Do whatever it takes to cut down your drinking. I was an alky for two years. In that time I lost friends, behaved oddly to neighbors, and had cops called on me for unsual behaviors. I s h it my pants and forgot to pay bills, and didnt exercise, meet people, or do good at work.
I lifted myself out of that mode 4 years ago and I am better for it I even quit smoking since then. Right now I have rebuilt by social life and I have a better mode now. There are some things in my life right now tha are not good, ie a toxic former twin brother and an equally toxic mother, and the bartender at the place where I go has apread bad gossip about me for no reason. All of these things suck but i know I cant ever fall back to that mode of drowning out sorrow. I have challenges at work that I need to accomplish and i need a clear mind to do this. Good luck.
Hello Bri,
I am just wondering how things are going for you?
Randy
Hello Bri and Welcome to MedHelp!
12 cans of beer every night seems like quite a lot. I don't think I ever got the shakes either except from anxiety and I drank 23 beers a night. They weren't the large ones though, just 12oz cans you know. I did that for a long time. I was 38 when I got diagnosed with end stage cirrhosis. I had no clue I even had it, as it turns out people don’t normally get symptoms of liver disease until they have reached the end stage.
Since alcohol was the whole cause the first think I had to do was stop what was irritating my liver. That meant sobriety for the rest of my life or that was it for me. Well I got motivated really fast and took less than a week to quit. Today maintaining my sobriety is no problem and life is great!
You are right that it can be very dangerous to stop drinking cold turkey as the outcome can be fatal. The best way to do it is to talk to your doctor, remember he/she wants to do the best they can to help you so be totally honest so they can recommend the best treatment options for you.
Many people although risky use a tapering method. This is what I chose although in my situation it was critical to stop as fast and safely as I could.
It is up to you how fast you want to taper but the faster you do this the more risky it becomes. You could set aside 11 beers in the fridge one night and each night have one less than the night prior. I say set them aside so that you don’t get mixed up with how many you have had for the night. I know this can be easy to do! This may even help with any ideas you get to cheat too Lol! Once you have finished your beers for the evening then it’s time for bed. As you drop the quantity each night you may need to start drinking later and later in the evening.
It won’t be long before you tell yourself "I got this" and your new life begins! If you find you are still having problems with sleep the insomnia will go away in time. It took me a couple of weeks. You can also ask your doctor for advice but if anything is prescribed be careful not to be trading one habit for another!
I hope this helps you out. Let me know how things are going. I wish you all the best!
Randy