How to Taper off Alcohol Safely and Effectively

March 24, 2023

However, quitting cold turkey or tapering is not advisable for people with an AUD. If you’re struggling to wean off alcohol, it might be best to seek addiction treatment. Various treatment programs are available to help you recover from addiction. Serenity Lane offers rehabilitation for alcoholism, or alcohol use disorder. Our hope is to create the safest, most comfortable environment for you to begin your treatment journey.

Can I Just Quit Alcohol Cold Turkey?

Quitting abruptly can be dangerous without medical supervision due to potential withdrawal symptoms. Gradually decreasing alcohol intake through supervised tapering can make quitting safer and ease withdrawal severity. The process of tapering off alcohol involves gradually reducing alcohol consumption over time. This helps to minimize withdrawal symptoms and make the process more manageable, particularly for individuals who have been consuming alcohol regularly and in higher quantities 3.

If you abruptly stop consuming alcohol, your brain may not have enough sensitivity to GABA, which can result in hyper-excitability and withdrawal symptoms. For example, someone who has been drinking three beers a day will generally have an easier and shorter overall time tapering off of alcohol than someone who has been drinking double that amount per day. For many other drugs, tapering is actually a standard treatment during medical detox. For people who depend on opioids, benzodiazepines, or antidepressants, it is typical to slowly reduce someone’s dosage as opposed to immediately cutting them off completely. If you are tapering off of alcohol, the time it takes depends entirely on how long the taper is and how well you adhere to it. One of the reasons that medical professionals tend to avoid tapers is that they can be difficult to follow and may be more likely to be unsuccessful than faster options.

• For this reason, it is best to seek medical advice on whether you should taper at home or under medical observation.
• Withdrawing from alcohol happens when we reduce or stop alcohol use that has been occurring often for a long period of time.
• If you don’t like beers, drink beers (find ones with lower alcohol, some have high concentrations).
• Getting curious about a life without alcohol is already an incredible step, and a healthier lifestyle is within reach.
• Tapering off alcohol offers several benefits, including a safer transition and minimizing withdrawal symptoms.
• Avoid activities that are centered around alcohol and replace them with new hobbies or activities you enjoy.

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Always keep some extra alcohol available in the event you experience severe withdrawal symptoms. The last thing you want is to run out of booze at three in the morning thinking you’re about to have a seizure. If you regularly drink a handle of liquor (around 40 standard drinks) or more per day, please seek professional help.

If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, contact us to learn more and get started with alcohol addiction treatment. As the name suggests, this method involves gradually reducing the amount of alcohol you drink over time, so you consume less and less alcohol each day or week. The gradual reduction method can be difficult, as you must strictly control how much you drink daily. Taking days off within the week is a common strategy to encourage drinking less overall. “Many people still want to enjoy socializing but are mindful of wanting to average one to two drinks per day.

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• In addition, alcohol can be high in calories and sugar, which can lead to weight gain and other health issues.
• While this probably still reduces the risk of a seizure or DTs, it’s certainly better than just quitting completely on day one, you’re going to be putting your body and brain through hell doing this.
• There are a range of symptoms you can experience when you stop drinking.
• My approach to therapy is grounded in compassion, empathy, and a deep understanding of the unique experiences and perspectives of each of my clients .
• Tapering is meant to reduce the withdrawal symptoms from quitting alcohol, but this isn’t a guarantee.

You should always seek medical advice before attempting any kind of alcohol withdrawal. People with moderate to severe alcohol addiction may find an alcohol taper difficult to accomplish. If you have trouble controlling how much you drink or experience significant alcohol cravings, you may need professional help instead of trying to taper your alcohol use at home. The best way to safely quit drinking is by following the advice of a doctor or treatment center. With tapering, you start slowly to minimize the chances of severe withdrawal and relapse, avoiding the shock quitting cold turkey can cause.

• An example of a short-term goal would be to reduce alcohol consumption by half within the next month.
• We list any treatment center that meets our rehab criteria, giving you the best list of options possible when looking for treatment.
• Along with withdrawal symptoms, it may be even more difficult to cut back or taper your alcohol use if you struggle with an alcohol use disorder (AUD).
• You could do one a day if you’re very weary of withdrawal symptoms, but you might drag it out unnecessarily.
• However, for many people with alcohol use disorder, tapering off alcohol is a far better experience than quitting abruptly.
• Additionally, mixed drinks may contain sugar or other additives that could exacerbate withdrawal symptoms and should be avoided during the taper.

It boosts your mental health.

Mixing alcohol with benzos is very dangerous and will land you in the hospital really fast. In addition, alcohol can be high in calories and sugar, which can lead to weight gain and other health issues. Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.

If you find it difficult to cut down on your number of drinks per day, try making your drinks weaker by using less alcohol per drink. You may also find it easier to stick to your taper schedule if you avoid certain places and situations. Depending on how much you drink and for how long, one rule of thumb is to avoid cutting more than 25% of your drinking intake at a single time to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Stress is a common trigger that makes it hard to modify your alcohol intake. Finding a different, more healthy way to unload stress may go a long way in helping someone succeed in cutting back on their alcohol use. With these things in mind, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of tapering your alcohol use to make a fully informed decision. If your health, wellness, and even life may be at risk, quitting alcohol should only be attempted with the help of a medical professional. Contact emergency health services if you or someone you know experiences more than one symptom of severe alcohol withdrawal. Some find tapering is not a suitable option to stop drinking due to various factors such as social responsibilities or peer pressure.

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Gradually reducing alcohol consumption can be achieved through a substitution taper. This can involve switching to a different alcoholic beverage or replacing alcohol with a prescription drug, but the latter should only be done under the guidance of a medical professional. Prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption can impact your brain, causing changes to the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. Heavy drinking can lead to a reduction in the sensitivity of your brain to the amount of GABA produced.

“People shouldn’t wake up in the morning and say, ‘Let’s see, what disease am I trying to prevent today? All these pathways in the body are linked to inflammation and oxidative stress, says Pranoti Mandrekar, a liver biologist at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. The metabolism of alcohol generates free radicals—essentially, unstable oxygen molecules—that damage proteins and DNA.

Getting curious about a life without alcohol is already an incredible step, and a healthier lifestyle is within reach. This is a highly personal decision, which can be made through self-reflection, and with the support of a medical professional and your peers. If it’s safe for you to quit cold turkey, you may find that cutting alcohol out entirely from the start helps you clearly uphold your boundaries.

Alcohol tapering is definitely possible, but the question of whether or not it works is not quite as straightforward. In the same way that everyone person is unique and their experience with addiction https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ is going to be unique, the most effective method of recovery is also going to vary from person to person. It can take between two to four days for the symptoms of delirium tremens to fully manifest, and at least another three days for them to run their course.

Tapering off alcohol helps some people start their recovery journeys. It can also be a good idea for people who don’t want to, or can’t, attend any type of full detoxification program. Tapering helps people stop using alcohol and other substances in small and manageable steps. This can help your body adjust, and it can be easier to manage than quitting cold turkey.

You might be surprised sober house to find that you don’t need alcohol to enjoy certain events and previously would drink out of habit. “Replacing time or events spent drinking with other enjoyable activities is helpful. Exercise, family time, or cooking may provide distraction and promote your wellness,” Dr Lee said. If you are struggling to stop or cut down through alcohol tapering, this may be a sign to seek more help, Lee said. There are a variety of resources to explore, including 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or SMART Recovery, Lee explained.