I hope things work out the way you plan, but we are here to help you through this turning point in your life. Please let us know how it's going. We care.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: CT
Posts: 96
Hello... I am curious if you feel you many have an issue and by asking us it will allay the fear? I don't mean that as harsh, but if you feel that you may have a problem try not drinking for 90 days and see how you feel ... if you feel great, continue not drinking, if you feel bad ... ditto
Only you know fully how alcohol affects you ... 12 beers a day is in the 'heavy' zone ... I suspect all of us here can identify with your thinking and wished that we could have stopped at 12 beers ... for many of us it went onto much more heavy duty application, in my case a liter of vodka a day. You have a chance to stop right now and discover how big a part alcohol plays in your life before you become dependent ... keep coming to SR there is a lot of wisdom here!
Only you know fully how alcohol affects you ... 12 beers a day is in the 'heavy' zone ... I suspect all of us here can identify with your thinking and wished that we could have stopped at 12 beers ... for many of us it went onto much more heavy duty application, in my case a liter of vodka a day. You have a chance to stop right now and discover how big a part alcohol plays in your life before you become dependent ... keep coming to SR there is a lot of wisdom here!
I'm here to learn!
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: I'm on it!
Posts: 2,038
Thanks for sharing your story. Like most everyone else has said, moderation didn't really work for any of us, which is why we're here. This place doesn't really promote a moderation mentality.
Give it a shot and if it works that's great. If you're not successful don't feel embarrassed or like a failure, it just means that you have to quit -- we came to that realization eventually.
Give it a shot and if it works that's great. If you're not successful don't feel embarrassed or like a failure, it just means that you have to quit -- we came to that realization eventually.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
I just want to clarify for anyone new to SR ...
we are a recovery site and yeah - we do have a rule against promoting drinking or drug taking here...thats one thing...
it's a whole different thing to come here when you're still drinking and drugging, but looking for help...that's what we're here for
D
we are a recovery site and yeah - we do have a rule against promoting drinking or drug taking here...thats one thing...
it's a whole different thing to come here when you're still drinking and drugging, but looking for help...that's what we're here for
D
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 5,678
Welcome jtfoxan. When I first started looking for help with my drinking I was adamant that I had no intention of giving up completely because I thought it was an unhealthy mindset to believe you could never drink again and were powerless over it. When I asked my doctor for help I wanted counselling because I thought that would stop me over drinking, he could only offer me detox. I had no idea what that entailed really I just knew I didn't want it so I turned it down. I eventually asked another doctor and got referred for CBT counselling which I was very happy about but after my first session, because of my level of drinking (which I didn't think was too bad), I had to be referred to the same company that offered me detox before, but now they said that they helped people cut down their drinking not stop (I believe it's often referred to as 'harm reduction'). I went along with this and I really did want to cut down but I was very bad at it. In the end I stopped going. No one really explained why I should stop drinking or anything like that and it wasn't til I ended up here that I actually learnt anything. Looking into it I chose abstinence because the harm reduction method seemed so controlled and obsessive that I thought I'd be more free if I just chose not to drink (and also I didn't do the 'control' thing very well before). I hope you'll stick around, this is a great place to learn stuff in a non judgemental atmosphere
So it goes
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Manchester UK
Posts: 1,620
I will come in, if I may. I wanted like everyone else to moderate. I loved drinking wine. I entered AA when I got badly mugged after being somewhere I should not have been. I went into AA , stopped drinking , came out. Thought I could moderate, couldnt, I was soon drinking too much again
Why couldnt I moderate, perhaps for the same reason as many. I liked the high booze gave me. I didnt need to drink, so unlike some , it has been easier to come off the drink, because I was not dependent (yet). But I liked the high and chased it. If I started again, I would chase that high again.
My advice, and I am on my 10th sober weekend now, is aim to quit, moderation does not work in my opinion, and you will only find a lot more pain if you try to grasp that rainbow.
Sober is better anyway
Billy in UK
Why couldnt I moderate, perhaps for the same reason as many. I liked the high booze gave me. I didnt need to drink, so unlike some , it has been easier to come off the drink, because I was not dependent (yet). But I liked the high and chased it. If I started again, I would chase that high again.
My advice, and I am on my 10th sober weekend now, is aim to quit, moderation does not work in my opinion, and you will only find a lot more pain if you try to grasp that rainbow.
Sober is better anyway
Billy in UK
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