How to Safely Taper Off Alcohol Safely Quit Drinking

How to Safely Taper Off Alcohol Safely Quit Drinking
28.09.2022 Mitko

Relapse after a period of sobriety can be dangerous because your tolerance has gone down. If you drink the same amount you were used to during active addiction, you may experience extreme intoxication or alcohol poisoning. Alcohol can also activate opioid receptors, the same receptors that bind with your body’s natural endorphins and narcotic drugs such as oxycodone and heroin. Opioid receptors dull pain, but they also cause the release of dopamine, a natural chemical tied to reward. All of these chemical activities caused by alcohol can make drinking feel good, which can train your brain to seek out alcohol compulsively, which leads to addiction.

how to taper off alcohol

– Ride out the cravings.

Tapering can help you overcome alcohol dependence, which is a side effect of chronic alcohol use that causes cravings and withdrawal. Detox doesn’t treat addiction, which is a disease characterized by compulsive behaviors, such as chronic alcohol use. Take our short alcohol quiz to learn where you fall on the drinking spectrum and if you might benefit from quitting or cutting back on alcohol. Moreover, substituting one kind of beverage for another does not help you taper off alcohol if you consume the same number of standard drinks as you usually have.

Tapering and Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

For other people, stopping drinking can be essential for medical reasons. Perhaps because of an alcohol-related medical condition like liver disease, or because they start taking medication that reacts badly with alcohol. There are lots of reasons why you might want to stop drinking alcohol.

  • If you’re struggling to stick to a taper or do not trust yourself to moderate your alcohol use, having strict supervision and support can help you meet your recovery goals.
  • If you’re struggling with severe alcohol addiction, a medical detox program is your likely best option for tapering off alcohol safely.
  • In medical detox, doctors and nurses provide around-the-clock care while helping you detox from alcohol.
  • But if you still have control over your drinking and want to drink less, you may be able to self-taper.
  • If you think your drinking may be impeding your sleep or overall quality of life, speaking to your doctor or therapist is a great first step.
  • All of these chemical activities caused by alcohol can make drinking feel good, which can train your brain to seek out alcohol compulsively, which leads to addiction.

More on Substance Abuse and Addiction

Note that Disulfiram it is not a cure to alcoholism, and a full therapy must be used. We have taken the necessary precautions to minimize the risk of exposure and transmission of the Coronavirus to those in our treatment programs, allowing them to focus on their recovery. You’re likely to be in situations where you’ll be offered a drink.

how to taper off alcohol

If an individual experiences severe withdrawal symptoms, such as increased anxiety, shaking, or signs of delirium tremens, it may be necessary to slow down the tapering process. Conversely, if the individual how to taper off alcohol tolerates the reduction well, the pace of tapering may increase. It can be tempting to just “rip off the Band-Aid” when getting sober, but tapering off alcohol is often much safer—and much less stressful.

  • Rehabilitation facilities can help you on your path to sobriety by addressing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and becoming involved in sober living support groups, like AA.
  • But drinking less is always a good choice for your body and health.
  • It’s important to remember that tapering off alcohol is a significant change that requires commitment and support.
  • Our admissions specialists will help you find the facility and treatment program best suited to the recovery needs of you or your loved one.
  • Patience, support, and professional assistance are the cornerstones of a successful alcohol tapering strategy.

How To Taper off Alcohol Safely and Effectively

If you’re used to drinking less than 20 beers per day, HAMS recommends reducing your alcohol consumption by two beers per day until you achieve sobriety. If you’ve decided to taper off alcohol, you’ll need to be prepared with some strategies to make the process easier. You’ll likely face the urge to drink more than you’ve planned each day, but there are some good tricks to help you delay that next serving and keep yourself honest. Tapering off alcohol involves gradually reducing the amount of alcohol you drink.

  • In most cases, the longer you take to wean off the effects of alcohol, the less severe your withdrawal symptoms should be.
  • Our knowledgeable and compassionate team is available 24/7 to help get you or someone you care about into treatment and answer any questions or concerns you might have.
  • Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can range from being a slight nuisance to extremely uncomfortable.
  • It can help clear your mind and has many other great benefits beyond helping you deal with alcohol withdrawal.
  • A therapist will work with you to create a personalized plan for cutting back and provide ongoing guidance and accountability.
  • Being exposed to either form of a trigger can result in unwanted relapse.
  • It pulls you out of a reactive state of mind and into a proactive state, which can be a powerful tool in helping treat alcohol withdrawal.

Licensed medical professionals review material we publish on our site. The material is not a substitute for qualified medical diagnoses, treatment, or advice. It should not be used to replace the suggestions of your personal physician or other health care professionals. The best way to taper off alcohol is to find healthcare professionals who can assess one’s current intake. This will be the basis of the protocol to taper off the substance to increase the chances of success.

how to taper off alcohol

When done under medical supervision, tapering off alcohol has few downsides. However, tapering can sometimes be unsafe if you attempt to do so on your own without a doctor’s knowledge. For example, if you start to suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms despite an attempt to taper, your symptoms may worsen before you have the chance to seek medical attention. For this reason, even at-home tapers should be done under a doctor’s care. The reason for weaning off alcohol instead of quitting cold turkey is to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms.

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