A doctor can supervise your tapering progress, helping you manage your cravings and prevent relapse. Overall, getting professional help can improve your chances for long-term sobriety. If you have a severe level of addiction or dependency, you may need a detox program. Talk to a medical professional to find the best detox option for you. You can taper off alcohol if you worry that you are developing alcohol addiction.

• Nutritional support is provided to address any deficiencies and promote overall health.
• Tolerance, dependence, social habits, setting, the biology of the individual and more must all be considered.
• This is why it is important to stop regular, heavy drinking only under the supervision of medical staff.
• If you are an average to moderate drinker – a couple drinks a night, several nights a week – then you may experience moderate withdrawal.
• Contact emergency health services if you or someone you know experiences more than one symptom of severe alcohol withdrawal.

It can be tempting to throw yourself into an alternative behavior or substance use in order to distract from the difficulties of recovery. If you notice an urge to use other substances, observe your feelings and consider talking to a counselor to help navigate the emotional impact of tapering your alcohol use. Because tapering is not the recommended way to stop using alcohol, there is no recommended tapering schedule. If you plan to taper, you must create a schedule that is right for you.

In the United States, most people will drink alcohol at least once. Its cultural acceptance has made it a common psychoactive substance in the United States. More concerning is the prevalence of binge drinking and heavy alcohol use. In the same year, 28.3 million people had an alcohol use disorder (AUD).

• It can also involve substituting the drink of choice with another drink; for example, a person may taper off hard alcohol with beer.
• Aside from unavoidable triggers, tapering off alcohol can also have side effects which can be difficult to manage at home.
• Located in sunny Southern California, Chapters Capistrano provides holistic, evidence-based treatment for substance abuse and addiction.
• By creating a schedule to monitor your alcohol use you can see just how much of the substance you are drinking.
• As you prepare to wean off alcohol, consider taking the following steps ahead of time to have a clear path to success.

If you’re struggling with severe alcohol addiction, a medical detox program is your likely best option for tapering off alcohol safely. But if you still have control over your drinking and want to drink less, you may be able to self-taper. When you quit drinking cold turkey, your body suffers from a cascade of changes caused by the sudden shift. Since alcohol depresses central nervous system activity, quitting drinking can cause an imbalance of an excitatory neurotransmitter called glutamate. This excess glutamate triggers alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which can sometimes be dangerous. If you drink heavily on a regular basis, it can be dangerous to stop alcohol cold turkey.

Does Tapering Help Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms?

Your risk of certain diseases decreases, you will begin sleeping better, and your overall health can significantly benefit. Quitting cold turkey means suddenly stopping all alcohol consumption. This method can lead to withdrawal https://appsychology.com/living-in-a-sober-house/ symptoms, especially if you’ve been a heavy drinker. Making a clean break, however, provides a sense of finality and commitment. Deciding to reduce or eliminate your alcohol consumption is a big step and will open up a whole new world of improved health and well-being.

Can Tapering Your Alcohol Intake Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms?

• On top of this, quitting immediately — or “cold turkey” as many users and professionals call it — can be dangerous.
• We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals.
• “Management of moderate and severe alcohol withdrawal syndromes.” September 15, 2023.
• Drinking alcohol regularly can increase your risk of hypertension (high blood pressure).
• If your body becomes physically dependent on alcohol, you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking.
• Quitting alcohol can be extremely hard, especially without medical support.

After several days of 5 glasses of wine, you can reduce that down to 4. Eventually, after a period of time, you will have tapered down to zero drinks. If you’re interested in medication-assisted treatment, medication to curb cravings can be a helpful tool for reducing your consumption.

Benefits of Getting Professional Help for Tapering Off

Too high of a dose can prolong your withdrawal period or be ineffective. If you’ve become dependent on alcohol, you may encounter alcohol withdrawal when you cut back or stop drinking. Withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous and even life-threatening, particularly when you quit cold turkey after a long period of alcohol abuse. If you experience withdrawal symptoms, speak to a doctor about tapering safely.

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. This is offered to patients with moderate to severe Alcohol Use Disorder, having the goal of achieving abstinence. Note that Disulfiram it is not a cure to alcoholism, and a full therapy must be used. Intoxicating beverages have been around since the Neolithic period (about 10,000 BC) which is a lot longer than modern medications.

How To Make an Alcohol Tapering Schedule

As mentioned above, we strongly recommend speaking with a doctor to ensure your plan is a safe one, and won’t cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Those who find that they cannot taper off the number of drinks for any significant length of time have likely developed alcohol use disorder, a condition commonly known as alcoholism. For others, simply cutting back the number of drinks can bring on alcohol withdrawal symptoms, making it more difficult to stop. The kindling effect refers to the increasing severity of withdrawal symptoms each time you go through alcohol detox. If you’ve tried to quit multiple times, each subsequent withdrawal can become more severe.

Long-term alcohol use can lead to alcohol use disorder (AUD) and physical dependence. If your body becomes physically dependent on alcohol, you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking. Studies have shown that 13–71% of people undergoing alcohol detox develop withdrawal symptoms. Factors such as pattern of alcohol use, other medical conditions, Sober House Rules: A Comprehensive Overview genetics and how your body responds to alcohol can play a role in withdrawal symptoms.

Working with a medical professional to taper your alcohol consumption can help the likelihood and severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Instead of quitting alcohol cold turkey, you can steadily reduce your consumption so that your body has time to gradually readjust to absence of alcohol. It’s important to note that stopping drinking can be dangerous and even life-threatening. It’s vital to speak with a medical professional before you begin weaning off alcohol to ensure you have a plan to do so safely. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

There are many factors that can affect how long weaning off alcohol will take. Other people use medication-assisted treatment, which can help reduce alcohol cravings as you cut back. Lastly, engaging in alcohol therapy can also make a major difference in your healing journey. A therapist will work with you to create a personalized plan for cutting back and provide ongoing guidance and accountability. Generally speaking, alcohol home detox is neither the most effective nor the safest method of quitting alcohol. However, it may be suitable for someone with a lower risk of experiencing alcohol withdrawal, or a person who has access to medical professionals at home.

Licensed medical professionals and highly qualified addiction specialists at The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper can help guide you toward a life without alcohol. However, it is important to be aware of the risks of attempting a taper on your own. Sometimes, people think that they don’t need medical help if their symptoms are mild. Unfortunately, alcohol withdrawal symptoms can worsen quickly, and they can include agitation and hallucinations that make it more difficult to seek help. For this reason, it is best to seek medical advice on whether you should taper at home or under medical observation. As many as 71% of people who go through alcohol detox experience symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Drug & Alcohol Detox

We can leverage our resources and team to help you reduce and eventually end your alcohol use. Deciding to quit drinking and following through isn’t just about willpower. Many other factors go into play with these difficult and trying scenarios. Tolerance, dependence, social habits, setting, the biology of the individual and more must all be considered.