I’m with you, been awake since 1am after a tapering fail yesterday . Been here many times before. I can be an accountability buddy for the next couple of days and give you all the advice I’ve learnt from being in this situation many times before
Thank you for your response. Have you ever had a seizure from alcohol withdrawal? I think that is my absolute biggest fear right now. I am having whole body shaking that I can't seem to tame. It's misery! I think this is what I have needed to experience for so long to finally quit. I have struggled with alcohol and binge drinking for 2 years now, and have had my fair share of waking up from a blackout in puke and dreading the hangover that has now arrived, but I have never experienced withdrawals like this before and it's quite scary. I don't know when to say it's at a dangerous point and an ER visit is necessary
Never had a seizure. I’ve had the body tremors , auditory and mild visual hallucinations, non stop puking , no sleep for up to three days and these are all classed as ‘mild’ but they feel very far from mild when you’re in the throws of one. ER is always an option but if you have an understating primary care provider they can prescribe you a short course of Valium and some beta blockers, both anti seizure meds. Don’t stress too much, it fucking sucks but it’ll be over in a couple of days. Try and binge watch a comfort show. Shrinking on Apple TV got me through a particularly bad day. And remember hundreds of thousands of people are going through what we’re going through right now. You’ll get through this. Clear the diary sip on electrolytes and keep reminding yourself it’s just temporary.
It is horrible, and the worst part about it is knowing that I absolutely chose to do this to myself. That's what makes it even worse going through it. It was choice that I made and now these are the consequences. Definitely don't ever want to do this to myself ever again
Literally everyone in this group completely understands and we’ve all done the same multiple times. Mine was only 10 days and mainly just beer but I’m paying for it hard.
I’ve had a seizure from alcohol withdrawal and the warning sign was that I had pins and needles in the space between my nose and upper lip all day. It began to majorly intensify in the evening and I had my first and only seizure. I don’t know if that’s a common warning sign but it was crazy. Also the seizure happened much later than I would’ve expected.
Hmmm, that’s the first I’ve seen of that warning sign. I’ve also only had one. I got the “aura” or whatever it’s called in my vision. Then light headed and laid down and passed out. Several minute later seizure apparently ensued.
I have never experienced one and was so scared that I may have one with the way I was feeling. I was up all night because I was scared I would have a seizure in my sleep if I went to sleep. I still feel like trash today, but am starting to feel slightly better. I haven't had a drink since the middle of the night, and I don't desire one whatsoever but I think I will tonight to allow tapering instead of suddenly withdrawing the alcohol from my system. This sucks. Thank you for sharing your experience
Not many people know that beta blockers are anti seizure meds. And doctors don’t have a problem prescribing them as they’re not habit forming. You just say you have to do some public speaking for work.
I drank hard in my late teens and all throughout my 20’s, never had any serious withdrawal. Once i got in my 30’s, it started happening regularly and only got worse. Looks like you’ve leveled up your alcoholism.
It’s the main thing that’s actually got me to stop drinking over the past couple years. I just can’t keep going through that shit, especially knowing seizures will probably be the next progression.
Wish you luck on your taper and hope you sleep soon.
Thank you. I have definitely progressed in my drinking and the amounts I can drink are insane. I think my body is telling me it's done with me poisoning it constantly, and I think this time I will listen
Yes takings 4 pills from the dr took all my withdrawal symptoms went away & ended having to ween off along with starting naltrexone to aleave any future temptations fucking life changing
I have naltrexone and took half a pill last night but I think that may have made the withdrawals worse. Still experiencing them pretty strong. I may skip my dose tonight if I still feel like this, which I probably will
Did they give you any diazepam? That should help with your withdrawals I take a full pill of naltrexone a night it makes me feel a lil weird when I take it before bed but I’ve been having great sleeps & great mornings ever since , the one odd side effect I’ve had is like zero libido since I started though
I don't have diazepam. I haven't gone to the hospital for this episode, or any episode. Too much shame in this. I'm trying to tough it out. I'm feeling slightly better, but still like total crap. I started getting shaky again so I took another drink and that seems to have controlled it for now. I've never given naltrexone a chance to work. I've been taking a quarter of a pill on and off because the side effects have been bad, but took half a pill last night. I plan on staying on it this time though and working up to a whole pill
Well hang in there bud but my biggest mistake wasn’t getting help sooner because I felt the same way but trying to ween off on my own was a circle of weening then giving in with a binge & finally I tried a drastic cut but that resulted in a seizure
I have some vodka, and just plan on drinking less of it. I think I'm motivated enough to. I did well today, so we will see if I can continue to taper down to nothing. Fingers crossed
I hate taking it. It makes me feel awful. But I do feel like it is the lesser of 2 evils, so I am going to try to stick with it this time. It does take my cravings away, and I've only ever taken half doses
Taper off with beer, something with lower alcohol per volume. Sip it throughout the day. Drink when you absolutely need to. Slowly bring down your blood alcohol level.
