How To Taper Off Alcohol

That way, you can rest assured that your vitals are being monitored and you are taking the necessary steps to achieve a full recovery with very minor, if any, medical complications. Going cold turkey can lead to acute alcohol withdrawal for those who have a history of long-term and/or heavy https://ecosoberhouse.com/ alcohol use. However, achieving sobriety is a process that can take quite some time. To speed up the processes, many choose to try going “cold turkey,” aka, stop drinking and never pick up a glass again. The effects of alcohol can vary depending on weight, gender, age and other factors.

Others may discover after consulting with a doctor that it’s safe for them to quit alcohol cold turkey if they choose to. However, they may still decide that tapering down feels most achievable for them. If you’re not sure if cold turkey or tapering is right for you, you can join the Monument Community to hear from others who have confronted similar questions. The tapering down process can take place for the first several weeks or even months of the alcohol recovery timeline. 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.

Tapering Off to Sobriety: How Much Cutback is Too Much Too Soon?

Whatever schedule is chosen, it’s important to commit so you can build upon your progress and avoid withdrawal symptoms as much as possible. Programs such as inpatient or outpatient rehab, medical detox, individual or family therapy and support groups are available. Through these programs, our caring and dedicated staff can help you on your road to recovery. 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. If you struggle with drinking, the safest way to quit is under a doctor’s care. If you drink heavily, your doctor may recommend quitting with the help of a medical detox center.

• This process can last several days, weeks, or months depending on your tolerance level, history of use, and other factors.
• As a result, people who taper off alcohol typically experience fewer or less severe withdrawals than people who quit alcohol cold turkey.
• These include direct tapers, where you regularly decrease the amount of alcohol you consume, and substitution tapers, where you replace alcohol with another substance.
• Even if you think either option sounds like something that could work for your situation, we still recommend talking to a doctor before proceeding.

This is a time where there is a lot of concern surrounding the spread of COVID-19 and we know that many clients are choosing to stay home in order to avoid the virus and stop it’s spread. Social distancing is extremely important to us as we understand that it’s going to take a group effort in order to slow down the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, this is also a time when many people are turning to substances as a way to cope, and there are many others who currently need treatment. Despite the current events, there is still a need for quality treatment- MD Home Detox is continuing to provide that in the safety of the client’s home. Developing a proactive plan for tapering alcohol is an important step in the process.

Self-Care Alternative – Medically Monitored Detox

Contact us today to learn more about the insurance we accept and find an alcohol addiction treatment program that can work well for your situation. In particular, it alters the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). When you drink a lot over a long period, your brain reduces the amount of GABA it makes. This means that if you quit drinking cold turkey, your brain will not have enough GABA.

Tapering off alcohol is one of the safest ways to overcome alcoholism. Instead of complete cessation of alcohol, you begin to slowly taper down on your consumption over a period of time. It is very important that you estimate your BASELINE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION in terms of standard drinks in order for you to be able to set up a taper schedule. Just for reference a 12 ounce regular strength (5%) beer is one standard drink. A standard (750 ml) bottle of wine at 12% alcohol contains 5 standard drinks. Some people may also find it easier to just taper off their alcohol use rather than jumping immediately into an abstinence day even if they do not have significant withdrawal symptoms.

Finding An Alcohol Rehab

It is also important to note that the degree of symptoms will depend on how much alcohol you have been using, the frequency of use, and how long you have been drinking. If you are an average to moderate drinker – a couple drinks a night, several nights a week – then you may experience moderate withdrawal. On the other hand, if you engage in excessive alcohol use, you could experience severe alcohol withdrawal.

By creating a schedule to monitor your alcohol use you can see just how much of the substance you are drinking. The reason for weaning off alcohol instead of quitting cold turkey is to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms. If a person abruptly stops drinking alcohol within 6 to 8 hours they will experience hyperactivity, anxiety, tremors, sweating, nausea, and confusion. Seizures are another complication how to taper off alcohol of abruptly quitting alcohol that may occur within the first 12 to 48 hours of stopping. To avoid severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it is advised to taper off alcohol via medical assistance or by using an alcohol treatment program such as those found at AspenRidge. When someone has developed an alcohol substance use disorder, this will require effective treatment in order to quit drinking.

Design a schedule or calendar laying out how you’ll gradually reduce the number of drinks you consume over a period of time. For example, if you drink 7 glasses of wine a day, plan to cut back to 6 for several days, then cut down to 5 several days after that. You can also taper off by spacing out the length of time between each drink.

My approach to therapy is grounded in compassion, empathy, and a deep understanding of the unique experiences and perspectives of each of my clients . I utilize a person-centered approach to my clients to help empower change within themselves. A popular way to taper off alcohol is to gradually reduce the number of drinks you consume over a period of time. For example, if you normally drink 6 glasses of wine each night, you can try reducing that to 5 glasses of wine a night. After several days of 5 glasses of wine, you can reduce that down to 4.