KAD

I know there are none, but many others think there are. That's why I think they would be shocked to know about me. When my ex-wife and I first separated, I called a friend from our church over to talk. During the conversation, I let him know I have a pretty serious drinking problem. His jaw dropped in disbelief. Alcoholism is no respecter of persons. I know this, but a lot of people still don't.

camino2012

I always have the same thought when I read about moderation or tapering......if it was really a viable choice, than we all would have already done it and no one would be an alcoholic!

The same applies to quitting drinking alcohol completely....if it was easy to accomplish, than we all would have done that too! I think this discussion minimizes the fact that alcohol is a highly addictive drug to those who have consumed more than they should.

I join the chorus that state that tapering and moderation just did not work (or could not work) for me.

Dee74

How so Camino?

D

KAD

Here is my question about that, though. How does someone with an iron will become addicted to anything at all? I'm not trying to be a smartass, I'm being serious. That's what I was meaning in my original post. If I had that kind of resolve, not only would I not need to taper, I wouldn't have become an addict in the first place. See what I mean?

camino2012

Hi Dee:

Sorry I wasn't clearer.

I don't know how it is even possible to moderate or taper a substance (that by definition) is highly addictive.

Camino.

Dee74

oh ok - gotcha camino - thanks

D

Hawkeye13

I don't think I could taper repeatedly, but I did reduce a little before I stopped for good.
I stopped drinking pretty much cold after 30+ years with not much else than will power.

I just never had applied my determined will to not drinking before as I didn't want to quit.

Others on this list have done the same. I guess I didn't have the will
until the drinking really became a threat to my health and job.

Still had terrible detox anyway.
That was before I knew how dangerous it was to quit on your own cold turkey.

Dee74

Noone sets out to get addicted. I certainly didn't...but it's like the frog in the saucepan: it doesn't notice the temperature rising until it's too late.

As for willpower, I know the answer for me
I always thought I could control my drinking one day...'if only I had x'...

Part of my iron will wanted to drink.

I found better results with acceptance - accepting I was an alcoholic,m accepting that I couldn't drink with any degree of lasting control, and accepting that with drinking came disastrous consequences.

Once you truly, fundamentally accept those things, it's much harder to make a casual decision to drink - or at least it was for me.

D

camino2012

I see what you mean.....and I can't answer your question. What I can say is that by ingesting alcohol (which becomes progressively more addictive).....sooner or later, the addictive substance will win regardless of iron will or resolve.

Today is Day #1 for me (and I only have another hour left!).....but only when I started to equate alcohol to being an addictive drug like nicotine (another former addiction of mine), it forced me confront the fact that this is an addiction, and I need to treat it as such. Hope that helps.

KAD

What, and how much, were you drinking? Did you get any help with it? Also, do you have any other health issues like high blood pressure?

pauladmits

This is only my opinion of course. But from what I've read and my own personal experience. People who taper themselves feel like they can control alcohol and eventually be able to drink normally. I've tapered many times, it feels good, gets you pumped on life and before you know it you slip right back in to the alcoholic trap. Even to this day after years of failing I still consider tapering to control my alcohol intake. It's insanity defined. And the sad part was everyone told me it doesn't work and what a shocker, it didn't work.

KAD

That's the place at which I am arriving. This round with the bottle has made a lasting impression, as it has been the most disturbing, and the most enlightening. I have known for quite some time that there is no place in my world anymore for alcohol, and it has been made clearer than ever these last few weeks. When I recognize that the only reason I continue to drink is not for the pleasure of it but to avoid the pain of withdrawal, when I realize that I have never longed for another drink the way I have longed for lasting sobriety, when I realize I have never cried to get drunk but cried plenty to be sober and healthy... I'd call that an epiphany.

KAD

Oh, it definitely gets you pumped up and excited! I kept saying to myself, "All I gotta do is drink a little bit less everyday, and easy as pie I'm off the hook." The underlying thought, though, was that if its that easy, I can do it over and over again. But that brings up Dee's point (or whoever said it). That's where the difference is between using it as a means to keep drinking and avoiding withdrawal, or using it to quit for good. I can see both sides of that. Right now, however, I just don't have the willpower to set my drinking by the clock, or set the quantities by internationally recognized volumes. I haven't been doing very well with that.

MDL

Yeah, man, thats a decent amount. That's about what I was drinking on my 2 week binges and felt like I was losing my mind when I stopped.. I had to see the doctor.. I would talk to your doctor (or a doctor) and get some pills. At least let him know whats up. Hopefully they will do that... It will help you come down safely..

The good thing is you are honest and opening up about it.. That's a positive step. (Also, detox is just a few days stay and isn't the same as a longer term rehab.. just wanted you to know they were 2 different things so you wouldn't be adverse to a detox if needed.. )

Thepatman

Well, truth be told that I went from around 12 beers a night to 0 in 5 days and now sober for 12 days and going strong. Yes it took an iron will to discipline myself to respect my taper quantities and not listen to my AV. But I was sick and tired of being sick and tired so that made it somewhat easier. I however don't recommend this to anyone, it's just dangerous and not particularly smart.

I got addicted not because I didn't have the will, it was more of a progressive thing, before I knew it I was drinking everyday and massive amounts on weekends. My AV would justify that it was normal to drink because everyone does.

Domichou

Like you, I definitely drink too much... I have tried this past two months, not too drink two days a week. It is working quite well. I feel really well on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday when I do not drink. I drink some wine (too much I concede) on Wednesday to Sunday... My next goal will be to add one more day...in september... and so on... I used to drink every day, so it is encouraging. We are all different and while we have all the same "issue", we are all different in our ways to overcome our addiction and feel free again. I wish you good luck.

Dee74

That seems pretty interminable to me Domichou.

I think the object of a taper, if you insist on doing it that way, needs to be getting down to zero in a reasonable amount of time.

If not, then I think you're just binge drinking, really?

D

KAD

I guess maybe I should have rephrased my original post to state that tapering has not worked for me, personally. I was just here a couple weeks ago being pretty boastful about how it had before and that I was gonna do it again and yada yada yada...

I don't ever want to trample all over anything that has worked for anyone when it comes to getting off this terrible drug. I apologize if it came across that way to anyone. I read the other day that there are only two known drugs detoxing from which can kill you: alcohol and benzos. Is that true? If so, why the hell is alcohol legal?! Why can you buy it pretty much everywhere?

And isn't it benzos that are administered to aid in withdrawal from alcohol?

KAD

That's exactly the way it was for me. I detested beer the first time I tasted it, but a few years later experienced my first buzz. It only took one beer. At that point in my life I never had more than 4, tops. This was in the 80's when drinking massive quantities of alcohol was the thing to do. It was in my early 20's that I first decided to drink alone, and it was then that the quantities - and frequency of drinking - gradually increased over time. Never in a million years did I think I would have a problem, even though I was already showing the signs.

Thepatman

It's really sneaky, it just crawls in gradually and by the time we open our eyes, it's moved in, sits on our couch, eats our food, spends our money, and never cleans it's mess it leaves all over our life's. Until we have to kick it out for good. LOL!