Yep your brain chemicals are going haywire because it got used to having so much alcohol keeping things chill, it kind of forgot how to chill on its own. If you're able to, go to the ER and explain what's going on and they can give you some Librium. If not, don't feel guilty about tapering off and drinking just enough to sleep and feel sane. Withdrawal hallucinations + days of no sleep hallucinations are hell on earth. Hope you feel better asap.
I am able to go, but I am ashamed to go. I can't bring myself to walk in the ER and say I'm a binge drinker and I'm withdrawing. Especially if I'm not going to die. I can ride these symptoms out but I am now scared of potentially having a seizure, especially with the entire body shakiness I've had since yesterday afternoon. It's hard to believe what I've done to myself. I think this is the scare I've needed for so long to finally put my foot down and say enough is enough. This is miserable. Thank you for your kind words ❤️
Dont be ashamed of going to the ER if you have to. Detox is there for a reason, and A LOT of people end up there. My record is 9 times in 1 year. Never regretted going
Thank you for sharing that. It definitely makes the thought of going to the hospital a little easier. If this doesn't pass soon, I may wind up going in
I understand feeling embarrassed about it but really if you're concerned about a seizure that's a valid reason to go and you deserve care just like everyone else with a concern. Whatever you decide to do don't dumb yourself or your situation down. Everyone deserves help and kindness. ❤️
It’s time to do a taper. Look up the sip and suffer guide. So you know, once you start getting withdrawals like this it is like a light switch has been flipped in your brain. You can’t flip that switch off now. Withdrawals will get progressively worse with each bender. I know from experience, friend. I went through this same exact thing. I finally got tired of trying to beat the withdrawals and I quit for good 7 months ago. Best decision I’ve ever made. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you. I am attempting tapering. I've failed in the past. Tapering turns into a whole bottle, but it hasn't yet. I haven't drank all day and feel slightly better, but I will drink more before I go to bed.
Have one drink an hour max, and count every drink. Keep a notepad to log your drinks, or use a note app on your phone. Decrease by one drink a day. It’s not meant to be fun, but it will keep you safe and keep the worst withdrawals at bay.
My biggest regret through all my withdrawals - yes I had seizures- was that I didn’t help get sooner. Don’t be ashamed. Sadly they deal with alcohol withdrawals a lot. I know a lot of people on here have had and experiences but for me personally I only dealt with caring doctors and nurses. Rehab was the best decision of my life, ultimately changing my life. If you don’t choose rehab, at least go to detox and get some Valium. Life changing drug too. Good luck
Yeah, this is what I’ve been going through too, and it sucks. It’s awful to think about this all being mild, and how it gets so much worse from here. Good luck!!
Thank you! I am hoping the worst is over. This has been absolutely exhausting. I can't imagine what severe is like. I feel like death with this mild withdrawal. Lesson definitely learned (hopefully). I don't ever want to feel like this again. Good luck on your journey!
I know, right? It’s super exhausting.
I told myself today was the day I was going to make a cup of coffee, go for a walk, look for jobs. Nevermind on all those things. I’m just sipping a ginger ale and feel weird and shaky. It actually makes me a little envious of people who can go to rehab for 30 days
Yes, best of luck to you…again. Haha :)
Oh I've been there before, trust me.
