However, for many people with alcohol use disorder, tapering off alcohol is a far better experience than quitting abruptly. If you’re unable to reduce how much you drink, you may have a disease called alcoholism that requires professional addiction treatment. Alcohol rehab helps you taper off alcohol, and it treats other side effects and causes of alcoholism. You should plan to taper for between three and seven days depending on how much you’re used to drinking. Slowly reduce the amount of alcohol you consume each day until you reach sobriety. If you begin to experience serious withdrawal symptoms, drink enough to make the symptoms subside.
Avoid loneliness.
Gradually tapering your alcohol use can ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce alcohol cravings. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that affects your brain. When you quit drinking or wean off alcohol, your body will adjust to the lack of alcohol in your body. Withdrawal symptoms can be uncomfortable and even dangerous. People attempting to quit may turn to drinking again to prevent withdrawal symptoms. However, it’s still possible to experience withdrawal symptoms.
Can Tapering Your Alcohol Intake Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms?
Further, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression are extremely common in those who struggle with drinking, and these disorders can make it even harder to stay sober. Tapering alcohol is beneficial because you can avoid alcohol withdrawal symptoms. This is because when you drink heavily for months or years, your body can start to depend on alcohol to function normally. When you are physically dependent on a substance like alcohol, your body adapts accordingly. People looking to quit drinking may consider either tapering or going cold turkey, meaning they abruptly stop all alcohol consumption without weaning. Additionally, medical professionals will treat co-occurring mental health conditions and can even support family members.
- Remember your motivation for cutting back and set realistic goals.
- For people with moderate to severe alcohol addiction, utilizing an alcohol detox center is always the safest option.
- It provides relapse prevention techniques, therapeutic interventions, and aftercare support.
- The hardest thing will probably be to stop yourself from starting again.
Is it Better to Taper Off Alcohol or Quit “Cold Turkey?”
My first recommendation is to seek professional help at an inpatient rehab facility, a dedicated detox center, or, in severe cases, the emergency room. If you have a severe level of addiction or dependency, https://cartica.ru/krasota/holodnyj-rozovyj-blond.html 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. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol addiction, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
A direct taper means drinking the regular substance of choice but lowering the amount consumed daily. Someone should typically only direct taper if their drink of choice is beer with a low alcohol http://gallery-film.ru/Movie/Today/799/ percentage. Because tapering is not the recommended way to stop using alcohol, there is no recommended tapering schedule.
Consider professional support
It’s much better to focus on something you enjoy than to focus on the discomfort of your withdrawal symptoms. Addiction tends to make everything else in life seem less enjoyable. Music you used to love may no longer have the same draw while you are using alcohol. You may find a renewed interest in music during your detox and should pursue the distraction it offers from cravings or withdrawal symptoms.
However, tapering can be dangerous if https://muza.vip/catalog/r_eng/2279/88464 you have severe AUD, leading to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. If you start noticing these symptoms, contact a medical professional immediately. An alcohol taper is a way to wean yourself off alcohol and avoid withdrawal symptoms. Although all forms of alcohol cessation should be done with medical guidance, tapering your alcohol intake may allow you to self-wean from drinking at home. Slowly tapering your alcohol use can help you manage mild withdrawal symptoms and decrease the risk of AUD. However, you may experience withdrawal symptoms or relapse if you’re not tapering correctly and safely.
- For a safe recovery from heavy drinking, have a plan in place.
- Before you decide to go through alcohol withdrawal, write yourself a letter and keep it nearby for quick reference.
- “Try sober Mondays or sober Mondays through Wednesdays,” he says.
The consequences of quitting alcohol cold turkey can be serious and lead to alcohol withdrawal syndrome, which can be fatal in severe cases. 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.