still scared of withdrawals

[6Katz]

still scared of withdrawals

Letgo - So glad your hubby is there for you. And I feel so excited that you can go AF soon. You can do it, and do it in your own time....I think its normal to be nervous, even if it is just about the change of habits (I don;t like change!) It has been a looong time since I have been AF, and I too am going to try to taper down, but I am in no way ready to try it in a week. :-( It's going to be a process for me, and I read the same sites you do and it scares the living bejeezus out of me. Please know I'm thinking of you and keep us posted!

[MamaZum]

still scared of withdrawals

Letgo, hi!

You most certainly can go AF safely on Friday.

If it helps you, feel free to check my Drinktracker and you will see that your drinking is not that bad at all and you could try to be AF sooner. I experienced only very minor (sweating) withdrawal symptoms when I started with MWO in April, but it could have been just a hangover...who knows.

Now even after my binges I do not have any physical AWS, only my mental craving is killing me.

Good luck and keep us posted!
love, MZ


P.S. I agree with what all said except for 8 DAYS A WEEK: From what I understand, 8 days, this forum is about SUPPORT!

[letgolaughing]

still scared of withdrawals

thanks mama z. it helps to hear that. but my crazy brain twists it around somehow.

so, i guess here is the real question...scientifically. what rate does one need to taper off of alcohol? if you drink 8 drinks a day for a year, do you take 2 months to taper? a week? that's where i can't find any data. what is the safe rate to taper off? if you drink 4 drinks a day, do you drop day by day, week by week?

i wish there was a formula!

thanks!!
oh, and it's ok about 8 days, i'm sure she means well.

[JimBeam911]

still scared of withdrawals

Dear Letgolaughing,

I wouldn't worry about alcohol withdrawal given the amount you report consuming. Everyone is different, but my own experience and the experience of others leads me to believe that you would have to have been consuming WAY more alcohol than you have been to suffer withdrawal. For example, my heaviest period of daily drinking usually involved 2 bottles of wine, or an entire fifth of whiskey (over a period of about 5 years), and my withdrawal usually amounted to nothing more than 4-5 days of insomnia and some nervousness/jitters for the first 24 hours. Moreover, these latter withdrawal effects would be worse when I hadn't been eating well and drinking heavily; with a reasonable diet, my withdrawal was far less intense. So I wouldn't worry about it.

[Cinders]

still scared of withdrawals

LetGo,

Here is a web page about tapering off of alcohol

How To Taper Off Alcohol

After reading it, I think you might have to consume more than you currently do in order to follow their regime.

I would go with one glass a night until hubby gets back, then go AF.

I would imagine insomnia will be your worst enemy and I have this feeling you won't experience any of the worst symptoms, such as sweating, shaking, tremors, visual "things." Much less seizures.

To deal with the insomnia, try Melatonin or L-Tryptophan.

Oh, and do eat right and drink lots of good fluids.

You can do this!!

Cindi

[letgolaughing]

still scared of withdrawals

yep cindi, i've read that page before. if i follow there advice, by drinking one beer an hour, i'd actually be drinking about 10 times the amount i do now! LOL so....

[MamaZum]

still scared of withdrawals

letgolaughing;796376 wrote: yep cindi, i've read that page before. if i follow there advice, by drinking one beer an hour, i'd actually be drinking about 10 times the amount i do now! LOL so....

LOL.....Letgo, i am sure you know now that you are safe. If you can stick to your plan, just do your taper till Friday , that way you will be more confident and less anxious about AWS.

