Still drinking wine but I am slowly getting there
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Posts: 27
Still drinking wine but I am slowly getting there
Hi all,
Addicted for years, I finally asked for help for the first time. I've met with a psychiatrist yesterday. She wants me to taper down gradually in order to deal with the withdrawals symptoms. She gave a med to sleep and will add meds for anxiety next week.
With all you experiences, is this a good idea?
Addicted for years, I finally asked for help for the first time. I've met with a psychiatrist yesterday. She wants me to taper down gradually in order to deal with the withdrawals symptoms. She gave a med to sleep and will add meds for anxiety next week.
With all you experiences, is this a good idea?
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,784
I tried tapering many times without success. Tapering is trying to control something you can't control. If they're giving you meds for anxiety, why can't you just stop drinking and not bother trying to taper?
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: California
Posts: 499
Tapering option sucked for me. I started to use the meds given to me to take care of withdrawal symptoms. So I got to keep drinking, and also get some relief when the hangovers were uncomfortable. Same as you, I was prescribed a sleeping pill and some drugs to help with withdrawal symptoms, like anxiety. Personally I think tapering is tiptoeing around the issue and often is unsuccessful.
If it works for you that would be great though!
If it works for you that would be great though!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
Well, I tapered before quitting.
I think give it one try - if you can't adhere to the prescribed schedule (I presume your doctor gave you a timeline and daily drink schedule?) then call the doctor immediately and tell her.
It's not good to combine drugs and alcohol, especially the kind they give you to help with withdrawal symptoms. Please be careful.
I think give it one try - if you can't adhere to the prescribed schedule (I presume your doctor gave you a timeline and daily drink schedule?) then call the doctor immediately and tell her.
It's not good to combine drugs and alcohol, especially the kind they give you to help with withdrawal symptoms. Please be careful.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: FLAAADAH
Posts: 793
No ! This is not a good idea. It is obvious to me and probably everyone else responding to the post that your psych. knows little to nothing about dealing with and treating addiction.
He/she should have refered you to a Medical Doctor first off. Please be very, very careful about mixing sleeping pills with alcohol. It can be very dangerous !
I tried to "taper down gradually" for 3 years! It didnt work. Never has. Anytime I tried to taper, I wound up drinking MORE than my norm ! Everytime!
I know why it never worked too. I never REALLY wanted to stop drinking !
Until YOU want to stop...YOU will keep drinking. That is a fact.
I'am sorry if I sound a little harsh but you are asking this question to those of us that have been there. We know what works and what doesnt.
Please. Set a stop date within the next 1 week. Call you MD and come "Clean" with him/her and let him follow you for the next few weeks at least.
Total abstenance is the only true answer...with your doctors supervision .
Put your fears behind you, tell your AV to SHUT UP !!!...and GO SOBER !
You'll find that it's not really as scary or as difficult as you are building it up to be in your mind ! Thats what I found out.
Get a few days behind you...post here often and the momentum will build on it's self to push you even further into sobriety!
You CAN do this !
DD
He/she should have refered you to a Medical Doctor first off. Please be very, very careful about mixing sleeping pills with alcohol. It can be very dangerous !
I tried to "taper down gradually" for 3 years! It didnt work. Never has. Anytime I tried to taper, I wound up drinking MORE than my norm ! Everytime!
I know why it never worked too. I never REALLY wanted to stop drinking !
Until YOU want to stop...YOU will keep drinking. That is a fact.
I'am sorry if I sound a little harsh but you are asking this question to those of us that have been there. We know what works and what doesnt.
Please. Set a stop date within the next 1 week. Call you MD and come "Clean" with him/her and let him follow you for the next few weeks at least.
Total abstenance is the only true answer...with your doctors supervision .
Put your fears behind you, tell your AV to SHUT UP !!!...and GO SOBER !
You'll find that it's not really as scary or as difficult as you are building it up to be in your mind ! Thats what I found out.
Get a few days behind you...post here often and the momentum will build on it's self to push you even further into sobriety!
You CAN do this !
DD
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,516
Originally Posted by DuhDave 
He/she should have refered you to a Medical Doctor first off.
Please remember we cannot offer any kind of medical advice.
