Booniecat

I have made the decision to stop drinking, finally. I am in my sixties with no real health issues. I did not start drinking heavily until 7-8 years ago after my kids were grown and out of college. I have had no legal or work issues so far but feel if I keep drinking I will.

I drink daily, usually 10-12 oz of vodka but can limit alcohol to less or none when work or social settings call for it.

My main issue is worry about detox. I am CEO of a good sized company and living in a small town where everyone knows everyone elses business. I cannot take the time (or embarrasment) of going to a treatment program and want to try to self detox starting tomorrow with the long weekend. My wife will be with me and is a non drinker who is thrilled with my decision to quit.

I know some people have real problems with abruptly stopping alcohol. In past times when I have gone days without, I only had insomnia and stomach upset.

Any recommendations about cold turkey, tapering, etc.. would be greatly appreciated.

BTW: I just read Rational Recovery as well as Albert Ellis's book on alcohol and am very comfortable with using RET/RBT techniques.

Thanks

Carlotta

Hi Roger,

Congrats on your decision to quit. We cannot give you any medical advice but I'd suggest you try to check in with a doctor before doing it anyway.
I understand that living in a small town makes it difficult but maybe you could drive to a bigger city and see a physician? Depending on his assessment, he might prescribe you librium or something else. Detoxing from alcohol cn be dangerous.
What really helped me when detoxing was having tons of Gatorade like sport drinks (to re hydrate myself) and also taking vitamins. A lot of alcohol have vitamin deficiencies caused by poor nutrition.

Anyway, good luck and to sobriety.

whiskeyman

my dr prescribe valium to taper.

hypochondriac

I'd recommend checking in with your doctor. Don't worry he is going to force you into a detox or anything, they won't, but they may prescribe you something to taper with and check that you are medically fit to do this. It's just a precaution x

exponential

I first did the inpatient thing, on the recommendation of a doctor. It was at some kind of mental hospital, where the drug and alcohol people were mixed in with the severely depressed people and such, and we were under lockdown and suicide watch the whole time. They gave me lorazepam, which was fine, but I had no alcohol withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. It was not the most fun experience of my life. They did have some good people that you could talk to about sobriety and so on, and they gave me some references for aftercare. They did make an effort to set me on a good path toward lasting sobriety. My insurance did not cover the whole stay so it cost me quite a bit.

Well my sobriety lasted a while but not forever. The second time I detoxed, over a year later, I did it as an outpatient under the supervision of a different doctor, who prescribed librium and had me call him each day for a couple of days. That was a considerably more convenient way to do it. I suppose that, based on my history, he judged that severe withdrawal symptoms was not going to be an issue.

Coldfusion

All the times I stopped drinking, I didn't try to taper. My previous attempts failed because I did not have a program afterwards.

Have no alcohol in your home or hidden outside your home in the garage, etc. If things get rough, see a doctor before going out to buy alcohol.

mareahh

Congrats to you. I'd recommend either going to a doctor or a detox center to help. Good luck

least

I too would suggest asking your doctor for help as s/he can't legally talk about your medical history/condition. And having your wife there to monitor you is a good idea in case you have any trouble.

Dee74

Many people are fine...but, sometimes, detox goes 'bad' - even if we've done it a 100 times before...and there's often not a lot of warning.

I'd also recommend going to a Dr, Roger.

D

YouRmySunshine

I have tried on my own a few times, but as you can see didn't get me anywhere except another 24 hrs & a wing & a prayer.
I did opt for a medical detox, and glad I did. Although if you asked me a few yrs ago I would have laughed at the very thought.

I agree with others, if you even just made a Dr's appt with a family practice Dr. They can do some labs/tests. and have a baseboard to go from there. It wouldn't be advertising it in anyway for all anyone in town or at your work knows your going for reg Dr visits for something as little as cholesterol.

But the labs may give you a good incentive to stop drinking & stay stopped.
All The Best!

sugarbear1

See your doctor and be honest with them...healthy or not, stopping alcohol can lead to increased blood pressure....and can be lethal.

Just see your doctor!

Anna

It's always a good idea to talk to your dr because detoxing from alcohol can be tricky and dangerous.

Booniecat

I appreciate all of your comments. I am thinking and praying about the path to take. I can't believe I let myself get this far along.

I have lots of hope since I have been tobacco free now for over three months.

Zebra1275

A quick visit to your Dr. might be all you need, and it is confidential. I was given a minimum does of Valium and it made a world of difference.

The key issue, is what are you going to do next week when the urge to drink hits? That's where a program of recovery can help. Trying to "white knuckle" it on your own is tough.

Your age is going to be an asset in recovery. Most people your age have slowed down or quit drinking entirely. Peer pressure shouldn't be a problem.

LostinWA

If you do not know often when you call a detox center they may not have a spot right away. that was a lesson I learned this last week when I began detoxing and decided to go in for help and they were full everywhere.

made me feel a little on my own :/

Pamel

I would also add that at your (also my) age you do need medical help. I quit CT when I was young but it is quite different when you are older. My doctor helped me with valium, and monitoring. The detox may be slower, but under medical care, not lethal.

Go for it! I am on day 3 of nothing, but that came after a couple of weeks of cutting back, then giving in to just a little more... not an easy process.

Booniecat

Doing well so far 24 hours in. Very anxious with a headache but nothing severe.

Booniecat

I made it through last night. Pretty anxious and trouble sleeping but ok. Chills and then sweats but finally got some sleep. Feel pretty good this am but a little hard to concentrate. Skipped church to do a little reading and prayer on my own here.

Booniecat

Great night last night. Best sleep in months. No WD symptoms this am. Going for pizza and some shopping with the wife and then a long walk. Lots of time reading, praying and resting this weeken has given me hope this will be the time recovery is successful.

markinsf

That is wonderful news. Congratulations.