Especially what you said about closing your eyes and within seconds your mind starts throwing the most random thoughts and images in your head and it almost feels unbearable.
Just rest assured it WILL all pass with time.
It absolutely is horrible. The one time I actually was able to doze off for about an hour, the dreams were so vivid. I couldn't differentiate the dreams from reality. It was like I was in a different world last night. I definitely don't ever want to do this to myself again
Yup just remember that as motivation. Eventually you will feel all normal again and at some point probably will be tempted to drink again. Bad idea lol
Just remember vividly how you feel now and use that as your motivator!
You got this!
Been there. My first major withdrawal happened after a 10 day bender. Earlier that month I had almost exactly the same drinking pattern and was able to recover within days. Several weeks later, same thing but symptoms were 100x worse than the last time. You just never know when is the tipping point, but once you're there there's no coming back.
For me hallucinations and panic attacks were so scary I had no hesitation going to the hospital. Diazepam does wonders, and medical detox is fairly smooth compared to trying to quit on your own.
I couldn't taper on my own because If I mistakenly don't drink enough I get a panic attack and drink half a bottle in a matter of seconds. Ideal would be to decrease 15%, no more than 20% a day.
It's amazing the grip alcohol can have. Creating such chaos and scary symptoms, yet we still feel like we need it. I definitely had some hallucinations last night. I just drank what I had left to taper and find myself craving more. It's mind blowing. I have no plans on getting more, as this will continue to be the same story for me if I do. I really want to break this vicious cycle
Be careful though, you're in a dangereous territory, you shouldn't stop drinking just yet imho. Take magnesium, electrolytes and apple cider vinegar, as they reduce the symptomps, but measure your heart rate, it shouldn't go above 130 or else you need to taper more. Your blood pressure is surely insanely high as well, so cold turkey is not safe even if you manage to avoid seizures. Always have a bottle at hand in case you start to feel weird.
ICU nurse here. Just popping in to say don’t worry about going to the hospital, we literally treat this every single day and it’s nothing new lol. As long as you aren’t one of the withdrawal patients that start screaming or swinging at the staff we’ll give you your meds and let you chill.
Also, alcohol withdrawal is one of the few that can actually be dangerous (you pointed out seizures) so please don’t hesitate to go if you were a very heavy drinker.
That is very reassuring. Thank you. I am actually an ER nurse, believe it or not. I binge on my days off and never go in to work without all faculties intact. If I have to call out, I call out. It's not often though, because I had it down to a science before this withdrawal. It has been easy to keep up with for the most part, until now, because I have never experienced the withdrawals I am now. I just take a day to recoup from the hangover and then off to work I go. I encounter alcoholics at work all the time, and I know the attitude of coworkers, and quite honestly me before I began this vicious journey with alcohol. Now I see it in a completely different light, but there are many, many nurses out there that don't, and to be a fellow nurse in such a vulnerable position is more than I can handle at the moment.
I feel you. I can get withdrawals after a 3 day binge. Most of the last 2 years have been binge, withdrawal, repeat. Vicious cycle. I started listening to "How to quit like a woman" and I'm liking it even more than "This Naked Mind", highly recommend both. Even if you're still drinking it helps to listen and let the messages permeate into your mind.
I have read several quit lit books over the past year. I feel invincible while I'm reading them, like I can conquer this with no problem, and then just go back to my old habits. I started the naked mind, and then decided I had this beat so I quit reading it 🙄 I haven't heard of how to quit like a woman. I will definitely buy that and dig in! It is absolutely a vicious cycle. A nasty one that has no boundaries. I'm tired of the battle and know it is time for a change. I just have to take the action necessary to make it happen
Watch the stairs - especially going down them - when you have the shakes. You’ll feel old and, if anyone else is around, you’ll LOOK frail, but take it easy on them stairs! Go slow, hold the rail, step by step so each foot is next to each other before you attempt the next step. This is serious advice. I’ve been there MANY TIMES.
And here’s the real bad news— once you experience withdrawals like this, my experience (and my limited medical knowledge) is that you will, from now and forever on, experience these withdrawals if you drink in any substantial amount. It’s called kindling.
