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    #1

    Scared...Don't know what to expect..

    Hi All

    This is my first post here and as I put in the title I am scared. Not to be posting or facing up to my problem, but because I feel I'm coming to a crossroad.

    I am 46 years old and was a social drinker all my adult life. About 4 years ago I started drinking every night when I got home from work. Just a couple of vodkas at first, but within a year it was 1/2 bottle a night during the week and a full bottle on my days off. And there I have stayed for the last 3 years. More recently, I've been out of work and I'm knocking off a full bottle every day.

    I fianlly went to my Doctor about 6 months ago. She suggested that I start slowly reducing my consumption while at the same time starting a 1 year course of Campral. It has taken me that 6 months to finally decide to start cutting back. The problem is that even to reduce my intake by 20% in a day, I'm finding that I'm awake all night, feeling like I'm going to jump out of skin, I'm clamy in the morning and my hands tremor until I have that first drink. I never thought my body would even recognise that small of a reduction (or is it psychological?).

    Here I am starting my journey and I don't know how to get over the first hurdle.

    Has anyone here gone cold-turkey from a bottle a day habit and been successful? How bad was it? Has anyone reduced from that level over a longer period? What rate of decline?

    Thinking of asking Doc for some Diazapan, as that horrible feeling of impending doom at 4am is what I cope with the worst.

    Any and all comments welcome.

    Thank you all
    Tags: None
    #2
    Scared...Don't know what to expect..

    Good morning. Vodka is my poison of choice too, you can do this! It is hard! But so worth it. There was a lady here not to long ago with a similar problem. I will come back in a minute and give you a link to her thread. It is so inspiring!
    You always succeed if you never stop trying.
    Everyday we choose the direction of change.

    Comment

      #3
      Scared...Don't know what to expect..

      https://www.mywayout.org/community/f7...way-49698.html

      click on the above to go read her thread. It should answer alot of you cutting down questions. Also sleeplessness is a common side effect of cutting back or out the alcohol. It goes away in 2 to ten days normally.
      You always succeed if you never stop trying.
      Everyday we choose the direction of change.

      Comment

        #4
        Scared...Don't know what to expect..

        "Thinking of asking Doc for some Diazapan, as that horrible feeling of impending doom at 4am is what I cope with the worst".

        You are exactly where I am now.

        You are not alone.

        My doctor won't give me Diazapam. Not whilst I continue to drink.

        I hate my life right now.

        xxx
        Lead me not into temptation, I can find the way myself!!!

        Comment

          #5
          Scared...Don't know what to expect..

          Hi CRIX,
          The consensus is usually to ween off of the AL. So sett some goals t reduce each day more than the day before, until you are at zero.. This will help with the reduction hopefully in the withdrawal department. Once you are actually alcohol free for a period of days you will start to feel the positive effects. Gradual changes. I am only giving you the general coverage. I have had Diazapan, and that has really helped when I was coming off AL. Good Luck!

          Ive learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances. -Martha Washington

          Comment

            #6
            Scared...Don't know what to expect..

            My drink was rumplemintz and I drank at least a pint every night after work. It is 100 proof and I was terrified of quitting. I took 1 week to wean myself off and March 17th was my last drink. It took me almost 4 years of trying to quit, after drinking daily for 10 years. My sleep was disturbed for a couple of days and I was anxious but after the 4 day all was good.

            You can do this but you have to be 110% committed. You have to tell yourself NO DRINKING NO MATTER WHAT...NO OPTION. Your inner voice will try to tell you that you can drink once you feel better but it is a lie. You have to remember why you want to quit and remind yourself frequently. But I can tell you that life is WAY better once you quit and stick with it. My life is so much better today and I am so grateful everyday.

            Read lots here and make a plan. You can do it!
            AL free since March 17th 2011...loving this life. No drinking no matter what.

            Hi my name is Lori and i am so happy to be here.

