23M – Trying to Cut Back After Daily Drinking, Not Ready to Fully Quit

Hi everyone,

I’m a 23-year-old guy looking for some advice on how to cut back on drinking without going completely sober (at least for now). I’ve been drinking daily since early 2024, but only recently started realizing how much it’s affecting me.

Lately, I’ve been drinking a bottle of wine a day (roughly 5 glasses), and it only gets me buzzed — which tells me my tolerance is getting high. I don’t usually get hangovers, but after a heavy drinking day on Monday, I woke up with that awful hangxiety that lasted the entire day.

Yesterday, I tried something different — just had two hard seltzers and called it a night. But when I tried to sleep, I had intense cravings and my head felt like it was spinning, even though I wasn’t moving. It freaked me out a bit. After doing some reading, I realized these might be early signs of withdrawal, since I’ve been drinking daily for so long.

I was eventually able to fall asleep, and I feel a little better today. I’m not trying to go fully sober (at least not yet), but I do want to reduce how much I drink and gain better control. I’ve noticed I tend to go overboard once I start, and I want to break that pattern before things get worse.

Has anyone else gone through something similar? • How did you start cutting back safely? • What helped with the cravings, especially at night? • Any tools, routines, or mindset shifts that worked for you?

I’d appreciate any advice or support. It’s tough being in this weird middle space between wanting to moderate but realizing how much alcohol has taken over.