First Day Here...Help!
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: South Seas
Posts: 55
First Day Here...Help!
Well stumbled into this thread today. I was hoping to find someone in chat to connect with but nobody was in any of the rooms.I'm still actively drinking. I have for the last 14 years. I drink in the evenings about 4-5/night (beer, cider or wine). I'd like to stop but afraid of withdrawal symptoms. Should I taper down in the next week to lesson any withdrawals? I'm afraid of having a seizure or something bad like that. I haven't tried to stop in a looong time. I live alone in a country where I don't have family. I'm returning home in a few months thank god!
Yes, I thought moving away and out of a bad relationship would inspire me to get help and change. It hasn't. Part of me knew that'd be that case!
Its slippery being a 'high functioning' alcoholic, as I've heard it be called. I have a professional job and make a good living but it has impacted all areas of my life. Notably my energy, drive, not being as responsible as I should be.
Any advice on what to do the next week to transition out of drinking? I don't think it's a good idea to go cold turkey. Do you agree? How long does it take for alcohol (and high risk time for seizures etc) to get out of your system?
I do plan to go to counselling as well and now willing to go to AA here. But, there are no close chapters in town and don't want to walk around in the dark (don't have a car with me in this city).
Appreciate your advice and support. Thanks!
So it goes
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Manchester UK
Posts: 1,620
Welcome Chakaido
You made the right decision to come here, there is a lot of help and support. I am 12 weeks sober, and it feels great
The first thing about detox, it can be dangerous, so have a word with a doctor
Getting the strength to come off alcohol is in these forums, look around, there are online meetings if you want to follow that path
I wish you well
Billy
You made the right decision to come here, there is a lot of help and support. I am 12 weeks sober, and it feels great
The first thing about detox, it can be dangerous, so have a word with a doctor
Getting the strength to come off alcohol is in these forums, look around, there are online meetings if you want to follow that path
I wish you well
Billy
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,385
Hi Chakaido
Tapering never worked for me.
The health system in NZ is great - I recommend, if you're worried about withdrawal, you see a Dr and set your mind at rest
As far as AA goes why not ring AA Auckland and see if you can arrange a lift or two?
Contact an A.A. member to discuss your problems with alcohol throughout New Zealand on: 0800 AA WORKS (0800 229 675) or check your local phone director
You'll find a lot of support here too - welcome!
D
Tapering never worked for me.
The health system in NZ is great - I recommend, if you're worried about withdrawal, you see a Dr and set your mind at rest
As far as AA goes why not ring AA Auckland and see if you can arrange a lift or two?
Contact an A.A. member to discuss your problems with alcohol throughout New Zealand on: 0800 AA WORKS (0800 229 675) or check your local phone director
You'll find a lot of support here too - welcome!
D
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: South Seas
Posts: 55
Is 4-5 Enough For Withdrawals?
Thanks! So do you think 4-5/night (5% beer/cider) is serious enough for withdrawals? I feel like its more of a psychological thing for me ...and dependency for sure at this point. But my alcoholism hasn't been progressive. I've actually reduced the amount about 4 years ago, and stayed at this level.
Anyways. I'd like to quit for good, and just wondering if anyone can suggest a plan of action for the first week? Like I said the AA meetings are too far away for me otherwise I would consider attending those initially.
Thanks!
Anyways. I'd like to quit for good, and just wondering if anyone can suggest a plan of action for the first week? Like I said the AA meetings are too far away for me otherwise I would consider attending those initially.
Thanks!
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Ireland
Posts: 300
Hi Chakaido,
Well done on reaching out for some help. I'm in early recovery so my advice won't be as useful to you as others on here but I didn't go to a doctor when I quit. I've since read other posts here advising that people do that so I guess to be safe you should. I was drinking 1-2 bottles of wine a day, with 3-6 beers depending on what I was doing. I am 35 and have been drinking like this for about 10 years. I didn't experience any withdrawals really, apart from 'the fear' on Day 1, a pretty horrific hungover anxious day. The mental cravings have been bad on a few occasions. On Day 7 now and all I can say is that I feel hopeful about being able to conquer my drinking problem for the first time. This forum has been essential though. Keep us posted on how you're doing. Best of luck to you, you can do this!!
