Making a schedule to slowly reduce your alcohol intake is a safe way to taper off the substance. This will ensure that you are not quitting cold turkey which could result in severe and debilitating withdrawal symptoms or even death.

• Benefits of peer support groups in the treatment of addictions.
• Depending on the severity of alcohol dependence, symptoms may range from mild to moderate or severe.
• The goal of tapering down is to make a gradual change while causing less stress on your body, both physically and emotionally.
• Another more serious condition that develops during alcohol withdrawal is delirium tremens or the DTs.
• As a rule of thumb, HAMS suggests reducing your consumption by two standard drinks per day until you reach zero.

The imbalance in GABA that occurs when you suddenly stop drinking is what causes withdrawal symptoms. By slowly reducing your drinking over time instead of stopping suddenly, you allow your brain to change its GABA production. Cutting down your alcohol intake may not be as easy as it sounds. People who want to reduce their alcohol consumption often do not realize how much of their social and daily routines alcohol has become. 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.

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This means making healthy decisions about drinking behaviors. But we are talking about tapering off, which means you will be drinking. You must work with someone who can hold you accountable if you break your tapering off schedule or try to justify a continuance of drinking. Alcohol how to taper off alcohol can stay in your system for several hours depending on how much you drink. Once it begins to leave your body, early symptoms of withdrawal begin. Tapering can help you overcome alcohol dependence, which is a side effect of chronic alcohol use that causes cravings and withdrawal.

• If you start to experience significant withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, a taper can provide a much safer method to detox from alcohol.
• A Healthy Diet A healthy diet includes eating foods that contain the proper balance of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats.
• Cold turkey is a common slang term for quitting alcohol all at once.
• This is often known as seasonal depression, winter depression, or seasonal affective disorder ….
• If you are seeking drug and alcohol related addiction rehab for yourself or a loved one, the sponsored hotline is a confidential and convenient solution.
• The best way to safely quit drinking is by following the advice of a doctor or treatment center.

If you experience severe withdrawal symptoms while tapering off alcohol, adjust your plan. The goal of tapering is to make the https://ecosoberhouse.com/ withdrawal process safer and more bearable. If you’re having trouble quitting alcohol, many resources are available to help.

Is it Better to Taper Off Alcohol or Quit “Cold Turkey?”

Throughout history alcohol has been used for a number of different issues, including tapering off to overcome alcohol use. All Alcoholrehabhelp content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible. Insomnia is a common symptom of alcohol withdrawal, especially in the early stages of recovery. In fact, sleep disturbances can persist for months despite continued abstinence. Some studies have shown that sleep disturbances can increase the chance of relapsing…. Learn more about alcohol withdrawal here and, once again, speak to a doctor first.

From here, you can plan a schedule for gradually reducing how much you drink per day. Ideally, this schedule will be determined with the assistance of a doctor or addiction treatment professional.

Medical Detox for Tapering off Alcohol

If you need help figuring out how to taper off alcohol, or want to find alcohol detox services near you, our treatment specialists at Vertava Health can help. There is also the matter of the specific type of alcohol in question. For instance, many people binge drink on the weekend without drinking during the week. They may have a mild-to-moderate substance use problem without being chemically dependent. Still, they may need to consider cutting back for other physical, mental, and social health reasons.