weaning myselff alcohol slowly, to detox safe at home

welcome to the madhouse, which is this forum lol!

First of all well done for taking the first step in admitting you've got a problem and wanting help.

you'll get loads of help and advice here. We don't judge, but honesty is one of the most important aspects. We've all admitted things, so just be honest how much you drink. Your withdrawal reaction sounds as if you've being having more than a bottle, but we all act differently.

one of the regulars on here, RHGB replied excellently to a post from Bryan yesterday, sounded similar to you. Have a read of that as it explains what's happening to your body.

i can really empathise about drinking to relieve anxiety and insomnia (why I'm posting at 3.15am). That was the reason I started drinking, not daily but binge drinking.

Am glad you realise the dangers of going cold turkey, very dangerous and scary.

There are medications to help you and am sure those members taking them will offer advice.

have a read of RHGBs post, it is good.

you say you're on Zoloft, I take it you're from the USA. We know it as sertraline.

youll have loads of replies soon, with all sorts of advice. Be proud you've taken the first step and want help. You seem to have a good doctor, which seems rare these days.

apologies if you're not from the states, it was the zoloft which made me think of that.

good luck

So, based on what you have told us, one bottle of wine a day, you're fine, if you could have a couple of dry days a week all the better. You must have just had a bad reaction, your system must have been a bit low on the day, that's all. You have nothing to worry about.

Based on what you have told us, that is excellent advice. Can I just ask, is that what you wanted to hear? Of course if you were drinking much more than you say (as the symptoms indicate), that is terrible advice. You have come here because you are worried and you want advice, so starting with the truth is a good starting place.

Unfortunately the withdrawal symptoms you describe are quite natural for a heavy daily drinker, but you need to tell me what that real figure is, to give accurate advice, I'd say your one bottle a day, is actually at least two, maybe three. It wouldn't shock me, a number of people posting here have ended up in hospital through alcohol, so you have a long way to go. When I hear a litre bottle of spirits a day, then I start to twinge a bit.

Yes, no wonder your GP agreed that tapering is a good idea, because it involves to effort, risk or research on his behalf. He has done nothing more than agree with you that you should drink less. If he had done the slightest bit of questioning, he would have done the same as me and said the consumption doesn't match with the symptoms.

He would have told you that tapering works for virtually nobody. I manged it once, when I started drinking for a short period after not drinking for a while. The alcohol hadn't quite got a proper hold on me and I was able to taper off and stop. That is the sort of minority who manage it and their drinking levels.

What happens is that you have a couple of drinks, the alcohol has the effect of getting the brain to dump a load of endorphins and dopamine into the system and all self control goes out of the window.

A detox would be the best thing for you. Ask your doctor to prescribe you diazepam. Book a couple of days off work, or do it over the weekend and preferably with a partner if you have one. Usually after the first four days, you're okay, but it can take up to one week for some people. You shouldn't really feel much if the dosage is correct.

Come back with your real consumption and more accurate advice can then be given.

hope all is well, I would like to take a home-detox regiment. your story sounds very similar to mine, and I have insomnia that I control with alcohol at night, and then I wake up and feel fine and deliver my daughter and go to work perfectly normal. Recently, I started waking even earlier, sometimes 3-4 hours before alarm goes off, and I feel almost panicky that I wont be able to get enough sleep to manage my job when I go in. After a couple months, excusing myself from burdens at home to explain my lack of energy at work, I in-fact tried some more alcohol during these "witching hours" in the middle of the nite, and It worked fine- although suddenly I seemed a little bit more "up-beat" in the morning, worn out at the end of day, and felt like the change-over was drawing suspicion. I always counted and limited intake, so be sober on the roads in the car and at work. Never was an issue. If i measured 7-8 drinks at night from about 7 dinnertime until 10pm, I made sure at least 8 hours before getting behind the wheel. I lived this routine for years, always kept stable at work. But now, I have a second child on the way, and I have decided this needs to stop. I get withdrawls. I had an opioid addiction for 8 yrs, prescribed meds. I took them for "pain mangement" after an accident, but really wasn't in much pain. I managed to wean off and quit cold turkey, and stopped smoking as well after 15 years. I know I can do this. Of course, to support an alcohol habit I do regularly take vitimins daily, especially B and C, and excercise hard-core for an hour 3-times a week- which really seems to sweat out the toxicity. I feel great after taking a shower every morning, I can  tell you I was MUCH worse with binge routine for 5 years straight in college, but now I just want to clean up my act. I welcome your suggestions, even if you haven't shared quite the same experience. God Bless, sincerely-

Honest Drinker seeking Advice

Hello, I would also like help with this if I'm honest I drink up to 70cl of vodka a day and if I don't drink any I start getting the shakes any advice?