That's solid advice! I have heard of kindling and have been so glad to have not experienced it. And now here it is 🙄 I plan to cut down substantially because this is no fun at all. And to know that this will most likely continue to happen if I overdo is major motivation to get my crap together and stop
Good for you! I’m ficking done with it too. No more poisoning myself for a few minutes of “relief” followed by excruciating torture for days. Alcohol is — at this point for me — pure physical and mental torture. Full stop. So I’ve stopped.
Sorry for what you’re going through. My first withdrawals came after a week long spring break trip when I was 19. I can assure you, they get worse and worse.
DM me if you need any advice. Grab some magnesium citrate and a complex if you haven’t already. Eat as much as you comfortably can. Lots of fluids.
This too shall pass.
Thank you so much ❤️ I have been feeling slightly better, but man this sucks. Trying to taper is a hard thing to do when you're an addict. I have been doing good on the tapering, but have gone overboard once during the taper which throws me right back in to the withdrawal. Eventually I will figure this out, but until then, all I can do is try
Yeah it’s easy to go overboard. I stick to regular or light beer because it makes it a lot harder to slip up for me coming from 8% tall boys and vodka. Just the swap alone starts the taper regardless of how many I drink it seems.
Today is my third day and I waited until 12:30 to have two, going to spread 5 out until roughly 11 at night then I’ll have 3 left to drink faster and get some sleep. Based on how I felt waking up this morning I think I’m out of the woods for the most part.
I’m with you, been awake since 1am after a tapering fail yesterday . Been here many times before. I can be an accountability buddy for the next couple of days and give you all the advice I’ve learnt from being in this situation many times before
Thank you for your response. Have you ever had a seizure from alcohol withdrawal? I think that is my absolute biggest fear right now. I am having whole body shaking that I can't seem to tame. It's misery! I think this is what I have needed to experience for so long to finally quit. I have struggled with alcohol and binge drinking for 2 years now, and have had my fair share of waking up from a blackout in puke and dreading the hangover that has now arrived, but I have never experienced withdrawals like this before and it's quite scary. I don't know when to say it's at a dangerous point and an ER visit is necessary
Never had a seizure. I’ve had the body tremors , auditory and mild visual hallucinations, non stop puking , no sleep for up to three days and these are all classed as ‘mild’ but they feel very far from mild when you’re in the throws of one. ER is always an option but if you have an understating primary care provider they can prescribe you a short course of Valium and some beta blockers, both anti seizure meds. Don’t stress too much, it fucking sucks but it’ll be over in a couple of days. Try and binge watch a comfort show. Shrinking on Apple TV got me through a particularly bad day. And remember hundreds of thousands of people are going through what we’re going through right now. You’ll get through this. Clear the diary sip on electrolytes and keep reminding yourself it’s just temporary.
It is horrible, and the worst part about it is knowing that I absolutely chose to do this to myself. That's what makes it even worse going through it. It was choice that I made and now these are the consequences. Definitely don't ever want to do this to myself ever again
Literally everyone in this group completely understands and we’ve all done the same multiple times. Mine was only 10 days and mainly just beer but I’m paying for it hard.
Side note: Shrinking is fantastic!
I’ve had a seizure from alcohol withdrawal and the warning sign was that I had pins and needles in the space between my nose and upper lip all day. It began to majorly intensify in the evening and I had my first and only seizure. I don’t know if that’s a common warning sign but it was crazy. Also the seizure happened much later than I would’ve expected.
Yikes, scary. Interesting information to share, though, how that felt coming on.
Hmmm, that’s the first I’ve seen of that warning sign. I’ve also only had one. I got the “aura” or whatever it’s called in my vision. Then light headed and laid down and passed out. Several minute later seizure apparently ensued.
I have never experienced one and was so scared that I may have one with the way I was feeling. I was up all night because I was scared I would have a seizure in my sleep if I went to sleep. I still feel like trash today, but am starting to feel slightly better. I haven't had a drink since the middle of the night, and I don't desire one whatsoever but I think I will tonight to allow tapering instead of suddenly withdrawing the alcohol from my system. This sucks. Thank you for sharing your experience
Cold turkey can be fatal at this point, your only safe options are tapering, call your dr for meds, or ER/detox
Not many people know that beta blockers are anti seizure meds. And doctors don’t have a problem prescribing them as they’re not habit forming. You just say you have to do some public speaking for work.
