These complications can develop within a few hours or days and appear in the form of seizures, delirium tremens (DTs), and hallucinations, sometimes even leading to death. Tapering off is a standard medical practice how to taper off alcohol for many other drugs. Tapering is also a strategy used by people with a substance or alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, improper tapering could lead to relapse, overdose, and severe health consequences.
How to Wean Off Alcohol: Tapering Safely and on Schedule
If you’re used to drinking less than 20 beers per day, HAMS recommends reducing your alcohol consumption by two beers per day until you achieve sobriety. If you are tapering yourself off alcohol for the first time, it can be helpful to know what symptoms to expect during the process. Although the symptoms can vary for each person based on personal factors, many people share common experiences during this process.
Tips for Tapering Yourself off Alcohol
However, it should not cause someone to become stuck on a step, which would defeat the purpose of a taper. A person is free to increase the taper speed (e.g., lower by three drinks instead of two) as they see fit. While the safest way to taper is with professional help in a detox facility, this may not be an option for everyone. A person may need to detox at home for many reasons, including cost or time. A substitution taper can involve substituting a prescription drug for alcohol. It can also involve substituting the drink of choice with another drink; for example, a person may taper off hard alcohol with beer.
- Talk with a healthcare professional if you’re concerned you may experience detox symptoms when quitting drinking or cutting back.
- Being surrounded by triggers can make it extremely difficult to stay on track and avoid overdoing it on alcohol.
- The time it takes to taper will depend on how long you’ve been drinking, how much you’ve been drinking and a variety of personal factors.
Why Do You Experience Withdrawal Symptoms?
This medical supervision allows for some patients to quit drinking cold-turkey without compromising safety. When you taper your alcohol, you slowly reduce your alcohol intake over time. By gradually drinking less instead of stopping cold turkey, your body has a chance to adapt to smaller and less frequent drinks. In turn, your risk of undergoing alcohol withdrawal may be lower. Quitting abruptly can be dangerous without medical supervision due to potential withdrawal symptoms.
How Long Does It Take To Taper Off Alcohol Safely?
Alcohol withdrawal is potentially fatal, especially for people with an alcohol addiction. Sometimes, they may experience seizures and delirium tremens (DTs). Some find tapering is not a suitable option to stop drinking due to various factors such as social responsibilities or peer pressure. For many people, tapering alone is insufficient to help heal their addiction. Talk to a medical professional if you have any concerns about tapering off alcohol. They can provide recommendations to help you avoid harmful side effects.
- In order to change your drinking habits, your first step is to take a close look at your current behaviors and find patterns.
- Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions.
- Recognizing the need for change is the first step towards making a positive transformation.
Your Guide to Tapering Off Alcohol
External triggers are people, places, things, or times that offer opportunities to drink and remind a person of alcohol. Internal triggers are thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations that cause a person to drink. Being exposed to either form of a trigger can result in unwanted relapse. You should not begin a tapering https://ecosoberhouse.com/ plan before talking to your doctor. Based on your medical history, your doctor can advise you about the safety of the taper. A standard drink is a term used because different alcoholic beverages have different concentrations of alcohol, giving you varying amounts of alcohol depending on the fluid you drink.
- In order to fully recover, you can start your healing process by safely ridding yourself of alcohol.
- Being exposed to either form of a trigger can result in unwanted relapse.
- Let them know your plan, your progress, and how withdrawals are going for you.
- Setting realistic goals is an important first step in your tapering journey.
- If you have trouble controlling how much you drink or experience significant alcohol cravings, you may need professional help instead of trying to taper your alcohol use at home.