I wish I knew how to use your method!! :l

Love again, MamaZ

[letgolaughing]

still scared of withdrawals

i had a beer tonight.. half before dinner, then half after. i was so tired i really considered just leaving it at one. but my brain scares me to death about withdrawals! so, i'm having my "required" half a glass of wine right now.
i don't even want it. but i'm too scared not to have it.

i'm in chat, but mostly just lurking...i've found that most chat is about anything but drinking(or not drinking)

[allswell]

still scared of withdrawals

I can't see, given the amount of alcohol consumed, that 2 or 3 glasses of wine are going to cause any serious withdrawals and definately not brain damage. Tapering might just be, like someone referred to in another post, like slowly pulling the band-aid off. Maybe taper down to 1 glass for a day or two then take the leap, you'll be fine.

[Gumdrops]

still scared of withdrawals

Is a medical in-center detox possible?

[letgolaughing]

still scared of withdrawals

thanks for all the reassurance...it's so nice when i log in and there is another person saying that my fear is unlikely to happen.

gum - i think that i wouldn't "qualify" for an in-center detox. I know it sounds weird, but i don't think my drinking is enough to warrant that, even though i fear the worst of the withdrawals. it's conflicting, I see that. but my ocd/fear is irrational.

so...i keep having headaches. i feel like i actually drank a tad too much, when i only had 1.5 last night. this has happened 4 days in a row. i wonder if it's tension headaches, but i NEVER get headaches. So, my ocd/fear thinks it is a sign of withdrawal. AND if i'm having headaches while tapering this slowly, I'm sure to have something more serious when i actually stop. That's what is going thru my head today.

you know, stopping or cutting back on alcohol, even if you aren't physically addicted is hard. even if it is just a habit. habits are hard to break. it's a real challenge. It is hard enough already, why do i have to have this fear of withdrawal to make this 10 times harder than it has to be?

damn.

[ladyjan]

still scared of withdrawals

Hiya LGL,
I do hope you don't take this the wrong way as I mean it in kindness NOT badly..

But do you think that maybe you might be making your situation worse by obsessing over it waiting constantly for more replies..
you have every right to do so, the same as any of us here at MWO.

But you admit you have an OCD and possibly you could be getting yourself even more worked up and worrying..
As a lot of members have said to you that your consumtion is exteemly low and in our opinion is not at alcoholic level.

More that you are scaring yourself and getting in a panic and exacerbating your already OCD situation????
Which could be a large part of the reason you are having headaches, coz it can't be hangovers not at one & half glass of beer.

Maybe take heed of what so many have suggested to you and you have already planned to do and go for it without worry, try to chillout and calm down a bit.
Take a positive approach to what you are going to do and stick to it.
I am sure you will do great, but just don't panic, take it easy, relax and slowly let go.
Wish you well as you go for it..you can do it..

[letgolaughing]

still scared of withdrawals

hi ladyjan...yes, you are right in some aspect. the loop of seeking reassurance for ocd is not ideal. however, i'm not really in a panic. i am certainly obsessing though, and you're right, it is causing me anxiety. in the meantime, i am still going along as planned. it just really helps to hear it again and again.

not sure about these headaches. i know i'm not hungover, i just wonder if it's withdrawal. i have anxiety ALOT and never have headaches. So, it makes me think that it's my body reacting to less alcohol. which normally, would be fine, it's just a tiny headache. but, i blow it out of proportion and link it to the possibility of a seizure in the long run, when i actually don't drink.

i totally get where you are coming from and really appreciate your honesty.

sorry if i'm getting on everyone's nerves. i'm getting on my own nerves!!

lol

[ladyjan]

still scared of withdrawals

LGL
Just an idea, how about getting yourself a alcohol breath test kit..they are not expensive, that way you will see how much you have in your system, which I can't imagine will be a lot
When you are at zero see how long it takes until you get your headaches..
that way you will see they are not related..
Honestly if you were having withdrawals you WOULD know all about it..they really are not nice..!
I just hope I am not suggesting something to make you obsess more over it..! but maybe if you can see it you can control it..

[ladyjan]

still scared of withdrawals

Here you are LGL have a read of this..you will clearly see you are NOT suffering withdrawals.
hope you can feel better.
Withdrawal from alcohol or drugs