Brief Answer:
Hello

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to XXXXXXX

You exercise daily and are having bad times because of unemployment and divorce. You are taking healthy diet but you take 4-5 large drinks daily and smoke 5-6 cigarettes daily and you want to quit taking alcohol.

See in any de-addiction program first thing that is must is to have enough motivation to quit. I would like to know what is the main reason that you want to quit? Whether it's your own decision or social pressure? In most cases individuals want to quit because of social pressure only. If you really want to quit then make up your mind to not to touch alcohol again.

We have to start with alcohol and then we can target cigarette smoking.

You are taking large amounts of alcohol so there is need to take some replacement drug to prevent withdrawal syndrome. Usually benzodiazepines like lorazepam, chlordiazepoxide are used in acute stages. These drugs keep the individual sedated and prevent serious withdrawal. Then the doses are decreased gradually and the drugs are stopped completely after 5 days. This critical period should be managed be a good psychiatrist.

There are many anti-craving drugs that are used to prevent relapse. Drugs like acamprosate are commonly used to decrease craving. The drugs should be taken for at least 6 months.

Apart from that start taking multi-vitamin capsules especially containing thiamine. Chronic alcoholics become deficient in thiamine and severe complications occurs.

These drugs if taken properly prevent serious withdrawal and help individual to maintain good health without alcohol. Consult a Psychiatrist for good opinion.

Thanks, if you have more questions you can ask again.

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Brief Answer:
Hello again

Detailed Answer:
Its very good that you are having enough motivation to quit alcohol. In such situation the de-addiction process becomes easy. Once you become off alcohol you can start again.

As you are taking heavy amounts so I would advise you to not to go cold XXXXXXX as this may precipitate acute withdrawal.

- One option is to reduce the amounts of alcohol intake and then stop completely by gradual tapering over 2-4 weeks. But this method is not a conventional method and is not properly successful. Best drugs used to prevent withdrawal are benzodiazepines and they are tapered over one week.

- Anti craving drugs like I have mentioned earlier work to reduce craving. These drugs also prevent long term withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, restlessness etc.

Hope this helps you, if you have more queries you can ask again.

Thanks

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