Simple question

[[Le...]]

people don’t drink when tapering off benzos right? It would be great to hear some input, thanks!

[[Cb...]]

You mean alcohol.  NO.  That doesn’t mix well with these drugs.

[[RS...]]

I have a couple of drinks a few times a week and did so while tapering.  Full disclosure:  I didn’t know about this site till after jumping but I may have done things differently had I known.

 

I still drink as I did before.  I enjoy some nice wine with my dinner. 

 

But many people have a bad relationship with alcohol and likewise alcohol use can harm your sleep. 

 

So I understand why the default answer is to avoid alcohol, but Ashton herself said a little was ok and to not be too fussy about it.

 

I say be honest with yourself.  If you can enjoy it in moderation and haven’t had problems in the past, then enjoy it, but otherwise avoid it. 

[[di...]]

The "safe" answer is to avoid alcohol all together.

 

So as not to be a hypocrite, I will give a more nuanced response. I think it's a bad idea to drink anything approaching regularly or to excess while withdrawing from or tapering a benzo. The hangovers can be crushing which is bad in and of itself but they also have the effect of making it harder to do what you need to do to stay healthy. Get some exercise, eat the right foods, practice mindfulness... these things are harder to do with a hangover, at least for me.

 

If someone takes a drink once per week and looks forward to it, I don't think it's the worse thing in the world. A couple of glasses of wine or a couple of beers, I'm thinking. You'll know whether you can tolerate this or whether it is best to ditch the weekly alcohol depending on how you feel. I drink once or twice per month. I have on occasion succumbed to a binge despite knowing it is a bad idea. That seems to be something that I need to get out of my system every 3-4 months. I don't recommend it for others. I could tell you that I'm not going to do it but I've been there before and still done it. It hasn't hurt me too bad but I always regret it.

 

Weed is better and I do a fair bit. I've got some CBD hemp in because I do it a bit too much. Sometimes, I just really feel like having a beer. It has helped me to feel a bit more normal, like I'm not constrained by what I am going through. Sometimes it really hits the spot and I think the value of that is underestimated by some. Other times, it's a bit meh. I think once per month is good for me.

[[ki...]]

take it from a boozer, alcohol isnt going anywhere. some people can handle it and some cant.

 

if you can handle it then fine, but just because nothing happened Thursday, doesnt mean nothing will happen Friday, or the next time.

 

i would suggest if you want to dance with the devil that you document what you drank, how much, if you ate, how you hydrated, and what your feelings & emotions were during drinking and after drinking. if you are honest with yourself the data will tell you if you can have a drink or not.