Soooooooo.....two years back I managed the fabled 'moderation' (nightly drinker since 2005/6, about 9 cans of 5% lager or two bottles 13+% wine per night/a mix), quit cold turkey, only drank on social occasions, maybe only 5/6 times a year. Felt really great, no dependence, I managed to do EXACTLY what I wanted to do, despite certain others on here being skeptical about my intentions. It was actually quite easy.
Fast-forward to June/July last year. I do a physical job and bust my lower back, true agony, had a month-and-a-half off work, have not been able to walk properly til very recently, took me seven sessions of physiotherapy to get to about 85%, been working in extreme pain all the time....
...so back in August they dosed me up on Tramadol and Diclofenac, both of which didn't touch the sides...and made me feel agitated/tetchy all the time....and so, so sick in my stomach. Could barely eat. Got really depressed, pain was so bad I was hobbling about at 2mph (long legs/very fast walker/energy galore/now feeling like an invalid).
The drugs weren't working. I felt semi-suicidal, felt I was gonna lose my job. One night, visited the supermarket to run an errand and decided to treat myself to four large bottles of Leffe Braun as a 'treat' as I love that beer and it was on offer. Four bottles later, pain is minimal and I felt gooooooooood, I actually felt amused for the first time in eons.
SO, I found my painkiller. Drink enough alc, I'm sure I could saw one of my limbs off, no probs, such a great analgesic! I was back on the sauce every night again. I was also still taking opioids, though switched from Tramadol to 60mg Codeine Phosphate, as I tolerate it much better. Was also on 20mg Prozac for the depression....this drug was fucking me up badly, akathisia and increased depression, insane moodswings!
My stomach felt rancid. I barely ate. Sweating/shaking all the time, feeling insane at work, head mashed, started falling out with people, lost friends, the combo of pain and all that other shit put me on a proper 'slippery slope'. Had to do something.
Quit the Prozac first, cold turkey after 7 months. Awful withdrawal, don't recommend it but that's how I do it, took me about two months before the 'electric head' shit stopped. Quit the painkillers, too, all of them. No problems with coming off those.
Finally, five days back, I drop the booze, again cold turkey. 3hrs sleep the first two nights, jumping to seven hours then I got nine hours last night with vivid nightmares, woke up sweating several times.
Never have cravings for booze so I *should* be able to get back on track again, just wanna get the first fortnight out of the way first, get my sleep back.
Apologies for the long post but it's a reference point for me, just need to ride this out, I forget that 'gap' you get in your life when you quit booze, suddenly you've got all this 'sober time' and it feels bloody odd after so long on the drink!
Anyhoo...drinking at home...it's not good. That's me done with it.
Fast-forward to June/July last year. I do a physical job and bust my lower back, true agony, had a month-and-a-half off work, have not been able to walk properly til very recently, took me seven sessions of physiotherapy to get to about 85%, been working in extreme pain all the time....
...so back in August they dosed me up on Tramadol and Diclofenac, both of which didn't touch the sides...and made me feel agitated/tetchy all the time....and so, so sick in my stomach. Could barely eat. Got really depressed, pain was so bad I was hobbling about at 2mph (long legs/very fast walker/energy galore/now feeling like an invalid).
The drugs weren't working. I felt semi-suicidal, felt I was gonna lose my job. One night, visited the supermarket to run an errand and decided to treat myself to four large bottles of Leffe Braun as a 'treat' as I love that beer and it was on offer. Four bottles later, pain is minimal and I felt gooooooooood, I actually felt amused for the first time in eons.
SO, I found my painkiller. Drink enough alc, I'm sure I could saw one of my limbs off, no probs, such a great analgesic! I was back on the sauce every night again. I was also still taking opioids, though switched from Tramadol to 60mg Codeine Phosphate, as I tolerate it much better. Was also on 20mg Prozac for the depression....this drug was fucking me up badly, akathisia and increased depression, insane moodswings!
My stomach felt rancid. I barely ate. Sweating/shaking all the time, feeling insane at work, head mashed, started falling out with people, lost friends, the combo of pain and all that other shit put me on a proper 'slippery slope'. Had to do something.
Quit the Prozac first, cold turkey after 7 months. Awful withdrawal, don't recommend it but that's how I do it, took me about two months before the 'electric head' shit stopped. Quit the painkillers, too, all of them. No problems with coming off those.
Finally, five days back, I drop the booze, again cold turkey. 3hrs sleep the first two nights, jumping to seven hours then I got nine hours last night with vivid nightmares, woke up sweating several times.
Never have cravings for booze so I *should* be able to get back on track again, just wanna get the first fortnight out of the way first, get my sleep back.
Apologies for the long post but it's a reference point for me, just need to ride this out, I forget that 'gap' you get in your life when you quit booze, suddenly you've got all this 'sober time' and it feels bloody odd after so long on the drink!
Anyhoo...drinking at home...it's not good. That's me done with it.
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