Drknz

As a 26 year old who's social circle mainly consists of going too happy hour for a few drinks and having been alcohol dependent since 21.

How do you guys feel about cutting down alcohol limits vs stopping cold turkey. I've noticed if I tell myself I can never drink again flat out I'll last a week before feeling the pressure I can never enjoy myself with my friends again.

I find the thought of being able to go to the pub and have 3 - 4 beers and call it a night and still waking up the next day being able to function.

Granted in times of stress or when I feel frustrated about something I can use alcohol as a crutch and binge.

But I am trying to find a degree of balance and moderation in life!

TroyW

Everyone's different. Some people can taper, other's can't. I can't taper myself, as I always slip back into old habits, whereas other people have been able to.

Drknz

I find a lot less anxious knowing that if I set my self a day (like Wednesday) where I can allow myself a 2 - 3 drinks then I feel easier to cope instead of having more anxiety when trying cold turkey.

I'd like to hear from someone who has successfully tapered off and if they found it difficult and if it was more of a mindset/discipline.

ScottFromWI

Tapering is discussed here very frequently. From what I have seen in my years around the recovery community ( and my own personal experiences ) I could summarize it with 2 points.

1. Tapering is really moderation of your drinking.
2. Alcoholics cannot moderate their drinking.

If you think you need to quit, then quitting is the best thing to do. If you have fears that you will have severe withdrawals, seeing a doctor or an alcohol/drug counselor can help ease your fears or work on a plan.

anattaboy

I tapered to quit but am not sure of your question. Yes it requires resolve (to quit). Yes you will feel great several days into it and question whether quitting is the answer (it is). Yes it is hard (it goes against my drinking "instinct"). And finally, Yes it was the best thing I ever did FOR me. http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...+heavy+drinker

Axiom

Going cold turkey is incredibly dangerous if you are alcohol dependent. I know I couldn't taper though, I would suggest seeing a Dr.

If you believe all things in moderation, how did you become alcohol dependent? I am only trying to suggest, perhaps, it may be time to consider completely giving up alcohol.

ArtFriend

Instead of saying to yourself I can NEVER drink again, just say I will not drink TODAY. And then do it again tomorrow. It won't seem so overwhelming.

doggonecarl

Moderation? Like moderating your drinking. I'm not sure I understand your goal. Is is complete abstinence from alcohol? Or the occasional 3 or 4 drinks at the pub?

Soberwolf

I done cold turkey i havnt met someone who got sober from tapering but that isnt the point

I think detoxing in a hospital or with a Dr's help is the best option by far

TnTPoP

I have the strength to say NO to the first ... I dont have it for the 3rd.... or 10th.

Fly N Buy

Glad you're here - welcome!

I think most of us here who have capitulated and acknowledged to ourselves we are alcoholics understand that to mean we cannot drink like a "normal" person and attempts to do so are simply reminders of a life gone by - Thank God@

Keep posting and find your journey..........All will wish you the best of luck as we all travel the road together here.

thomas11

I can share my experience tapering. First, I didn't taper because I thought I was drinking too much, I tapered because I was sick. I did it successfully in one and half days. I waited until I started to shake and my heart rate was "dancing". Then I would drink just enough to make it go away. I would eat, drink Gatorade to replace electrolytes. By settling the shakes etc...I was able to have a small appetite and eat. Each time I had a little alcohol and food, I would wait longer and longer between each time. It requires tremendous discipline because your body and mind want the easy way out which is just to get drunk again and go to sleep. It is still an uncomfortable experience but I would say it improves the withdrawal symptoms by up to 50%.

I took the mindset of someone who was dangerously sick and needed to have my wits about me to get out of the mess I was in. I did NOT have the "lets get drunk and party" mindset. As I've said before on this forum, I did it once and I don't EVER want to do it again.

I believe others will agree with me that when you are coming out of a week or month long hard drinking binge, it is a serious medical condition and its not a joke. Anyway, you asked for our experience, I shared mine. Good luck to you, you are young, use it to your advantage.

pocketpanda

I've tried tapering off alcohol completely numerous times and it's never worked. Even when I wanted it to work so badly that I hated drinking the taper beer.

In fact, I planned to start a taper yesterday and in the end, said the heck with it. Took a xanny to calm my racing heart and panic instead of a beer. My BP is high today, but that's to be expected for a few days. I'm monitoring it regularly.

It sounds, however, like you want to practice mods permanently rather than taper off to nothing for good. There are groups that support that--if you PM me, I'll send you the link. I hesitate to post it here because moderation isn't the goal here. It's abstinence. For the record, I've also tried Mods about four years. Didn't work for me.

PurpleKnight

For me I went cold turkey, BUT I went and got some advice from my Dr first, cold turkey can be dangerous, but he advised that I should be fine.

I don't think tapering would have worked for me in hindsight, I would have never stopped at 1 or 2 drinks, my relationship with alcohol would have opened the flood gates, so I knew that if cold turkey was an option then that was the way forward.

However when it came to withdrawals they happened anyways, I don't think there is a way around them, the body needs to adjust to not having what it has always had, it needs to repair and heal years worth of drinking, so IMO best being safe first and foremost, but getting the body into that repair and maintenance period asap, with no more alcohol in my system, was the best decision.

Dee74

Tapering never worked for me - self control was not my forte.

The best idea is to see a Dr. We have a great health system in Aus Drnkz - why not use it?

D