Quitting After 20 Years Of Binge Drinking

by Jamie
(Columbus, Ohio USA)

Is it dangerous or are there health risks to quit drinking cold turkey if you have been weekend binge drinking for over 20 years?

Our advice to anyone who wishes to quit drinking is to first seek professional advice. In other words, go to your physician/doctor and tell them about your drinking history and then he/she will be able to provide you with further advice and help. What ever you do, do not just stop drinking on your own. Alcohol withdrawals can be fatal. For more on this topic, visit our page on Alcohol Withdrawal symptoms

If a person has been drinking only at weekends then it is unlikely that they have a physical addiction to alcohol, even so they must see a medial professional prior to stopping.

It is important to keep in mind that the physical addiction to alcohol is only one aspect of the giving up process. Physical withdrawal symptoms will usually abate after three to five days. It is the psychological addiction that is far harder to beat. Some, such as those in Alcoholics Anonymous, believe that the psychological addiction never goes away - once an alcoholic always an alcoholic. In other words alcohol dependents cannot just give up drinking and be done with it, but have to spend their entire lives trying to control their addiction by attending support groups and the like.

Anyway, back to your question, make an appointment with you doctor and seek their advice.

We wish you the best of luck.