Before a doctor begins a tapering plan with medications, they will assess the medical stability, including vital sign stability, and pattern of withdrawal symptoms in the patient. Quitting alcohol can be extremely hard, especially without medical support. 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. If you think you’re tapering too quickly, it’s okay to slow down. Just because you had 8 drinks instead of 6 one day doesn’t mean you’ve failed, especially if you still drank the same or less than the previous day. Maybe you just need to set more realistic goals for yourself and slow your taper.
Further Reading
- The benefit is that it can make it easier to stop drinking alcohol.
- This is the same thing they’ll do if you go to a detox facility or hospital, except they’ll use medications instead of alcohol for the taper.
- Understanding your habits and your motivations to quit drinking can help you understand the change you’re making in your life and reinforce why it’s important.
- It may be helpful as well to drink different kinds of beverages.
This condition is frequently fatal without treatment and requires hospitalization. However, there may still be some scenarios in which someone decides to taper from alcohol. When someone does use a taper, two main types are often used.
- Moreover, physical withdrawal can be challenging, and there’s also a phenomenon called the kindling effect to consider.
- Evaluate the pros and cons of tapering and consider quitting with medical help instead of trying to do it yourself.
- If you notice yourself going through severe withdrawal in the beginning, slow down.
- This involves directly reducing the amount of alcohol you consume regularly.
Drug and Alcohol Addiction
If you experience severe withdrawal symptoms while tapering off alcohol, adjust your plan. The goal of tapering is to make the withdrawal process safer and more bearable. The long and the short of it is–tapering off alcohol with medical support can help you quit drinking. But could weaning yourself off alcohol help you stay sober for good? In fact, 30 million people have alcohol use disorder1 in the United States alone.
Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Laying it all out in black and white can take time and some serious self-examination. Understanding your habits and your motivations to quit drinking can help you understand the change you’re making in your life and reinforce why it’s important. If you or someone you know is quitting alcohol and experiences seizures, DTs, amphetamine addiction treatment hallucinations, or other major effects, seek immediate medical attention or call 911 for help. Our state-specific resource guides offer a comprehensive overview of drug and alcohol addiction treatment options available in your area.
Getting Ready
For people who moderately consume alcohol, tapering off may be a good how to taper off alcohol option. However, quitting cold turkey or tapering is not advisable for people with an AUD. Tapering is also a strategy used by people with a substance or alcohol use disorder (AUD).
- Learn the benefits of reducing alcohol consumption and discover effective techniques to help you cut back and improve your overall health.
- The central nervous system, which consists of the brain and spinal cord, is responsible for coordinating the activity of most of the body’s functions.
- You’ll look and feel healthier, have more energy, and save money.
- However, after approximately two days of stopping, they are likely to experience more severe symptoms.
Can I Just Quit Alcohol Cold Turkey?
Here’s how to wean off alcohol—including useful strategies, how to create a tapering schedule, and how to stay safe throughout the process. Quitting cold turkey means suddenly stopping all alcohol consumption. This method can lead to withdrawal symptoms, especially if you’ve been a heavy drinker. Making a clean break, however, provides a sense of finality and commitment. If you start to experience significant withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, a taper can provide a much safer method to detox from alcohol. Tapering can https://ecosoberhouse.com/ be done by using alcohol itself or various medications; however, can only be done safely under the supervision of a physician.