Cutting down????

[Muppett]

Alcohol is my demond. I live alone for two weeks and then my beloved husband is home for a week. I have a pretty charmed life BUT I have this dark drinking secret. I don't know how to live my life without wine, but I want to.

I'm scared of going cold turkey, but wondered about cutting down.

Opinions appreciated.:new:

[akmom]

Cutting down????

Muppett.....Welcome!! To answer your main question, the choice to quit or moderate has to be yours, but you need to be honest with yourself. Is AL really your demon? Then maybe it is time to quit. You are on the right track by questioning your dependence upon Alcohol. I am one who had to quit, that's it no more at all, not even one. You are also in the right place, and everyone here has questioned themselves also, "Can I just moderate what I drink and still be ok?" Again you are the only one who can answer that question.

I send you good thoughts and prayers as you think of what you want to do, and just know that the people here are some of the best you will find, and they have no problem answering your questions. You can PM me if you have any questions.

AKmom in Alaska

[lil.michelle]

Cutting down????

Hey hun! Welcome.
You can try to cut down but for most of us, once that bottle is open and the first glass is finished then we might as well finish that bottle and whatever else is in the house.
You can only but try. You need to be honest to yourself. We'd all like to be able to control and just cut down but the reality of it is if we could do that, none of us would be here. No one would have a problem.
Have you honestly not tried cutting down already? IF you have and its not worked for you, you know you have to go AF. If you haven't, give it a try, be completely honest with yourself and if it works GREAT, if not, it's completely fine. You'll just have the answer to your question.

Keep posting, stay strong. We're all here for you and will support any decision you make.
Lots of love XXX

[Muppett]

Cutting down????

Thank you. I'm scared to try AF. What about withdrawals? Where will I go (in my head), how will I sleep if I don't pass out? I'm scared.!!!!!
Have told my husband about this group and although he is supportive, I can see he thinks I can never change (not that he'd ever say so). Feel like a hopeless case right now.
Also, I take anti-depressives. will the anti-craving pills interfer with them?:thanks:

[lil.michelle]

Cutting down????

Hey. I too take anti depressants. Drink really messes badly with these as it's a depressant so it stops the tablets from working.
Don't be scared hun, You need to keep busy, keep that mind occupied for the first week or so until you get into a new routine. As for sleeping, many people find this hard when coming off the drink. Get some herbal sleeping pills or sleeping pills like nytol and take them for the first week and they cut down on them. Withdrawals are the worst but until you stop, you'll not know what will happen. I never really had any but i'm sure you'll be fine.
You are not a hopeless case. We've all been where you are right now. You need to prove to yourself more then to your hubby that you CAN and WILL fight this battle. It's bloody hard and screw ups happen but you CAN BEAT THIS!

[startingover]

Cutting down????

Hey Muppett. Welcome! Yes it is scary deciding to make a change and withdrawals are not nice. But the rewards far outweigh the initial discomfort. It is a process not a quick fix though. So accepting that might help you to stay strong. The decision has to be yours but the support you get from everyone here whatever you decide to do will help you immensely.

I take anti deppresants too. They didnt work while I was drinking. Now I can honestly say I am no longer depressed. Yes, there are still times when I feel low, but not that mind numbingly hopeless feeling that I felt before.

You are most certainly not a hopeless case.
we are here for you.

[gyco]

Cutting down????

hi muppet ,as many b4 me have said it is you not anyone else who decides,you have a choice stop and be happy for how ever long tht is,or mod and try to get a new understanding or stay the way you are,my dear your not alone in it gyco

[gyco]

Cutting down????

if you look at threads or what other people have posted in the past ,it will keep you busy enuff so time will go by so fast you wont have to have a drink, hahaha hope ive helped gyco ps so much here to learn

[tsfitness]

Cutting down????

HI Muppett
I'm new here too. Wine is my demon. While I think I look like a "social drinker" to the rest of the world, I know better. I have just started; i read the book, have listened to one CD, gathering the supps. I ordered topa online; theres no way i could go to a doc about it, but i did an amazing thing last night, and i told my husband. that was so huge!!!!!!!!!! He drinks but doesnt have a problem NOT drinking. I felt a huge weight lifted by telling him. I didnt want to be hiding the book, cd's etc, plus he's a health nut and has most of the supps and is helping me get those together. For me to actually say it out loud to him meant it was real. So far i'm holding steady at about 2 glasses of wine a night ( as opposed to 3/4 of a bottle!). I'm hoping the supps and topa help me taper down to a glass of wine a night, and ultimately, only on the weekends. Little by little. Lets keep talking!
ts

[Karl1981]

Cutting down????

hey there. welcome. and welcome from another brisvagas person glad to see another Aussie here. YAY

karl

[Boss.man]

Cutting down????

Welcome Muppet.

Please lay your fears aside. The reality is a LOT worse. (Only slightly joking).

For most people, laying alcohol aside causes a bit of discomfort. Much of this can be mediated by the supplements recommended on this site. In my three incidences of being AF for 7 days, I had minor shakes twice on Day 2, but only for a few hours. And mine was a hard-liquor habit; 8-9 drinks daily for nearly 20 years and at the end maybe 3 drinks every eight hours 24x7 for as many as 600 days in succession. I'm really quite pleased by how easy it's been physically.

I'm afraid mentally, I'm on a journey and haven't met with success yet. But I have high hopes and a lot of friends here to help. I hope you also can achieve whatever you define as the best success.

[WaitingToExhale]

Cutting down????

Hi Muppet,

As the others have said, you are the only one that can make the choices. And you will find what works for you.

I was really scared to go AF. I managed to string 3-4 days together in the past without any symptoms at all other than the cravings. No shakes, no sleeping problems, nothing. And I was a 2-3 bottle a night wine drinker for 20+ years! Toss in a bit of vodka and other stuff from time to time ...

This time around, I am doing the full program direct from the book with all the supps, CDs the works and finally decided to do Topa as well. And for me, I am slowly cutting back each week. This week it is now 2 glasses of wine per evening. It's the start of week 4. It's not great, but it's GREAT for me!

Soon I will start some AF days and then string a few together and so on. That is what's working for me. Read and read and post and ask questions. Everyone has such great advice and everyone is so different on what works for them. Frozen grapes are wonderful to some ... to me it is the grossest thing I can think of! LOL

Start with the book if you have not already. Then make a plan. Best of luck in your journey.

[akgirl]

Cutting down????

:welcome:
Glad to have you. You will love this place. So many wonderful folks here will listen and support you. As they said, it is for you to figure out what is best.

Good luck to you :h