Tapering Off Alcohol: Weaning Off Alcohol to Avoid Withdrawal Symptoms

It’s a good idea to talk with a medical professional before you begin a taper. They can help you decide if it’s the safest way to start your recovery, and they can help you make a taper plan. As a rule of thumb, HAMS (a harm reduction support organization) suggests reducing your consumption by two standard drinks per day until you reach zero. For example, if you typically have 10 drinks per day, you could cut back to 8 the first day, then 6, 4, 2, and finally none. If you have 20 or more drinks per day, they suggest one drink per hour the first day, every hour and a half the next, then reducing by 2 drinks per day after that.

It’s always best to consult a physician on the best strategy, especially if you drink heavily. 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. You should also consider an alcohol withdrawal taper if you’ve ever gone through withdrawal from alcohol, or any other depressant, in the past. Alcohol withdrawal can cause something called kindling to occur in your brain. Kindling refers to lasting physical changes in the brain that cause each subsequent withdrawal period to be worse.

Engaging in these activities not only helps distract from cravings but also promotes physical and mental health, contributing to a sense of well-being. By gradually tapering off alcohol, individuals may experience milder withdrawal symptoms and have a better chance of successfully transitioning to sobriety. It’s important to note that this method may not be suitable for everyone, and it’s advisable to seek medical advice for personalized guidance. Alcohol Tapering Sober House Rules: What You Should Know Before Moving In is a method of decreasing alcohol intake slowly and in a manageable manner.

should you wean off alcohol

Seeking support and utilizing available resources can greatly benefit individuals who are weaning off alcohol. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) provides valuable guidance and support for individuals looking to reduce their alcohol consumption safely. They offer resources such as informational materials, treatment locators, and helpline services to assist individuals throughout their journey. Severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms can manifest as delirium tremens (DT), a potentially dangerous condition that requires immediate medical attention. Delirium tremens is characterized by symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, fever, and confusion. It is crucial to monitor individuals going through alcohol withdrawal to identify any signs of delirium tremens and provide necessary medical intervention.

Strategize for Your Goals

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. Alcohol works by increasing the potency of a neutral chemical in the brain called GABA, or gamma-Aminobutyric acid. GABA is a neurotransmitter responsible for your brain’s rest and digest response, which helps to facilitate sleep, relaxation, and anxiety release. However, your body is adaptable, and after a period of regular, heavy drinking, your nervous system will adapt to the presence of alcohol. 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.

Why Is Alcohol Withdrawal Dangerous?

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. Whatever method you use to taper down, your plan should also be approved and monitored by a https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ healthcare profession to ensure your safety. Working with a physician on the Monument platform can help determine what timeline will work for you based on your past drinking habits and risk of withdrawal. Whatever schedule is chosen, it’s important to commit so you can build upon your progress and avoid withdrawal symptoms as much as possible. Alcohol dependence causes your body to adapt to the presence of alcohol in your body.

It can contribute to some withdrawal symptoms (but that isn’t a reason to not take a break or stop altogether).

  • Alcohol detox medications can make the process safer and more comfortable.
  • Slowly decreasing the amount you drink over time can spare your body from withdrawal symptoms.
  • Following medical detox, individuals are typically encouraged to enter a comprehensive addiction treatment program, which may include therapy, counseling, and other therapeutic modalities.
  • Tapering refers to gradually reducing alcohol intake rather than stopping abruptly.
  • This self-reflection allows you to gain a clear understanding of your drinking patterns, the impact it has on your life, and the goals you want to achieve.

You can read all about mindful drinking in this article by a licensed therapist at Monument. As your body gets used to alcohol, you will need more and more of it over time, which is called tolerance. If you continue to drink, your body will come to rely on alcohol to maintain its chemical balance.

Try Medication-Assisted Treatment

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. 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. The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions. Alcohol addiction can be difficult and sometimes dangerous to handle on your own.

There is also the issue of the fact that it is sometimes hard to know exactly how many drinks you have had. Or, you might not properly account for the size differences in what is considered a standard drink among the different types of alcohol. Making even the smallest of mistakes with weaning off of alcohol can lead to a relapse within your first few days of sobriety or major withdrawal symptoms. In summary, while it is possible to wean oneself off alcohol safely, it is essential to be aware of the potential for severe symptoms. It is always recommended to seek professional medical help in these cases to ensure safety and proper care during the withdrawal process. This is a key part of understanding how to wean yourself off alcohol safely.

When you quit through tapering, you drink a little less each day until you’re able to have no alcohol at all. It can lower the severity of symptoms, and it can make you more likely to meet your goals. When you quit alcohol cold turkey, you quit drinking completely and suddenly. It can also be a good idea for people who don’t want to, or can’t, attend any type of full detoxification program.

Benzodiazepines can be administered in both fixed-schedule and symptom-triggered approaches depending on the patient’s severity of symptoms and risk factors. At Monument, you can join a free community of over 60,000 members also working to change their relationship with alcohol, and explore treatment options like therapy and medication to stop drinking. Getting curious about a life without alcohol is already an incredible step, and a healthier lifestyle is within reach.

How to create a relapse prevention plan

Predictably, the alcoholic beverage industry opposes more restrictive guidelines. The primary problem with weaning is that a person who has an addiction is unlikely to be able to actually stick to their plan. If you were to be completely honest, then you might be able to admit right now that you’ve made similar promises to yourself in the past. Ask yourself if you can honestly just stop at a couple of drinks without going over the edge. Sadly, just feeling the pressure of needing to limit yourself to only a set number of drinks could cause you to drink more than ever before. When attempting to understand how to wean yourself off alcohol safely, it’s essential to first comprehend the concept of alcohol withdrawal.

However, understanding how an alcohol taper works and what the process is like can help you prepare yourself and find the support you need. Replacing alcoholic beverages with non-alcohol drinks is a great method of helping during a taper. By substituting alcoholic drinks for non-alcoholic drinks, you can still engage in most of your habit without getting the alcohol that makes it addictive. This can taper you off alcohol while still helping you keep up with your normal drinking routine, making the process easier. Figuring out where to start your alcohol taper schedule can be challenging. Counting each drink you consume may seem simple, but all drinks are not created equal.

Various treatment programs are available to help you recover from addiction. It can fluctuate up or down, it can be affected by genetics and physical trauma and is something that may require treatment by a medical professional. Addiction recovery is a deeply personal journey, and different strategies work for different people. The two most common, and very different, recovery philosophies are abstinence and harm reduction. Discover the risks of mixing Latuda and alcohol addiction, and learn how to seek professional help.

In conclusion, safely tapering off alcohol is a process that requires careful planning, professional guidance, and strong support. It’s a significant step towards recovery, and while it may be challenging, it’s a journey worth undertaking for improved health and well-being. The goal of tapering down is to make a gradual change while causing less stress on your body, both physically and emotionally. Withdrawal symptoms can vary in severity and depend on many factors, such as drinking history, metabolism, age, medical condition, what other substances or medication you take, and more. Because everyone’s body reacts differently, there’s not a lot of research that proves tapering can decrease the effects of alcohol withdrawal.