Well done on reaching out for some help. I'm in early recovery so my advice won't be as useful to you as others on here but I didn't go to a doctor when I quit. I've since read other posts here advising that people do that so I guess to be safe you should. I was drinking 1-2 bottles of wine a day, with 3-6 beers depending on what I was doing. I am 35 and have been drinking like this for about 10 years. I didn't experience any withdrawals really, apart from 'the fear' on Day 1, a pretty horrific hungover anxious day. The mental cravings have been bad on a few occasions. On Day 7 now and all I can say is that I feel hopeful about being able to conquer my drinking problem for the first time. This forum has been essential though. Keep us posted on how you're doing. Best of luck to you, you can do this!!
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,385
Withdrawal's very hard to predict - there's a lot of individual factors - I'd never seek to predict what might happen.
What you do is up to you but, as someone who had a nasty 'home alone' detox I'd still get that professional medical opinion
D
What you do is up to you but, as someone who had a nasty 'home alone' detox I'd still get that professional medical opinion
D
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 20
For me personally this tappering concept never worked. I'm still drinking and am also a new member in hopes to find some support to control myself. I find when trying to limit my drinks it never ends well. How many times do people tell themselves just one more drink before they've blacked out and wake up not remembering anything that happened. I've never experienced withdrawls I was conscious of, but everyone experiences things a little differently I guess. I really think tapering is more like another excuse. I know it's easy for me to sit here and type that but know that I'm in the same boat trying to control a similar problem. I say just try to quit, find other things to focus on and stay busy. Exercise, finish old things you've been putting off, anything you can think of not related to drinking.
Welcome and hope you can find the strength to do what you need to do to end this horrible habit.
Welcome and hope you can find the strength to do what you need to do to end this horrible habit.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,422
Hi Chakaido and welcome to SR
Tapering never, ever worked for me.
And don't be afraid of withdrawals. You should definitely see a doctor, but don't feel anxious about the process. If you do withdraw it can be rough, but so can flu and people aren't scared of that...and the whole way through you have a sense of beating this thing, and then when you come out of it (in my experience around day 5, but as Dee says it's different for everyone) you often feel amazing, physically as well as through the sense of achievement.
The best thing about this site is that it's global, so you will literally have company around the clock - a lot of us have made really good friends here, that we email daily.
Oh, oh - and after withdrawal you hit the chocolate phase, which is THE BEST reward for quitting imaginable - as your body panics cos you've stopped shoving a thousand calories' worth of beer down your neck every night, it gets an insatiable appetite for chocolate that magically doesn't make you gain weight! Seriously - read around and see I'm not kidding. It lasts for about 3 weeks, and is the best 3 weeks ever.
From a chocolate point of view.
And then you get into exercise and start looking good, then you start feeling even better...
...get on board. We'll see you through it
But check with a doctor too. xxx
Tapering never, ever worked for me.
And don't be afraid of withdrawals. You should definitely see a doctor, but don't feel anxious about the process. If you do withdraw it can be rough, but so can flu and people aren't scared of that...and the whole way through you have a sense of beating this thing, and then when you come out of it (in my experience around day 5, but as Dee says it's different for everyone) you often feel amazing, physically as well as through the sense of achievement.
The best thing about this site is that it's global, so you will literally have company around the clock - a lot of us have made really good friends here, that we email daily.
Oh, oh - and after withdrawal you hit the chocolate phase, which is THE BEST reward for quitting imaginable - as your body panics cos you've stopped shoving a thousand calories' worth of beer down your neck every night, it gets an insatiable appetite for chocolate that magically doesn't make you gain weight! Seriously - read around and see I'm not kidding. It lasts for about 3 weeks, and is the best 3 weeks ever.
From a chocolate point of view.
And then you get into exercise and start looking good, then you start feeling even better...
...get on board. We'll see you through it
But check with a doctor too. xxx
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: South Seas
Posts: 55
Hi Hardboiled---
Actually this comment, isn't about tapering off as an excuse to continue drinking. This is tapering off to get my mind clear, get stronger to stay quit, and get help to stay off for good! It's hard to when you're stuck in this pattern. So I need to get my head clearer first, eat better, exercise. And get in-person help.
Exercise will be a focus for me. The key thing is after work, finding something else to do with my spare time. I've never been as serious about this as I am now and just tired of how it tires me out all the time. At 44 its starting to catch up with me and I want to have lots of energy to do things.
