It’s a nice dream – no detox or rehab. Not having to sweat and have horrible nightmares. No having to deal with anyone. A nice taper from alcohol, just by cutting down a little at a time.
Sorry to burst the bubble. In my experience, very few alcoholics can successfully taper off alcohol. Let’s explore why.
People who are not physically dependent and do not usually drink every day can normally stop drinking cold turkey. A really bad hangover or mild withdrawal can be helped by taking a boatload of B-vitamins, some fat, and a jug of water or electrolytes.
But if you’re an alcoholic who has been drinking heavily every day, when you stop, you may face much more serious symptoms. Sweats, a racing heart, maybe even seizures and hallucinations. Cold turkey is dangerous if you have withdrawal symptoms like that.
But you are unlikely to be able to taper off alcohol either – because the first drink of alcohol persuades you to have another, another, and another…..until the bottle is gone. It’s an unfortunate neural trick that happens when you are addicted.
In ye olden days, before proper detox medication, doctors’ only option was to submit an alcoholic to hospital, strap them to a bed, and taper them off alcohol using smaller and smaller doses each time. But you bet those restraints had to be strong, and it was an uncomfortable process, since, for alcoholics, every drop of alcohol leaves you craving more.
If you are someone who drinks until the bottle is gone and wonders how it went so quickly or if fairies or your family dog drank half of it, sorry you can’t taper. Not unless you have a determined accomplice who will lock you in a room and not let you leave, handing you a strict and timed “dose” just as the doctors did in days gone by.
But I have known people to smash locks and windows trying this method, so desperate are they for more drink. So, generally, if you are a full-blown alcoholic, don’t expect tapering to be the best method for you to detox.
It’s nothing to be ashamed of – I was never able to taper either. All the inability to taper means is that your brain has been changed and will fight you every step of tapering. It’s nothing to do with willpower or lack of effort.
But you can get help. And not from the fairies. I recommend you read The Recovery Formula to understand more about the mechanics of drinking and stopping.
Then, if you think you are going to experience bad withdrawal symptoms, get yourself a medical detox at home or in rehab. Cold turkey is unsafe and alcohol withdrawal can kill without appropriate medication.
Follow that up with a good therapist who truly understands addiction so you can become someone who never needs to drink. Ideally, you don’t want to go through detox for nothing.
