How to Taper off Alcohol Safely and Effectively

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. For example, one 12-ounce can of beer contains the same amount of alcohol as a 5-ounce glass of wine or a mixed drink containing 1.5 ounces of alcohol. Establishing new habits and routines, and dealing with the underlying causes of your drinking habits, are essential to lasting recovery. Alcohol also changes your brain chemistry, which can result in higher levels of anxiety and depression for the first several months.

This is why many of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms seem to be related to overstimulation, like shaky hands, racing thoughts, and insomnia. Alcohol dependence and addiction are serious medical conditions. Minor symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be overcome with rest and at-home remedies, and it is possible for some people to taper off alcohol without supervision. However, individuals who suffer from alcohol addiction require professional rehab. Some people avoid medically supervised rehab because they prefer natural remedies for alcohol withdrawal. Slowly tapering off alcohol is the safest way to naturally overcome alcohol withdrawal, and many at-home remedies can help you cope with mild withdrawal symptoms.

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Reducing the amount of the chosen substance consumed daily is known as a direct taper, but it may not be effective for everyone. It is only advisable to direct taper if the preferred drink is beer with a low alcohol percentage. Weaning off alcohol involves gradually decreasing the amount of alcohol you drink.

• Discussing these issues with a loved one can help you avoid relapse.
• This can help your body adjust, and it can be easier to manage than quitting cold turkey.
• Medical detox may include psychological support to address the emotional aspects of addiction and help individuals prepare for ongoing treatment.
• After using the Sinclair Method to overcome her own alcohol addiction, she was able to drink moderately for many years, before eventually deciding to stop completely.
• As mentioned above, we strongly recommend speaking with a doctor to ensure your plan is a safe one, and won’t cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms.

Working with a medical professional to taper your alcohol consumption can help the likelihood and severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Instead of quitting alcohol cold turkey, you can steadily reduce your consumption so that your body has time to gradually readjust to absence of alcohol. It’s https://ecosoberhouse.com/ important to note that stopping drinking can be dangerous and even life-threatening. It’s vital to speak with a medical professional before you begin weaning off alcohol to ensure you have a plan to do so safely. Little data is available about the safety and effectiveness of alcohol tapers.

How to Taper off Alcohol Safely

My best advice on dealing with these is to buck it up, hug someone if possible, and try to distract yourself. In addition, social pressures can make it hard to quit drinking, especially if your friends or family also drink heavily. Quitting drinking can feel very isolating, making it even more difficult to do alone at home without medical support. Unfortunately, alcohol tapering has not been extensively studied. This means that there is little data about the best way to taper your drinking.

Quitting alcohol can be extremely hard, especially without medical support. Further, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression are extremely common in those who struggle with drinking, and these disorders can make it even harder to stay sober. The safest way to taper off alcohol is with a doctor’s help. By looking at your medical history and alcohol intake, your doctor can determine whether you need to taper in a medical detox facility or can safely detox at home.

Symptoms of tapering off alcohol

For this reason, it is best to seek medical advice on whether you should taper at home or under medical observation. When you quit drinking cold turkey, your body suffers from a cascade of changes caused by the sudden shift. Since alcohol depresses central nervous system activity, quitting drinking can cause an imbalance of an excitatory neurotransmitter called glutamate. This excess glutamate triggers alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which can sometimes be dangerous. Programs such as inpatient or outpatient rehab, medical detox, individual or family therapy and support groups are available. Through these programs, our caring and dedicated staff can help you on your road to recovery.

The chance of experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms increases if you’ve had them before, or if you’re older. These schedules are largely based on my experience of self tapering, what I’ve read on r/dryalcoholics and HAMS Harm Reduction Guide to Tapering. Are you tapering because you physically depend on alcohol, or are you tapering because you want an how to taper off alcohol excuse to drink longer? If you taper when you don’t really need to, you might be subconsciously giving yourself an excuse to continue drinking, which will lead you back to your baseline high drinking levels. As a general rule, if you’ve been drinking an average of 10 drinks or more a day every day for more than a couple of weeks, you will need to taper.

How To Taper Off Alcohol

This can help your body adjust, and it can be easier to manage than quitting cold turkey. And if you’re quitting without the support of a program, make sure you have a friend or loved one keeping an eye on you throughout the withdrawal process. Following medical detox, individuals are typically encouraged to enter a comprehensive addiction treatment program, which may include therapy, counseling, and other therapeutic modalities.

• It teaches you healthy ways to cope with stress and techniques for overcoming the underlying causes of alcohol addiction.
• For example, depression could cause suicidal thoughts, and eating poorly can weaken your immune system.
• Little scientific evidence exists regarding tapers, but medical detox has been proven to be a safe and effective way to quit drinking.
• I wouldn’t recommend getting anything above 7% for your taper.