In my experience tapering never worked and I always ended up worse off than when I began. If you have concerns about your drs advice, please make an appointment with another dr for a second opinion.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Posts: 27
I had an annual checkup with my regular doctor last week and I will see him again in 10 days for a follow-up. I will work with both, my family doctor and the psychiatrist to finally make it happen.
Thank you so much for all your encouragements and your advice. I really need this. You all know probably more about sobriety than all the doctors who never experienced this nightmare themselves. Thanks!
Thank you so much for all your encouragements and your advice. I really need this. You all know probably more about sobriety than all the doctors who never experienced this nightmare themselves. Thanks!
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,784
Did the PDoc give you a taper schedule? Will you get the anxiety meds when you've quit for good? That's what helped me get thru the withdrawal anxiety, a few days of meds to keep me from going back to drinking to ease the w/d anxiety.
There's lots of support here so post if you feel the urge to drink and we'll try to talk you out of it.
There's lots of support here so post if you feel the urge to drink and we'll try to talk you out of it.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Posts: 27
Yes, I took my first pill to sleep yesterday. I limited myself at three glasses of wine with my meal, then I had sparkling water. Tonight, no more than two glasses with my meal. I will see the psy again tomorrow at the end of the day for the anxiety pills. Tomorrow, one glass of wine with my dinner and it will be it. I will start the anxiety pills on Sunday. I will surely need you all. A lot!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Missouri
Posts: 515
Hi Golden. I can't wait to follow your progress. Is the psychiatrist an addiction psychiatrist? Even then I'm not so sure about those doctors. I was going to go this route also. I talked to a counselor years ago and it was a waste of time. I sat through and listened to an addiction psychiatrist with my son. Ummm, mixed feelings on that. I always found that moderating usually threw me into an all out drunk! I'll never forget someone in AA saying "Do you want to quit or not?". I always feel like I'm teeter tottering with sobriety. It's very frustrating. Is Xanax the anti-anxiety med? Reading through a lot of posts every night. It seems that dam wine is a really popular, highly abused alcohol. I'm a huge Chardonnay fan trying to get sober. As I said, I look forward to following your thread. Good luck to you.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Gatineau, QC, CA
Posts: 5,100
Tho I would not go and recommend tapering as a quit option, it worked for me.
It takes self discipline and an iron will. Quantity must decrease, and should not take too long. By this I mean not months, not weeks, but days.
But, I was desperate and decided that I had enough. My will to stop was stronger than my will to drink. That, in the end, no matter what you do, is what will make you stop.
Act like your life depends on it, because it does.
It takes self discipline and an iron will. Quantity must decrease, and should not take too long. By this I mean not months, not weeks, but days.
But, I was desperate and decided that I had enough. My will to stop was stronger than my will to drink. That, in the end, no matter what you do, is what will make you stop.
Act like your life depends on it, because it does.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Athens, Georgia
Posts: 962
Tapering??? 
I listened to an exceptionally good AA Speaker Message I found on an Internet Search. The guy had told his wife he would quit drinking (for the umpteenth time). The next day he was drinking again, and he told his wife, " Yeah, I quit yesterday, today I'm just tapering off... it didn't work.
If you are truly an 'alcoholic' ... Try AA ...If you just have a 'drinking problem' ...I hope you can get a handle on it ... For me, Life is SO MUCH BETTER now that I am not CONTROLLED by the cycle of Obsession & Craving.
RDBplus3 ... Happy, Joyous, and FREE ... and if you are ALCOHOLIC, I KNOW you can be 2.
I listened to an exceptionally good AA Speaker Message I found on an Internet Search. The guy had told his wife he would quit drinking (for the umpteenth time). The next day he was drinking again, and he told his wife, " Yeah, I quit yesterday, today I'm just tapering off... it didn't work.
If you are truly an 'alcoholic' ... Try AA ...If you just have a 'drinking problem' ...I hope you can get a handle on it ... For me, Life is SO MUCH BETTER now that I am not CONTROLLED by the cycle of Obsession & Craving.
RDBplus3 ... Happy, Joyous, and FREE ... and if you are ALCOHOLIC, I KNOW you can be 2.
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