Beginning the journey of alcohol recovery
 

Hi, I have a level of alcohol dependency and have had for a few years now, which means I am drinking a fair amount more than the recommended unit levels even though it's a small percentage each day but it's every day.

However, I have made a plan to reduce my alcohol consumption to a point where I don't drink any alcohol any more at all. I did want to just stop immediately but have been advised by healthcare professionals to only cut down slowly for now until I have been properly assessed.

Other things I have done is seek out help and will be attending a support session tomorrow for the first time. And then I will be allocated a key worker as well at some point. I will also be asking about drugs to help with the cravings if need be.

I think the staying off the alcohol, especially in the very first stages will be the most difficult for me and so am seeking as much help as possible to deal with that too.

Furthermore, the plan that I have done for myself so far is to drink slightly fewer units each day for the rest of the week. And I do hope that what I am doing right now is a valid reduction plan which is now just sticking with no more than 4.8 units compared with last night which was 7.2 units and night before that being 9 units.

I look forward to chatting with you.

Thanks.

I tried many times to cut back, but I couldn't do it. My problem is that I don't like the taste of alcohol. I drank to get drunk, nothing more, so there was no point in cutting down.
It may be different for you but for me it's continue getting drunk every evening or staying sober forever. I'm staying sober. I have achieved more at home and at work this last two sober weeks than I have done in the last three months.
I just imagine how much more I could have achieved if I hadn't wasted my time on that crap over the years. I'd be a lot thinner too.
Good luck and I hope you achieve your goals.

I'm so glad you joined us, Jmaco. Welcome to a great place for support & encouragement. I'm glad you've decided to get free of alcohol. We all understand how you feel, like no one else can. You're never alone.

Good luck from me, another new member

Hello and welcome. You'll find a lot of support here.
It sounds like you've got a great plan in place.
Stick around and keep posting, if it helps.
Best to you.

Welcome jmaco :)

D

We are all pulling for you. Man I found it so hard to stick to my cutting back numbers. Once I had one I was done for and just started pounding my limit to get a buzz. I always went over my limit. I hope you are different as we are all different. Good luck and post often.

Welcome to the family. :) I hope the support here, as well as in real life, will help you get sober for good. :)

I’m not a fan of tapering unless you’re used to an extreme daily intake, but if that’s the medical advice you’ve been given then that’s what you must follow.

You have a plan, which is great.

Support to you.

Join our January class when you’re ready? It’s for members that are all starting their sobriety this month.

Regards,

JT

I wasn’t able to taper, and that’s what many people find when they attempt to taper, that the binge happens anyway. It sounds like you may have some people helping monitor and guide you through it, so you may have more success.

Although if you went from 9 to 4 units in 72 hrs that’s a very quick taper. Physiologically your body may just react as if you are quitting in that case, especially if you drank daily.

Anyway, it still gentler on the system to cut back, if you are able to do it successfully.

I wasn't able to taper either. I tried for a long time and it only lead to me getting drunk. But you may be different.

Yes, we invite you to join the January 2019 class. I only have 16 days and I post there every night. My heavy withdrawal symptoms lasted for two weeks but everyone is different. I did check-in with a doctor during that time.

Welcome.
I wasn’t a fan of tapering either.
But like you I was advised to do so by my treatment facility.
I managed to do it by buying low abv lager and reduced the amount of cans I drank each day.
I really didn’t want to drink the lager but I felt it was doctors orders.
Anyway I decided after about 4 or 5 days of tapering I was done with the booze and went cold turkey.
I was told off by my key worker for it but by that time I was over the 4 day danger zone.

Good luck

I was able to taper, over the course of about a week before I actually stopped drinking (I was a daily drinker too). I viewed it as medicinal by that point because I had honestly stopped enjoying it. It sounds like you have done all the right things, by taking this issue very seriously and following the medical advice you have been given - best of luck, we're all here to help! :)

PalmerSage - That's exactly how I felt about it too. I knew I had to stop & I just couldn't face the shaking & nausea. I do understand why many don't have success though - & why it's not recommended. I never went back to drinking - too terrified.

Hoping Jmaco checks back in. :)

Wishing Jmaco the best as well

Me too, we can do this 🙏

Thanks, everyone. Well, had my first support session yesterday which is basically like an introduction. Will need to do another session next week which is like the actual beginning process of the whole support.

I asked about the reduction but the advisor said to try and not reduce too much straight away until I see a key worker which I will be allocated within about a few weeks maximum. And there are drugs to help with cravings if need be and so that's a good thing I think and which I can talk about when we actually get the treatment plan in action.

Last night I drank about 6 units as I thought I might have reduced a bit too quickly the other night.

Moreover, going back to the plan that I had for myself I what I have done is try an optional (upgraded option only, although many free ones on the site) module on a site called "Fix your drinking in two days" on a site called Living Life to the Full.

The way it works it is that you first create a diary of what you're drinking and then have a low day and a no day a week. No days, however, are not recommended for really heavy drinkers without first having many low days and added medical support.

Anyway, the plan that I have currently done for myself in addition to the other support, also which I am waiting to get was creating a diary, and then a drinking planner. Basically, this week I am calculating how many units I am having each day and will add all those up for the week too. Then at the end of the week, I will look at the days I drank and pick one or two of the lowest days to be my low alcohol days for the following week. I will choose one or two low days for next four weeks before adding another low day which I will do every 2 weeks until I am eventually drinking low every day and then I will start my off days until I am eventually not drinking anymore if that makes sense.