Alcohol withdrawal is fairly complex and the only thing I know for certain is that you mustn't hesitate if you feel the need for medical attention. Seizures can be very dangerous, usually are, and obviously they are the primary thing you are trying to avoid with concern to alcohol withdrawal. I guess if you've made it through at least the first 24 hours without DT's (Delirium Tremens) that is a good sign. I also don't know how much Xanax you've taken up to this point in order to stave off the withdrawals; because if the answer is a lot then you will probably run into trouble before you are able to refill your script. Don't try and go through combination alcohol and benzo withdrawal at the same time without seeking medical help, even if you think you are doing pretty well that doesn't mean you won't seizure. I've seen someone with 4 full clean days off benzos/alcohol proceed to have a seizure on day 5 at a time when they seemed to be feeling pretty good in spite of their circumstances, this was at a locked facility where I know they could not have snuck substance of any kind in.
I will preface the following by stating the obvious fact that I am not a doctor, nor have I earned a degree that entitles me the privilege of giving medical advice.... this being said I'm also unconcerned with being politically correct regarding these matters given the experience I have in this realm.
It's nice to see that you desire to clean yourself out to some degree; I think that's a noble goal. On the other hand between your benzos/alcohol trying to simply take a week long tolerance break, for lack of a better term, isn't the safest thing to do without medical supervision. I understand you cannot go to your doctor with the issue... this being said then maybe you should scale back on the drinking instead of trying to take a week off. Also it sounds like you used up your Xanax script a few days too fast, maybe not, but that is what I took away from what you wrote. So you are considering trying to take .5mgs of Xanax a day for 3 days until you refill your script? Idk what your normal daily stipend for Xanax is but if it is more than .5mgs then I definitely would not try to make 1.5mgs of Xanax last me 3 days. Stopping alcohol and scaling back on Xanax at the same time can't possibly end well outside of a medical facility, even in a medical facility they would make you go cold turkey from practically a bottle a day while lowering your Xanax, they'd probably introduced some longer-acting benzos, be it Librium or Valium or even Klonopin, while maintaining your Xanax at least until they determined your condition was stable regarding alcohol detox. Point being don't try and be tough thinking you can deal with both benzo and alcohol issues at the same time; I only keep writing this same sentence because it's something I don't want you to shrug off.
Next point, switching from 12 drinks a day to 6 drinks a day is still a win even if you don't completely stop. Don't feel the need to completely stop, sure you might want to in order to prove to yourself or others that you can, but who gives a shit about your willpower to stop if you have a seizure. Somebody above me said try switching to beer, not a bad idea in the scheme of things if you can manage it. It's like taking an XR pill instead of a bunch of IR pills, ultimately your peak plasma concentrations (CMAX) will be lower, but your average concentrations will probably be higher. Honestly the AUC doesn't change, but do to the difference between taking shots and drinking beers it would work out something like what I just said if you had the same number of drinks daily but switched from liquor to beer. Point is that you are better off slowing down your drinking than you would be stopping it cold turkey from nearly a bottle a day. Nobody likes admitting that they need something (well there are those people, but that isn't the point) but if you drive, I won't condone drunk driving, but think about this. If you go to the hospital for alcohol detox they don't revoke your license for medical reasons once you leave simply because you are an admitted substance abuser. if you go to the hospital after having a seizure they will temporarily revoke your license until you have determined the nature of your seizure disorder and treated it adequately. So it's more dangerous to have a seizure while driving than to be at a .12 BAC while driving. It's really better if you scale back the drinking as opposed to stopping it cold turkey, especially if you will be behind the wheel of a vehicle, you definitely shouldn't be driving if you are going to drink, but I'd rather you had a relatively moderate BAC and drive than have a seizure while driving.
All evidence points to scaling your drinking back as opposed to stopping entirely unless you are going to seek medical help, which would be advisable, but granted that you said that wasn't going to happen, I would hope that you be risk averse as opposed to being heroic as it relates to overcoming alcohol dependency. Odds are it won't make a huge difference if you slowly tapering off alcohol starting once you have your Xanax filled rather than doing it while you don't have access to emergency Xanax.
Best of luck, I've been there before myself, I made it out, so you can too, but don't run out of the jungle attracting predators, walk out of the jungle quietly in tact and unfollowed.
