When combined with counseling, this approach is proven highly effective. For some drinkers, cutting down on the amount of alcohol they drink simply does not work. They may cut back for a short period of time, but soon find themselves back to https://appsychology.com/living-in-a-sober-house/ drinking at their usual level. This is especially true of heavy drinkers who are surrounded by the triggers that encourage drinking and lack the support needed to encourage change. If you plan to taper your drinking in order to stop, make sure you limit your intake consistently, avoid fluctuations, and adhere to a weekly reduction schedule with a set date to stop.
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If you start to experience any of the following symptoms, seek medical attention immediately. The effects of alcohol can vary depending on weight, gender, age and other factors. 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.
How to Wean Off Alcohol & Safely Taper Drinking
External triggers are people, places, things, or times that offer opportunities to drink and remind a person of alcohol. Internal triggers are thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations that cause a person to drink. Being exposed to either form of a trigger can result in unwanted relapse.
Consider a Medical Detox
An evidence-based rehab offering holistic and experiential therapies, tailoring treatment to each client on a comfortable campus near Austin. While this process isn’t enjoyable, there are so many benefits in the new sober life that you’re creating for yourself. Keep the big picture in mind through a goal such as reducing your drinking overall in a week, month, or year,” Dr Lee said.
Attempting to stop drinking “cold turkey” is not only dangerous, but could also cause serious implications or be fatal. You might be surprised to find that you don’t need alcohol to enjoy certain events and previously would drink out of habit. “Replacing time or events spent drinking with other enjoyable activities is helpful. Exercise, family time, or cooking may provide distraction and promote your wellness,” Dr Lee said. Many people employ medication-assisted treatment for alcohol use to help curb the euphoric effects of alcohol. Delirium tremens (DTs) can begin 48 hours after your last drink and last up to five days.
Why Do You Experience Withdrawal Symptoms?
Although, you’ll need support if you want to successfully and safely taper at home. Tapering off alcohol involves gradually reducing the amount of alcohol you drink. Besides its positive health benefits, it can help you quit drinking after weeks or months. Some find tapering is not a suitable option to stop drinking due to various factors such as social responsibilities or peer pressure. For many people, tapering alone is insufficient to help heal their addiction.
- For example, if you normally drink 6 glasses of wine each night, you can try reducing that to 5 glasses of wine a night.
- You may cut back on drinking slowly over time, but if you have an alcohol use disorder, it can be very challenging to resist drinking too much for an effective taper.
- Whether you’re a daily imbiber, heavy drinker, or frequent binge drinker, you’re likely to experience withdrawal symptoms when you quit.
- Your brain will still be hyperactive and take about a week to 10 days to readjust.
This form of tapering would likely involve medications to eliminate withdrawal symptoms. Slowly, to reduce the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms, you will come off the medication with the goal being complete abstinence from alcohol. Whether you feel like you drink too much alcohol, or you have an alcohol abuse issue, quitting drinking cold turkey can be dangerous. Knowing how to safely taper off alcohol can make all the difference in how successful you are in quitting drinking. Withdrawal symptoms may begin within a few hours after the last drink and may last up to 48 to 72 hours. Psychological alcohol withdrawal may continue long after the physical symptoms subside.
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. 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 Living in a Sober House: Fundamental Rules anxiety and depression for the first several months.
- These include direct tapers, where you regularly decrease the amount of alcohol you consume, and substitution tapers, where you replace alcohol with another substance.
- Ria Health offers several FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder.
- Don’t wait— reach out today to take the first step toward taking control of your life.
- A substitution taper can involve substituting a prescription drug for alcohol.
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). However, improper tapering could lead to relapse, overdose, and severe health consequences.
If you want to cut back your alcohol consumption or stop drinking alcohol altogether, tapering may help. Tapering is the process of gradually weaning off alcohol rather than quitting cold turkey. When you taper your alcohol, you slowly reduce your alcohol intake over time.
If you find it is difficult to prevent yourself from drinking too much and getting drunk, locking your alcohol up in a cabinet and giving your friend or family member the key can help. Although with this method, it is important that the friend or family member is accessible when symptoms of withdrawals such as tremors return. Also, learn to cope with and avoid situations that might cause you to want to drink more. Recovery is a lifelong process, and safely tapering off of alcohol is the first step towards achieving the life you want. It’s important to nurture a healthy relationship with your body so you can have a healthy relationship with your mind.
