Tapering can sometimes help a person avoid uncomfortable and sometimes deadly symptoms of withdrawal. Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous can help reinforce your goals and boost your spirits. Surrounding yourself with those going through the same process you are, and learning the same life lessons you are, can make a big difference in your healing journey. You’ll talk about different topics regarding addiction and recovery and bond https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ over shared feelings and experiences. In some cases, medications may be administered to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings. These medications are prescribed and managed by healthcare providers.
Can Tapering Your Alcohol Intake Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms?
If you know you’re heading to an event Sober House Rules: What You Should Know Before Moving In where you’ll be offered alcohol, prepare what you’re going to say before you get there, says Young. But Dr. Streem knows that it can be hard to recognize signs of alcohol abuse in ourselves. Often, people with alcohol use disorder find that other people in their lives spot their addiction long before they do. Individuals who’ve consumed higher amounts of alcohol over time can develop life-threatening complications when trying to quit. These complications can develop within a few hours or days and appear in the form of seizures, delirium tremens (DTs), and hallucinations, sometimes even leading to death.
Share Your Goals
- But if heavy drinkers cut back on their average number of drinks too quickly, they may be at risk of life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.
- Dr Lee explains that choosing a non-alcoholic beer or a caffeinated beverage can help provide a small buzz.
- 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.
- If you’ve been unable to quit on your own, you should consider attending an alcohol rehab center.
- These include direct tapers, where you regularly decrease the amount of alcohol you consume, and substitution tapers, where you replace alcohol with another substance.
BetterHelp offers affordable mental health care via phone, video, or live-chat. For the first time, we’re offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless newsroom. Heavy drinking on a night out or over time can lead to a number of diseases, such as liver damage (cirrhosis), fatty liver and even pancreatitis. “Abstinence from alcohol over several months will improve memory and thinking. When you take a break from alcohol, “sleep patterns will often return to normal and REM sleep and quality of sleep will return to healthy patterns,” Weber said.
Tapering off alcohol can be a reasonable strategy for anyone who desires to stop drinking. A taper might be helpful for those who find they cannot stop drinking without experiencing negative symptoms. Depending on the amount and length of time someone drinks, they may experience symptoms when tapering.
How To Wean Off Alcohol
If you are doing a self detox be sure to drink lots and lots of fluids and to take vitamin pills. If you choose to drink water make sure that you get enough salt for electrolyte balance so that you avoid water intoxication. Some people may also find it easier to just taper off their alcohol use rather than jumping immediately into an abstinence day even if they do not have significant withdrawal symptoms. Serenity at Summit is a network of addiction treatment facilities in the Northeastern United States, with centers in New Jersey and Massachusetts. We offer comprehensive, evidence-based treatment to support individuals in achieving and maintaining long-term sobriety. 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.
Can tapering off reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms?
Sometimes, they may experience seizures and delirium tremens (DTs). For people who moderately consume alcohol, tapering off may be a good option. However, quitting cold turkey or tapering is not advisable for people with an AUD. Tapering is also a strategy used by people with a substance or alcohol use disorder (AUD).
This might mean skipping social events where alcohol is present or finding new ways to cope with stress without turning to alcohol. 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.
Is it Better to Taper Off Alcohol or Quit “Cold Turkey?”
Seeking help as early as possible during the withdrawal process is the best way to stay safe as you cleanse your body of alcohol. To wean off alcohol, it is important to implement a gradual reduction approach. This involves slowly decreasing your alcohol intake over time to allow your body to adjust and minimize withdrawal symptoms. Start by setting clear goals for reducing your alcohol consumption. This may involve reducing the number of drinks per day, limiting drinking to specific days of the week, or gradually decreasing the amount consumed during each drinking session.
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. Tapering off alcohol helps some people start their recovery journeys. It can also be a good idea for people who don’t want to, or can’t, attend any type of full detoxification program.
It can be helpful to establish a timeline for achieving your goals, breaking them down into smaller, manageable steps. This allows for a gradual and steady progress, reducing the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed or discouraged. Replacing alcoholic beverages with non-alcohol drinks is a great method of helping during a taper.
After this is calculated, make a schedule where you consume your normal amount on the first day and make regular reductions each day after. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms consistent with DTs, call 911. DTs can be fatal, and a person going through them should have medical support in a hospital or rehab facility. It is important to only attempt a taper while under a doctor’s care.
Tapering will normally create less severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms but will spread them out over a prolonged period. Essentially, tapering provides less intense withdrawal symptoms but over a longer amount of time. If you drink alcohol and are thinking about quitting, it is important to make sure you do so safely. One potential way to quit drinking is through tapering, which involves slowly reducing your alcohol intake over time. The long and the short of it is–tapering off alcohol with medical support can help you quit drinking.
Remind yourself of why you want to cut back, talk to a friend about it and distract yourself with a hobby or exercise, the NIAAA suggests. You might reach for alcohol when you’re really just thirsty, says Crews. Drink a cup of soothing tea or a tall glass of water before you imbibe—once your thirst is quenched, you may not feel the need for as much—or any—alcohol.
