Expert: Druideck - 3/27/2009

Question
i was just wandering,im not an alcoholic,but i like to have maybe 3 or 4 beers a night. ive been doing this 4 a while and it seems like it might b taking more 4 me to get the same buzz.so im trying lately to get a healthier lifestyle going and i wanted to stop altogether.my question is,even though i dont drink to heavily,(but i do drink every night)if i just stop all at once will i get the withdraw symptoms? and if so,for a person like me,would it b better to just slowly ween myself off? what do u think?

Answer
Katherine,

I can't see any problem with
quitting fast or slow but
you may experience some minor
withdrawal as your body has
ingested a regular amount of
alcohol daily.
Withdrawal can cause shakes, sweating
and mental or emotional turmoil.

Do you experience any problems due
to your drinking?
Do you drink to escape from
problems or what causes you to
drink daily?
Do you crave a drink daily?
Is there a mental or
a physical craving for a drink?

If you have a problem stopping
you may be dependent on alcohol
already. Once the addictive
process begins you cannot stop
using will power.

If you find it impossible to
quit for any length of time
you may need to examine your drinking
closer.

Problem drinking can sneak up on you
and it is hard to spot because it
builds a protective shield
called denial around itself.

It does not want you to quit
so be aware if you notice any
thoughts that counter your decision
to stop. The thoughts that keep
you drinking might be part
of a developing dependence problem.

I think if you drink everyday you
should take a break for sure
even just to restore your body's
health.
It can be very hard on the liver
and heart to drink so regularly.
You may want to have a medical
just to support your new healthy attitudes.

Take care!