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Some people are facing problems with their health or personal lives which require them to quit immediately. However, for many people with alcohol use disorder, tapering off alcohol is a far better experience than quitting abruptly. This is a highly personal decision, which can be made through self-reflection, and with the support of a medical professional and your peers.
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. Slowly decreasing the amount you drink over time can spare your body from withdrawal symptoms. This is because drinking heavily over a long period can cause your body to become physically dependent on alcohol. With physical dependence, your body becomes used to the presence of alcohol in your system and begins to adapt accordingly. Obviously quitting cold turkey from a 12-beer-a-day habit is going to be more stressful than tapering off slowly.
Does Tapering off Alcohol Work?
If you drink heavily, alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be harsh, dangerous, and even fatal. 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. When you taper your alcohol, you slowly reduce your alcohol intake over time. By gradually drinking less instead of stopping cold turkey, your body has a chance to adapt to smaller and less frequent drinks. Because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, quitting drinking can cause your body to have too much of an excitatory substance called glutamate as it tries to rebalance.
Why is it scary to stop drinking?
Most people are terrified of moving away from alcohol because of the fear of losing “friends,” and because of the shift in their social lives. It's normal. At the end of the day, however, you have to be serious with yourself about what you can and cannot live with – and if alcohol is worth it.
Further, if you start to develop alcohol withdrawal symptoms during the taper, your doctor may instruct you to pause or slow the taper as a result. These factors can make one person’s taper last longer than another person’s taper. How to Choose a Sober House: Tips to Focus on It’s physically dangerous, and it may also cause emotional instability. Discussing these issues with a loved one can help you avoid relapse. Once your alcohol tapering schedule is complete, the work of maintenance begins.
Tapering off Alcohol Safely
However, some groups have stepped in to try to bridge this gap and have published sample tapering schedules to help those trying to stop drinking. Ark Behavioral Health offers 100% confidential substance abuse assessment and treatment placement tailored to your individual needs. Here are some tips and strategies for how to taper off alcohol safely.
During rehab, you will have the opportunity to participate in group therapy. The best recommendation when struggling with alcohol misuse is to seek medical and mental health professional consultation as soon as possible. The professionals can determine the best treatment plan for you and your unique set of needs. If you are a candidate for tapering, you can simply cut back a few drinks a week at will until you no longer drink at all.
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Alcohol withdrawal symptoms range in severity depending on how extensive the misuse behavior was. The alcohol withdrawal symptom delirium tremens (DT) is estimated to kill up to 5% of those attempting to quit suddenly after chronic usage. This is a staggering number considering that many other drugs do not even have the possibility of lethal withdrawals. For this reason, experts advise that alcohol cessation be monitored safely with steady effort between oneself and a physician. Some individuals experience a neurological condition known as the kindling effect as a result of repeated alcohol withdrawal.
Is alcohol beginning to take up more and more of your time, budget, and life? You may be wondering how to begin the process of ridding yourself or your loved one of alcohol use once and for all. This is offered to patients with moderate to severe Alcohol Use Disorder, having the goal of achieving abstinence. Note that Disulfiram it is not a cure to alcoholism, and a full therapy must be used.
But that does not mean home detox is effective, appropriate, or safe. Alcohol withdrawal can begin within hours of ending a drinking session. That is why alcohol detox and alcohol withdrawal treatment is administered by medical professionals.
Is it too late to stop drinking?
It's never too late to stop drinking. The process can challenge your mind and body. When done safely, though, cutting alcohol out of your life can help make you a happy and healthier person. You can repair your body and avoid risks linked to drinking.
This will be a better way to tackle an addiction to alcohol, and can reduce the likelihood of suffering from symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Even though tapering off your alcohol consumption is one of the best ways to stop https://goodmenproject.com/everyday-life-2/top-5-tips-to-consider-when-choosing-a-sober-house-for-living/ drinking, it’s important to note that this will need to be done with professional help. This can ensure that you are more likely to succeed with getting on the road to recovery, and that you are less likely to relapse.
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. For example, healthcare providers usually don’t take patients off antidepressants suddenly; rather, they gradually reduce the dosages. While cirrhosis scars from excessive drinking are irreversible, quitting alcohol and leading a healthier lifestyle can help your liver heal from alcohol-related liver disease.
- Over the past several months, Erin has worked with our team to create a strong clinical program for our residential location in Buckeystown.
- Insomnia, anxiety and paranoia — the opposite effects of alcohol — are the expected results.
- Finally, finding a therapist or a recovery coach can help you develop new coping mechanisms and move forward in your life.
We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. 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.
For people with moderate to severe alcohol addiction, utilizing an alcohol detox center is always the safest option. Alcohol detox centers have professionals trained to recognize and treat complications caused by alcohol withdrawal. Because alcohol withdrawal symptoms can sometimes be unpredictable and may escalate quickly, having an on-site medical team that can quickly intervene is the safest way to quit heavy drinking. An alcohol taper is the process of slowly reducing your alcohol intake. When you gradually drink less instead of quit cold turkey, you give your body a chance to get used to smaller amounts of alcohol.
You can quit cold turkey under the guidance of a trained medical detox team, or you can slowly reduce intake. This option is only appropriate for someone who has an emerging drinking problem. If you have an alcohol problem of a long duration, you should undergo a monitored medical detox. Whatever method you use to taper down, your plan should also be approved and monitored by a healthcare profession to ensure your safety.