Tapering off alcohol is a method of reducing your alcohol intake gradually. This process can help your body break its dependency on alcohol with minimal side effects. If you’ve been drinking for a long time, tapering off can cause withdrawal symptoms. Getting professional help can mitigate harmful withdrawal symptoms and ensure success. Although it is possible to taper your alcohol use alone, professionals highly advise that you seek medical attention. Detoxing from alcohol can be dangerous if you don’t do it properly.
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It is also important to note that the degree of symptoms will depend on how much alcohol you have been using, the frequency of use, and how long you have been drinking. If you are an average to moderate drinker – a couple drinks a night, several nights a week – then you may experience moderate withdrawal. On the other hand, if you engage in excessive alcohol use, you could experience severe alcohol withdrawal. The phrase cold turkey refers to abruptly stopping drug or alcohol use.
- Alcohol also changes your brain chemistry, which can result in higher levels of anxiety and depression for the first several months.
- For this reason, it’s generally best to avoid quitting abruptly, or at bare minimum speak with a doctor first and have someone looking out for you.
- A substitution taper can also involve switching alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic beverages.
- Alcohol depresses your nervous system2, so your body creates more receptors for neurotransmitters, or messengers, to stimulate the nervous system.
- One approach to tapering off alcohol is to gradually reduce the amount consumed over time.
Sit With Your Feelings and Be Mindful About Replacement Addictions
If you have a severe level of addiction or dependency, you may need a detox program. Talk to a medical professional to find the best detox option for you. You can taper off alcohol if alcoholism treatment you worry that you are developing alcohol addiction.
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Mixing alcohol with benzos is very dangerous and will land you in the hospital really fast. We are ready to cheer you on as you continue down the road of recovery toward a healthier, happier you. Serenity Lane is here for all Oregonians in need of help to overcome alcohol addiction. The annual cost of excessive alcohol use to Oregon’s economy each year is $3.5 billion due to lost productivity, health care expenses, criminal justice costs, and motor vehicle crashes. That expense comes out to $2.08 per drink consumed by Oregonians. Is alcohol beginning to take up more and more of your time, budget, and life?
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Either option can help you limit severe withdrawal effects, but which method is right for you can depend on personal factors like your typical drinking habits and health needs. One of the primary https://ecosober.com/ advantages of tapering off alcohol is the ability to minimize withdrawal symptoms. Tapering off alcohol provides a smoother transition compared to quitting abruptly.
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- This is especially true if you are suffering from an alcohol use disorder.
- Keep healthy snacks on hand to satisfy oral cravings, and stay busy with activities that engage your mind and body.
- Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, or a substance that reduces arousal and stimulation.
- One possible approach is known as tapering, which involves gradually lowering your alcohol use over a period of time.
Remember, doctors are (usually) intelligent people who spent over a decade studying medicine to help people. Everything you say is confidential and you’re paying them to HELP you. If you think you’re tapering too quickly, it’s okay to slow down. Just because you had 8 drinks instead of 6 one day doesn’t mean you’ve failed, especially if you still drank the same or less than the previous day. Maybe you just need to set more realistic goals for yourself and slow your taper.
For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Reclaim lives affected by the dangerous drug Krokodil in America. Expert strategies to address substance use and spring break concerns with your college kid. There is no widely accepted schedule, and you can develop one that meets your needs. The key is to adhere to the plan you have developed consistently. Checking your insurance is simply a way to see what your plan covers — it doesn’t lock you into treatment, notify anyone, or cost you anything.
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This involves carefully assessing your current alcohol consumption, setting achievable goals, and continuously monitoring and adjusting your plan as needed. Quitting alcohol abruptly, especially after heavy and chronic use, is dangerous. The main reason for this is alcohol withdrawal, which can be life-threatening and dangerous in itself. Therefore, tapering off alcohol safely from your system is the first step to alcohol use. When it is done under safe and controlled medical conditions (medically supervised detoxification), it is safer and easier.
For Treatment Providers
Consider having an open conversation with your family about your decision to taper off alcohol and how they can support you. They can help create a sober-friendly environment at home by removing alcohol or avoiding drinking around you. Family members can also assist in identifying triggers and developing healthy alternatives to drinking. For example, they might join you in activities like hiking, cooking, or meditation to help fill the time previously spent drinking. Their emotional backing can be a powerful motivator during moments of doubt or temptation. In addition to personal relationships, joining support groups can be incredibly beneficial.
How to Stop Drinking: Making a Plan That Works for You
In this schedule, the biggest drop occurs during the first couple days. During this time you’ll likely experience the worst portion of withdrawal symptoms. You then get a couple days where the drop is not as much to stabilize. The idea of detoxing or tapering is to prevent the more severe withdrawal effects.