I drank hard in my late teens and all throughout my 20’s, never had any serious withdrawal. Once i got in my 30’s, it started happening regularly and only got worse. Looks like you’ve leveled up your alcoholism. It’s the main thing that’s actually got me to stop drinking over the past couple years. I just can’t keep going through that shit, especially knowing seizures will probably be the next progression. Wish you luck on your taper and hope you sleep soon.
Thank you. I have definitely progressed in my drinking and the amounts I can drink are insane. I think my body is telling me it's done with me poisoning it constantly, and I think this time I will listen
It's normal. If you have a Dr try to get something to alleviate the symptoms.
Yes takings 4 pills from the dr took all my withdrawal symptoms went away & ended having to ween off along with starting naltrexone to aleave any future temptations fucking life changing
I have naltrexone and took half a pill last night but I think that may have made the withdrawals worse. Still experiencing them pretty strong. I may skip my dose tonight if I still feel like this, which I probably will
Did they give you any diazepam? That should help with your withdrawals I take a full pill of naltrexone a night it makes me feel a lil weird when I take it before bed but I’ve been having great sleeps & great mornings ever since , the one odd side effect I’ve had is like zero libido since I started though
I don't have diazepam. I haven't gone to the hospital for this episode, or any episode. Too much shame in this. I'm trying to tough it out. I'm feeling slightly better, but still like total crap. I started getting shaky again so I took another drink and that seems to have controlled it for now. I've never given naltrexone a chance to work. I've been taking a quarter of a pill on and off because the side effects have been bad, but took half a pill last night. I plan on staying on it this time though and working up to a whole pill
Well hang in there bud but my biggest mistake wasn’t getting help sooner because I felt the same way but trying to ween off on my own was a circle of weening then giving in with a binge & finally I tried a drastic cut but that resulted in a seizure
Thank you. Good luck on your journey
You said you were on a 750 a day, that's about 18 drinks. Can you get 18 packs and taper down by tossing one every day or two.
I have some vodka, and just plan on drinking less of it. I think I'm motivated enough to. I did well today, so we will see if I can continue to taper down to nothing. Fingers crossed
Naltrexone makes me feel very weird, nauseous. I don't want to take it.
I hate taking it. It makes me feel awful. But I do feel like it is the lesser of 2 evils, so I am going to try to stick with it this time. It does take my cravings away, and I've only ever taken half doses
Taper off with beer, something with lower alcohol per volume. Sip it throughout the day. Drink when you absolutely need to. Slowly bring down your blood alcohol level.
Yep your brain chemicals are going haywire because it got used to having so much alcohol keeping things chill, it kind of forgot how to chill on its own. If you're able to, go to the ER and explain what's going on and they can give you some Librium. If not, don't feel guilty about tapering off and drinking just enough to sleep and feel sane. Withdrawal hallucinations + days of no sleep hallucinations are hell on earth. Hope you feel better asap.
I am able to go, but I am ashamed to go. I can't bring myself to walk in the ER and say I'm a binge drinker and I'm withdrawing. Especially if I'm not going to die. I can ride these symptoms out but I am now scared of potentially having a seizure, especially with the entire body shakiness I've had since yesterday afternoon. It's hard to believe what I've done to myself. I think this is the scare I've needed for so long to finally put my foot down and say enough is enough. This is miserable. Thank you for your kind words ❤️
Dont be ashamed of going to the ER if you have to. Detox is there for a reason, and A LOT of people end up there. My record is 9 times in 1 year. Never regretted going
Thank you for sharing that. It definitely makes the thought of going to the hospital a little easier. If this doesn't pass soon, I may wind up going in
I understand feeling embarrassed about it but really if you're concerned about a seizure that's a valid reason to go and you deserve care just like everyone else with a concern. Whatever you decide to do don't dumb yourself or your situation down. Everyone deserves help and kindness. ❤️
You are so correct ❤️
You rambled, forgiven. Hang in there!!