Actually this comment, isn't about tapering off as an excuse to continue drinking. This is tapering off to get my mind clear, get stronger to stay quit, and get help to stay off for good! It's hard to when you're stuck in this pattern. So I need to get my head clearer first, eat better, exercise. And get in-person help.
Exercise will be a focus for me. The key thing is after work, finding something else to do with my spare time. I've never been as serious about this as I am now and just tired of how it tires me out all the time. At 44 its starting to catch up with me and I want to have lots of energy to do things.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 20
Hey Chakaido,
I know you didn't mean it to be an excuse, honestly I don't think anyone intends it to be. I'm just warning you it's a slippery slope, and from my own experience it has never worked. If you have the will power and ability to taper off your drinking successfully than more power to you. Keep updates on your progress.
I know you didn't mean it to be an excuse, honestly I don't think anyone intends it to be. I'm just warning you it's a slippery slope, and from my own experience it has never worked. If you have the will power and ability to taper off your drinking successfully than more power to you. Keep updates on your progress.
Guest
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: South Seas
Posts: 55
After reading the HAMS- How to Taper Off Alcohol site, my plan is to do it safe and reduce 1/day over the next week. Friends would like to get together for my birthday this weekend so not sure how to handle that yet though. 
7
7
So it goes
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Manchester UK
Posts: 1,620
Originally Posted by stillsleeping 
And then you get into exercise and start looking good, then you start feeling even better...
...get on board. We'll see you through it
But check with a doctor too. xxx
...get on board. We'll see you through it
But check with a doctor too. xxx
The looking good is great, I got into a pair of trousers yesterday that I hadnt worn for 2 years.
2 positives there
Billy
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 5,678
Originally Posted by Chakaido
After reading the HAMS- How to Taper Off Alcohol site, my plan is to do it safe and reduce 1/day over the next week. Friends would like to get together for my birthday this weekend so not sure how to handle that yet though. 7
7Regarding withdrawals, I probably drank about the same as you, maybe a little more and I had night sweats for nearly 2 weeks, foggyness for a month or so... really just starting to feel a bit more with it now at 7 weeks. But seeing as I haven't been without a hangover for over a decade it's odd to consider what normal feels like. All I know is that I feel better than I ever did when I was drinking. Seeing a doctor is essential, if only for your peace of mind.
Oh, and welcome to SR
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada. About as far south as you can get
Posts: 4,768
Welcome Chakaido !
Call your local AA number and I'm sure someone will come and pick you up for a meeting.
Get phone numbers from other members and go to meetings with them.
All the best.
Bob R
Call your local AA number and I'm sure someone will come and pick you up for a meeting.
Get phone numbers from other members and go to meetings with them.
All the best.
Bob R
~sb
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 15,962
Welcome to SR!
aa online chatroom has meetings
xa-speakers.org has recorded speaker meetings
There is a lot of help available! I'm not fond of HARMS, though. Seizures aren't about how much you drink, they are about how your own body interacted with alcohol and how the neurons are affected. See a doctor for medical advice!
Glad you are here!
aa online chatroom has meetings
xa-speakers.org has recorded speaker meetings
There is a lot of help available! I'm not fond of HARMS, though. Seizures aren't about how much you drink, they are about how your own body interacted with alcohol and how the neurons are affected. See a doctor for medical advice!
Glad you are here!
Last edited by Dee74; 04-22-2012 at 02:06 PM. Reason: removed link
Self recovered Self discovered
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Toronto Canada
Posts: 5,148
I have been reading here at SR for 8 months now, and every thread in this forum during that time. Never, never, ever, have I read that anyone successfully tapered their alcohol consumption down to nothing, and kept it there. Nope.
This is what did it for me. It wasn't the reality of the hangovers and the gut issues and the liver harm, or anything else like that that made me stop, none of the bad things were enough to convince me to quit. Instead, it was the belief that I could have the respect of my family, a healthy body, a serene mind, a life that excited and involved me and gave me a purpose. I could have all of those things and more, things I deserved to have as much as any person, all I had to do was quit.
So I did. You can do it too.
This is what did it for me. It wasn't the reality of the hangovers and the gut issues and the liver harm, or anything else like that that made me stop, none of the bad things were enough to convince me to quit. Instead, it was the belief that I could have the respect of my family, a healthy body, a serene mind, a life that excited and involved me and gave me a purpose. I could have all of those things and more, things I deserved to have as much as any person, all I had to do was quit.
So I did. You can do it too.
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