It will take time and effort to grow these newfound friendships—but it will be worth it. Surrounding yourself with other people who are sober will dramatically improve your chances of staying away from alcohol. A therapist can help you understand your triggers and develop healthy coping skills for dealing with them.

What Is the Best Way To Cut Down on Drinking Alcohol?

For this reason, even at-home tapers should be done under a doctor’s care. For people who drink heavily and frequently, it’s wise to consult with a medical professional before tapering. “Some will experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop abruptly, which is an indicator for medically managed alcohol withdrawal treatments from a health professional. If you drink heavily on a regular basis, it can be dangerous to stop alcohol cold turkey. For this reason, you should not suddenly quit drinking without talking to your doctor. The consequences of quitting alcohol cold turkey can be serious and lead to alcohol withdrawal syndrome, which can be fatal in severe cases.

how to taper alcohol

Ways to Support a Loved One Through Treatment

BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. Attending a residential rehab or outpatient program gives you coping mechanisms and life skills that can help you for years to come after treatment. You can strengthen your emotional and communication techniques to help you work through any tough situations that may arise in the future. Helps get lives back on track from substance use and behavioral addiction. Offers evidence-based, step-down care from residential to outpatient to aftercare.

how to taper alcohol

They can help you decide if it’s the safest way to start your recovery, and they can help you make a taper plan. 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. This may work for many people, but in practice each individual will respond best to a different pace, and each doctor will have their own recommendations. The risk of tapering too slowly is that you won’t stick with it, while the risk of tapering too fast is severe withdrawal. If you experience dangerous signs such as high blood pressure, racing heart, or arrhythmias, slow your taper and seek assistance.

Is CBD Safe for Teens : CBD Safety for Teenagers Unraveled

For this reason, experts advise that alcohol cessation be monitored safely with steady effort between oneself and a physician. 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.

Movies Portraying Addiction and the Quest for Redemption

Dr Lee explains that choosing a non-alcoholic beer or a caffeinated beverage can help provide a small buzz. “Using a medication such as naltrexone increases the overall chances that people can cut down or quit,” Lee said. Excessive drinking can weaken the immune system, increasing the body’s likelihood of developing an infection. Diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis are more frequent in individuals who chronically drink. Generally, light to moderate drinkers should plan to taper for a https://thecinnamonhollow.com/a-guide-to-sober-house-rules-what-you-need-to-know/ week or more. In the lungs, the alcohol is vaporized (changed into vapor) and is exhaled.

  • Many people employ medication-assisted treatment for alcohol use to help curb the euphoric effects of alcohol.
  • Finding a different, more healthy way to unload stress may go a long way in helping someone succeed in cutting back on their alcohol use.
  • However, even the best-designed tapers can put you at risk for alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
  • Discover why inpatient detox for alcohol offers critical support for effective recovery and lasting change.
  • Because everyone’s body reacts differently, there’s not a lot of research that proves tapering can decrease the effects of alcohol withdrawal.
  • Creating a tapering schedule you can stick with is a crucial part of weaning yourself off alcohol.

If you’ve decided to quit drinking, and tapering seems like the right approach, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to wean off alcohol—including useful strategies, how to create a tapering schedule, and how to stay safe throughout the process. If you find that you cannot stop drinking, even if it is obvious that it is negatively impacting your life, you may need to seek help for alcohol use disorder. There is no shame in this — a chemical dependency on alcohol can cause severe withdrawal symptoms, and seeking medical attention is important to ensure recovery. People who try tapering off alcohol won’t have the guided support of medical professionals that they would at inpatient treatment.

People who have alcohol use disorder that goes undiagnosed may have an especially difficult time cutting back on their alcohol consumption. If you’re struggling to stick to a taper or do not trust yourself to moderate your alcohol use, having strict supervision and support can help you meet your recovery goals. When an individual has developed a substance use disorder or dependence on alcohol, stopping its use outright can seem virtually impossible. On top of this, quitting immediately — or “cold turkey” as many users and professionals call it — can be dangerous. Withdrawal symptoms are generally uncomfortable to deal with, but they can be fatal.

Alcohol withdrawal occurs when neurotransmitters that combat the effects of alcohol on the nervous system suddenly have nothing to counteract them. Essentially, when an individual drinks, the brain amplifies certain activities to counterbalance the depressive effect alcohol has on it. When that numbing sensation disappears entirely, the brain is left dangerously overstimulated. Insomnia, anxiety and paranoia — the opposite effects of alcohol — are the expected results. Thus, a user will likely seek out alcohol again to rid themselves of the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

  • Unlike inpatient treatment, tapering allows people to maintain their lifestyles while improving their drinking habits.
  • Ultimately, you shouldn’t taper off of alcohol unless you’ve checked with your doctor first.
  • Some individuals may benefit from setting rewards for reaching these goals to maintain motivation.
  • By gradually drinking less instead of stopping cold turkey, your body has a chance to adapt to smaller and less frequent drinks.
  • This is no small task, as it is easy to keep drinking once you’ve started.

Although, you’ll need support if you want to successfully and safely taper at home. In order to fully recover, you can start your healing process by safely ridding yourself of alcohol. Getting professional treatment for alcohol addiction can give you the tools to create, and maintain, a healthy and happy lifestyle. 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. Quitting alcohol can be extremely hard, especially without medical support.

As such, there is only limited guidance available about the best ways to taper. The effects of alcohol can vary depending on weight, gender, age and other factors. Alcohol tapers are strategies to stop drinking by slowly decreasing the amount of alcohol a person consumes. Did you know most insurance companies will cover the cost of drug and alcohol detox? A direct taper means you continue to drink your regular drinks but slowly decrease the amount over time. Direct tapers are better if you prefer drinks that contain a low percentage of alcohol.

We believe everyone deserves access to accurate, unbiased information about mental health and addiction. That’s why we have a comprehensive set of treatment providers and don’t charge for inclusion. We do not and have never accepted fees for referring someone to a particular center. Providers who advertise with us must be verified by our Research Team and we clearly mark their status as advertisers. The search for addiction and mental health treatment can be overwhelming.

However, the initial stages of tapering can also bring emotional challenges, as your body and mind adjust to lower levels of alcohol. Engaging in therapy during this time can provide essential support and coping strategies. Science has discovered the best ways to motivate people to change their behaviour. But A Guide To Sober House Rules: What You Need To Know when it comes to talking about alcohol dependence, most of us do the opposite. Rather than talking them out of change, remind them of times in the past where they met difficult goals.

Symptoms of alcohol dependence include cravings, increased tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms when alcohol consumption is reduced or stopped. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), approximately 28.6 million adults had AUD in 2021, underscoring its widespread prevalence. Contributing factors include genetic predisposition, environmental influences, and psychological factors. Ideally, your support network will include mental health, medical, and addiction treatment professionals, as well as friends and family. Only a licensed medical professional can accurately assess your current condition and whether it’s safe for you to taper down.

If you plan to taper, you must create a schedule that is right for you. 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 roughly the same amount of alcohol as a 5-ounce glass of wine or a mixed drink containing 1.5 ounces of alcohol.