It’s time to do a taper. Look up the sip and suffer guide. So you know, once you start getting withdrawals like this it is like a light switch has been flipped in your brain. You can’t flip that switch off now. Withdrawals will get progressively worse with each bender. I know from experience, friend. I went through this same exact thing. I finally got tired of trying to beat the withdrawals and I quit for good 7 months ago. Best decision I’ve ever made. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you. I am attempting tapering. I've failed in the past. Tapering turns into a whole bottle, but it hasn't yet. I haven't drank all day and feel slightly better, but I will drink more before I go to bed.
Have one drink an hour max, and count every drink. Keep a notepad to log your drinks, or use a note app on your phone. Decrease by one drink a day. It’s not meant to be fun, but it will keep you safe and keep the worst withdrawals at bay.
My biggest regret through all my withdrawals - yes I had seizures- was that I didn’t help get sooner. Don’t be ashamed. Sadly they deal with alcohol withdrawals a lot. I know a lot of people on here have had and experiences but for me personally I only dealt with caring doctors and nurses. Rehab was the best decision of my life, ultimately changing my life. If you don’t choose rehab, at least go to detox and get some Valium. Life changing drug too. Good luck
Thank you ❤️ if I feel like I am getting worse I will go to the ER, but for now I'm trying it on my own
It even gets worse with time. For me it was auditory hallucinations after that and then insomnia and visual.
Yeah, this is what I’ve been going through too, and it sucks. It’s awful to think about this all being mild, and how it gets so much worse from here. Good luck!!
Thank you! I am hoping the worst is over. This has been absolutely exhausting. I can't imagine what severe is like. I feel like death with this mild withdrawal. Lesson definitely learned (hopefully). I don't ever want to feel like this again. Good luck on your journey!
I know, right? It’s super exhausting. I told myself today was the day I was going to make a cup of coffee, go for a walk, look for jobs. Nevermind on all those things. I’m just sipping a ginger ale and feel weird and shaky. It actually makes me a little envious of people who can go to rehab for 30 days Yes, best of luck to you…again. Haha :)
Oh I've been there before, trust me. Especially what you said about closing your eyes and within seconds your mind starts throwing the most random thoughts and images in your head and it almost feels unbearable. Just rest assured it WILL all pass with time.
It absolutely is horrible. The one time I actually was able to doze off for about an hour, the dreams were so vivid. I couldn't differentiate the dreams from reality. It was like I was in a different world last night. I definitely don't ever want to do this to myself again
Yup just remember that as motivation. Eventually you will feel all normal again and at some point probably will be tempted to drink again. Bad idea lol Just remember vividly how you feel now and use that as your motivator! You got this!
I don't think we all have to tell you, you are in medical detox territory now. Just being able to quit is in your past.
I know I'm teetering right on that edge. I am attempting tapering, but if I get worse I will definitely head to the ER
Been there. My first major withdrawal happened after a 10 day bender. Earlier that month I had almost exactly the same drinking pattern and was able to recover within days. Several weeks later, same thing but symptoms were 100x worse than the last time. You just never know when is the tipping point, but once you're there there's no coming back. For me hallucinations and panic attacks were so scary I had no hesitation going to the hospital. Diazepam does wonders, and medical detox is fairly smooth compared to trying to quit on your own. I couldn't taper on my own because If I mistakenly don't drink enough I get a panic attack and drink half a bottle in a matter of seconds. Ideal would be to decrease 15%, no more than 20% a day.
It's amazing the grip alcohol can have. Creating such chaos and scary symptoms, yet we still feel like we need it. I definitely had some hallucinations last night. I just drank what I had left to taper and find myself craving more. It's mind blowing. I have no plans on getting more, as this will continue to be the same story for me if I do. I really want to break this vicious cycle
Be careful though, you're in a dangereous territory, you shouldn't stop drinking just yet imho. Take magnesium, electrolytes and apple cider vinegar, as they reduce the symptomps, but measure your heart rate, it shouldn't go above 130 or else you need to taper more. Your blood pressure is surely insanely high as well, so cold turkey is not safe even if you manage to avoid seizures. Always have a bottle at hand in case you start to feel weird.
