How to Wean Off Alcohol & Safely Taper Drinking

If you’ve been drinking heavily for a long time and think you might experience withdrawal symptoms, it’s best to talk with a medical professional before you begin a taper. They can help you decide if tapering is the safest option for you. Weaning off alcohol can benefit people who drink moderately or have support systems. If you have a severe alcohol addiction, it might be best to seek professional addiction treatment.

In order to fully recover, you can start your healing process by safely ridding yourself of alcohol. Getting professional treatment for alcohol addiction can give you the tools to create, and maintain, a healthy and happy lifestyle. Depending on the amount and length of time someone drinks, they may experience symptoms when tapering. Symptoms of tapering are similar to mild or moderate withdrawal symptoms, which include the following. The support of an alcohol detox program may help you wean off alcohol more quickly and with fewer unpleasant side effects. Some detox programs also offer therapy to prepare you for addiction treatment.

Medical detox involves stopping alcohol all at once and managing withdrawal symptoms through medications and other treatments instead of reducing them with a taper. Alcohol tapering is a way to quit drinking while reducing your risk of withdrawal and complications. Making a plan for tapering alcohol is a crucial part of the process to ensure a healthy outcome.

Identifying a Standard Drink

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Tapering alcohol may be uncomfortable, and there may be subconscious triggers that stimulate the desire to drink alcohol. 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. Gradually reducing alcohol intake can lead to various physical health benefits.

These include direct tapers, where you regularly decrease the amount of alcohol you consume, and substitution tapers, where you replace alcohol with another substance. These strategies work in different ways to help you quit drinking, and one may be more appropriate for you based on your needs. Further, the severity of withdrawal symptoms can cause a person to resort back to drinking alcohol to relieve any symptoms. However, doing so without the guidance of a physician, can complicate tapering and ultimately delay when, if ever, sobriety is reached. Tapering off alcohol is the act of slowly reducing alcohol intake until a person becomes completely abstinent.

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For example, if you typically drink five beers a night, you might cut down to four, then three, and so on. If you and your doctor decide that a taper is proper for you, it is crucial to remember there isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy. The key is to find a method that aligns with your goals and ensures safety during the transition.

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Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that works in the brain by slowing down activity. It achieves its effects by working with an inhibitory neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid, known as GABA. GABA is a chemical messenger in the brain that slows activity in the central nervous system so that you can rest, relax, and sleep. It is important in curbing the effects of anxiety and vigilance when it’s time for you to get some rest. The chemical binds to its receptors on your nerve cells and opens up a channel that allows a negative charge to shut down or slow your nervous system’s excitatory functions.

Little data is available about the safety and effectiveness of alcohol tapers. In contrast, robust evidence supports quitting alcohol while under medical supervision. If you sober house struggle with drinking, the safest way to quit is under a doctor’s care. If you drink heavily, your doctor may recommend quitting with the help of a medical detox center. In medical detox, you receive around-the-clock care from doctors and nurses to help prevent and treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms and their complications. This can set you up for a safe and effective detox and put you in a good position to continue your recovery in rehab.

You may experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms when you quit drinking alcohol. This can happen whether you’re quitting alcohol cold turkey or tapering. 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. Making a schedule to slowly reduce your alcohol intake is a safe way to taper off the substance.

In fact, many in recovery report having psychological cravings years after they stopped drinking. Another more serious condition that develops during alcohol withdrawal is delirium tremens or the DTs. The DTs usually emerge within two to five days after you stop drinking and are periods of confusion, disorientation, and hallucinations. Physical DT symptoms may include shaking, irregular heartbeat and blood pressure, sweating, and a change in body temperature.

The most recommended form of alcohol to use in tapering is beer due to its lower alcohol content. Consumption should be minimal; just enough to prevent withdrawal symptoms and gradually reducing the amount until you are no longer using alcohol. You should be able to taper off alcohol within a few days, 3 to 5 days at the most.

Heavy drinking can lead to a https://www.inkl.com/news/sober-house-rules-a-comprehensive-overview reduction in the sensitivity of your brain to the amount of GABA produced. If you abruptly stop consuming alcohol, your brain may not have enough sensitivity to GABA, which can result in hyper-excitability and withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal occurs when neurotransmitters that combat the effects of alcohol on the nervous system suddenly have nothing to counteract them. Essentially, when an individual drinks, the brain amplifies certain activities to counterbalance the depressive effect alcohol has on it. When that numbing sensation disappears entirely, the brain is left dangerously overstimulated. Insomnia, anxiety and paranoia — the opposite effects of alcohol — are the expected results.

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• Tapering is also a strategy used by people with a substance or alcohol use disorder (AUD).
• Although it is possible for some to quit drinking without any side effects, it leads to painful alcohol withdrawal symptoms for most.
• However, improper tapering could lead to relapse, overdose, and severe health consequences.
• If you start to experience significant withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, a taper can provide a much safer method to detox from alcohol.
• If you and your doctor decide that a taper is proper for you, it is crucial to remember there isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy.

By gradually drinking less instead of stopping cold turkey, your body has a chance to adapt to smaller and less frequent drinks. While tapering can be helpful for some, others may require medical supervision. For severe alcohol addiction, seeking help from healthcare professionals or addiction specialists is crucial. The purpose of alcohol tapering is typically to avoid some of the more dangerous symptoms of detox. The length of time for alcohol tapering depends entirely on your baseline of use.