Erroneous

Hello,

I have been working from home for a very long time, with a lot of stress and also boredom I started having a beer or two to deal, playing video games are more fun and work is less stressful.

Time went on and I started to have more and more, I would still stick to drinking rather low percentage alcohol beer, at about 2,8% and 50cl. At the peak I drank approximately four 6-packs during a 24-26 hour period (with 6hours of sleep) (24x50cl 2,8%).

Due to the low alcohol content, the fact that I spaced it out so much, my tolerance being built up and the low alcohol content of my drink of choice, it was hardly noticeable.

I am fairly centrally located in my city, so don't have a car, so basically had very few downsides of this. Did realise I can't go on like that nevertheless. So just as I was doing on my way up, I started tapering down, in all sort of weird ways, like drinking during the mornings, but making sure I'd be able to blow a perfect 0% in a breathalyser by the time my girlfriend came home. If she had a glass of wine during cooking (happens 1-3 times a week, so she's not in my situation) I would join her and have a couple of my beers. Having some visible in the fridge, while also having secret stash conveniently located throughout the house. On the days she didn't drink wine I'd have a couple of beers spaced out from one of my hidden caches.

We went abroad over the New Years-weekend and we both drank a lot, had complimentary drinks at casinos and both have like semi-blackouts from the later part of the evenings.

Anyway, with me having decided to taper off already, and eventually Quitting for a while, I now, after feeling hungover and crap felt like I really needed to give it a couple of weeks without drinking.

1/1 - 4 hungover beers at the airport 4x50cl 5%
(home again, so I will just write beers now, my standard 2,8% 50cl)
2/1 - 10 beers.
3/1 - 7 beers.
4/1 - 0 beers.

It's now 02:24am and its been a good 27 hours since my last beer. I have been eating good, been drinking a lot of water without forcing me, cup of green tea, had a 4km walk without any sweating (cold as hell here, might be why).

I have had absolutely no abstinence whatsoever. I actually keep my visibility beer in the fridge, as some sort of insurance in case I would get any really nasty abstinence issues, but have not felt the need to use them at all.

I am very very scared that even though I'm basically totally abstinence free, I would still get epiliptic attacks or DT (I think the chance is slim..)

Question is do DT and epileptic attacks happen out of the blue, even if you have none of the lesser abstinence symptoms? I know the lesser ones could still come, but as I've read it should have happened already.

Tl;dr: drank slot. But spread it out during the full day, Tapered. Went on a drinking weekend with girlfriend. Hungover. Decided to quit even though I didn't feel like I had Tapered low enough, no abstinence, which should be good, but instead scares me.

vulturine

I got severe hallucinations out of the blue last year. I started feeling better after withdrawal, so I went for a night walk. Then I randomly started seeing strange things and feeling confused. It became unbearable. Hallucinations, paranoia, disorientation, etc. I figured out that physical activity and darkness triggered hallucinations, so when I stop now, I make sure to stay indoors with the lights on for a week. :/ Not a great way to be. If you have a hangover, you're probably fine. I've had two day hangovers, and withdrawal, and they feel totally different to me.

Hope you eventually make the decision to quit. If you have to taper down all the time to feel normal, and you're blacking out, that isn't a good sign.

vulturine

I'm a chronic relapser. I want to quit. That's why I said, "when I stop."

Anna

Hi and Welcome,

Detoxing withdrawals from alcohol are unpredictable. It's always best to talk to your dr before stopping drinking. We can't offer any kind of medical advice here.

Erroneous

Of course they are and of course you can't. I'm asking generally. Like opinions or for that matter experiences. My doctor would say every detox is individual and I won't tell him, I won't have that in my journal for sure.

Anna

If your dr is concerned he could prescribe medication for you during withdrawals. If he is not concerned, then things should be okay for you. I'm sorry you feel you cannot talk to him. It's my experience that withdrawals from alcohol are unpredictable so be prepared to go to an ER if you have problems.

Erroneous

Both me and my girlfriend semi-blacked out, neither of us are very used to partying. And we both were pretty hungover, either way felt it was so bad I really wanted to quit.

I drink out of boredom and stress. Before working 95% from home I spent my earlier 30+ years without any issues with drinking. This is my first bout with excessive drinking. I will probably continue to drink normally after having some time off, depends on how I feel. I could just mimic my girlfriends alcohol habits (her going a bit wild over new years is not that big of a deal).

Sorry to hear about your hallucinations, must have been really scary.

Erroneous

They have to journal everything and in my country those journals are available to anyone having a practice. And they could also contact social services for follow ups (no kids, they can still do it). So no I won't do it

Yeah if I experience any symptoms that are on the really bad list I will. Right now I'm more like feeling and looking for symptoms. But I feel really great.

Forward12

I've only had I believe were DT's twice, both after really hardcore benders. Withdrawal is different for everyone, but tapering down seems to be the suggested method by docs in the UK.
You should be ok, but keep someone nearby during the next week, or at a minimum keep your phone on you at all times incase something does go wrong.

PurpleKnight

Welcome to the Forum Erroneous!!