            Comment

              #7
              Scared...Don't know what to expect..

              hi crix, good job on finding MWO.
              the tool box has some great tips and answers to your questions.
              https://www.mywayout.org/community/f1...box-27556.html
              campril and the desire to quit has saved my life, i managed to cut down to about 1/2 the qty of AL, then started campril the morning after my last night on the turps. it is sugested a few days AL free, but i could not manage it.
              i had shakes and sweats and cramps, loss of sleap and lethargy for the first three days, but it improved.
              I still think about Drinking, but I come from a strong place with a true sense of self worth for the first time in my life.

              IT IS hard, if it was easy everyone would be doing it.IT is well worth the hassle.
              gratz on realizing you need to work on this.
              AF since 10/26/2009

              It will be five years sober 10/26/2014

              Comment

                #8
                Scared...Don't know what to expect..

                hi crix, have you managed to cut down or are you still on a bottle a day. if you have cut down maybe you could try and ride out the withdrawals, tho its probobly best to check with your doctor first as i knw it can be dangerous. when i went af i had awful shakes, sweating, insomnia, feelings of climbing the walls. it lasted a few days. as your not working you can just sleep when you feel you can. i found coming on here in the middle of the night great as there was always someone somewhere in the world to talk to. i also took campral but was a week af before i started it. well done for taking the first steps, things will get better.
                Today is the tomorrow i worried about yesterday and it turned out fine
                Keep passing the open windows

                Comment

                  #9
                  Scared...Don't know what to expect..

                  Hi crix and welcome! Have you read the MWO book? That may be a good place to start to get some of your issues addressed. You can download it from the Health Store at the top of any page. Around $12 I think. I see aspman pointed you to the tool box thread which is a must and you may want to look at https://www.mywayout.org/community/f1...lan-41280.html You can do this! Lots here have and you can too.
                  sigpic
                  Thoughts become things..... choose the good ones. ~TUT

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Scared...Don't know what to expect..

                    Thanks for all the comments. I have started to cut back and have now seen my GP again. What I thought was withdrawal symptoms from only a 20% daily reduction was in fact nocturnal panic attacks brought on by stress. She has prescribed 40mg Propranolol twice a day which has made me feel better already. 1/2 bottle today and tomorrow and then down to 1/4 on Thur, then ....re-evalaute depending on how I feel.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Scared...Don't know what to expect..

                      Hi Crix,
                      :welcome: So glad you have found this site, I hope it will give you much strength and support.

                      I too was drinking a bottle of Vodka a day, and about a bottle of wine in the evening too. I had to drip feed the vodka in the daytime to function, until I could get walloped on the wine at the end of the day. My heart goes out to you. It can be done, I found tapering off worked well for me too, a little less each day. Kalms helped too when I felt a panic attack coming on. Sleep when you can, eat when you can and hang in there, it does and will get better.

                      Keep checking in, we are all here to help.
                      I can not alter the direction of the wind,

                      But I can change the direction of my sail.


                      AF since 01/05/2014

                      100 days 07/08/2014

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Scared...Don't know what to expect..

                        Hi Crix,

                        I think you should follow this link Propranolol ( Inderal ) data sheet
                        and then I think you should see another doctor........She has not followed the prescribing directions i.e. start on a low 10mg dose and build up, also propranolol (inderal is an alternative name) and alcohol do not go well together, the term used at the above site is dangerous!
                        Panic attacks aka anxiety and alcohol abuse go together did the doc seem aware of that?
                        " I'm not trying to counsel any of you to do anything really special, except to dare to think and to dare to go with the truth and to dare to love completely." -R. Buckminster Fuller

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Scared...Don't know what to expect..

                          Hi Crix.

                          Just wanted to welcome you. Glad you found us.

                          Good luck with your journey.

                          HC
                          I finally got it!
                          "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become" Buddah

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Scared...Don't know what to expect..

                            Ok...Real world..Did 3/4 and 5/8...but that is an improvement on 1 and 1 and 1 and 1. Feel a hell of a lot better of for it as well. Now less tha 1/2 a day for the next 2. God willing..

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Scared...Don't know what to expect..

                              Hi Crix,
                              baby steps in the right direction, every step gets you closer to your goal, sending you :l
                              your doing grand.
                              I can not alter the direction of the wind,

                              But I can change the direction of my sail.


                              AF since 01/05/2014

                              100 days 07/08/2014

                              Comment

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