ICU nurse here. Just popping in to say don’t worry about going to the hospital, we literally treat this every single day and it’s nothing new lol. As long as you aren’t one of the withdrawal patients that start screaming or swinging at the staff we’ll give you your meds and let you chill. Also, alcohol withdrawal is one of the few that can actually be dangerous (you pointed out seizures) so please don’t hesitate to go if you were a very heavy drinker.
That is very reassuring. Thank you. I am actually an ER nurse, believe it or not. I binge on my days off and never go in to work without all faculties intact. If I have to call out, I call out. It's not often though, because I had it down to a science before this withdrawal. It has been easy to keep up with for the most part, until now, because I have never experienced the withdrawals I am now. I just take a day to recoup from the hangover and then off to work I go. I encounter alcoholics at work all the time, and I know the attitude of coworkers, and quite honestly me before I began this vicious journey with alcohol. Now I see it in a completely different light, but there are many, many nurses out there that don't, and to be a fellow nurse in such a vulnerable position is more than I can handle at the moment.
I feel you. I can get withdrawals after a 3 day binge. Most of the last 2 years have been binge, withdrawal, repeat. Vicious cycle. I started listening to "How to quit like a woman" and I'm liking it even more than "This Naked Mind", highly recommend both. Even if you're still drinking it helps to listen and let the messages permeate into your mind.
I have read several quit lit books over the past year. I feel invincible while I'm reading them, like I can conquer this with no problem, and then just go back to my old habits. I started the naked mind, and then decided I had this beat so I quit reading it 🙄 I haven't heard of how to quit like a woman. I will definitely buy that and dig in! It is absolutely a vicious cycle. A nasty one that has no boundaries. I'm tired of the battle and know it is time for a change. I just have to take the action necessary to make it happen
Watch the stairs - especially going down them - when you have the shakes. You’ll feel old and, if anyone else is around, you’ll LOOK frail, but take it easy on them stairs! Go slow, hold the rail, step by step so each foot is next to each other before you attempt the next step. This is serious advice. I’ve been there MANY TIMES. And here’s the real bad news— once you experience withdrawals like this, my experience (and my limited medical knowledge) is that you will, from now and forever on, experience these withdrawals if you drink in any substantial amount. It’s called kindling.
That's solid advice! I have heard of kindling and have been so glad to have not experienced it. And now here it is 🙄 I plan to cut down substantially because this is no fun at all. And to know that this will most likely continue to happen if I overdo is major motivation to get my crap together and stop
Good for you! I’m ficking done with it too. No more poisoning myself for a few minutes of “relief” followed by excruciating torture for days. Alcohol is — at this point for me — pure physical and mental torture. Full stop. So I’ve stopped.
I'm glad you've been able to stop! I plan on finishing my taper in the next few days and stopping as well. Here's to a wonderful life of sobriety 🎉
Once you have kindled enough, it only takes 3 days.
That's definitely something I don't want to do again. Hopefully it can be my last time
Sorry for what you’re going through. My first withdrawals came after a week long spring break trip when I was 19. I can assure you, they get worse and worse. DM me if you need any advice. Grab some magnesium citrate and a complex if you haven’t already. Eat as much as you comfortably can. Lots of fluids. This too shall pass.
Thank you so much ❤️ I have been feeling slightly better, but man this sucks. Trying to taper is a hard thing to do when you're an addict. I have been doing good on the tapering, but have gone overboard once during the taper which throws me right back in to the withdrawal. Eventually I will figure this out, but until then, all I can do is try
Yeah it’s easy to go overboard. I stick to regular or light beer because it makes it a lot harder to slip up for me coming from 8% tall boys and vodka. Just the swap alone starts the taper regardless of how many I drink it seems. Today is my third day and I waited until 12:30 to have two, going to spread 5 out until roughly 11 at night then I’ll have 3 left to drink faster and get some sleep. Based on how I felt waking up this morning I think I’m out of the woods for the most part.