For people with moderate to severe alcohol addiction, utilizing an alcohol detox center is always the safest option. Alcohol detox centers have professionals trained to recognize and treat complications caused by alcohol withdrawal. Safe alcohol withdrawal is an important part of starting a recovery process. For this reason, you should not abruptly stop alcohol use after a long period of heavy use without medical supervision. Instead, sober house slowly cutting back on your drinking or using an alcohol tapering schedule is a safer method to become sober. Consultation with a medical professional or recovery coach is strongly recommended.

Reduce Your Number of Drinks Per Day

It is important to note that alcohol tapers are generally not recommended as the best way to stop using alcohol. Most healthcare professionals recommend a medically-assisted detox as the best way to get off alcohol. An effective tapering schedule may include cutting out one drink at a time at regular intervals. It might help to set goals and reward yourself when you reach them. During medical detox, you are closely monitored round the clock by medical staff who can intervene if withdrawal symptoms become severe.

How long is blood pressure raised after drinking alcohol?

Alcoholism is linked to many chronic diseases, including heart disease, liver disease, and certain cancers. Chronic, heavy drinking can significantly increase your risk of serious illness and premature death. Unless an AUD is addressed, the health problems drinking causes may be unstoppable. 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.

• The guidelines for tapering from alcohol are generalized; you may need to modify the tapering schedule if you have difficulties with the original plan.
• Start by estimating how much you drink on a daily basis—and be honest with yourself.
• People who try tapering off alcohol won’t have the guided support of medical professionals that they would at inpatient treatment.
• It can lower the severity of symptoms, and it can make you more likely to meet your goals.
• By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism.

Can Tapering Help You Quit Alcohol?

Find an accountability partner or someone you can call to keep you on track when you want to drink. Build a network of people you can go to when you need help, join a support group or see a therapist. To create an effective taper, you must know how much you drink daily on average. It can be easy to underestimate how much you drink, and being as accurate as possible is important. “The role of GABAA receptors in mediating the effects of alcohol in the central nervous system.” Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, July 28, 2003.

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It can also be a good idea for people who don’t want to, or can’t, attend any type of full detoxification program. Alcohol withdrawal is potentially fatal, especially for https://www.inkl.com/news/sober-house-rules-a-comprehensive-overview people with an alcohol addiction. Sometimes, they may experience seizures and delirium tremens (DTs).

• After you have completely tapered off alcohol, you will have to decide if you want to follow a path of total abstinence or moderate alcohol use.
• When symptoms become that serious, it can be difficult to seek help.
• If you are struggling to stop or cut down through alcohol tapering, this may be a sign to seek more help, Lee said.
• Deciding to taper off alcohol is a slower process that requires planning, but it can decrease both the chase of experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms and relapse.
• While tapering can be helpful for some, others may require medical supervision.
• When you taper your alcohol, you slowly reduce your alcohol intake over time.

If it’s too hard to control how much you drink each day, weaning might not be the right strategy. That said, there are now several medications that can help reduce your cravings and make weaning off alcohol easier. Over time, this can help you slow down and make more intentional choices about how much you’re drinking. You can read all about mindful drinking in this article by a licensed therapist at Monument. It is sometimes possible to taper your alcohol use at home if your AUD isn’t severe.

It does, however, result in any withdrawal symptoms that do occur being prolonged over the entire period of the taper. Still, it has a decreased level of success when compared to the alternative and requires discipline that can be difficult for those with an addiction. Quitting alcohol can be done safely, and it may be important for someone with a substance use problem.

By gradually tapering off alcohol, you can lower your risk for alcohol-related accidents or death. While additional studies are needed, researchers do not recommend drinking wine or other forms of alcohol to promote heart health. You should talk with a doctor about alcohol consumption, especially if you have other health conditions, such as diabetes. There are many other potential diseases that long-term alcohol use can cause, and it is important to stop using alcohol heavily if you are. A taper may help you to get off of alcohol; however, medical detox is typically recommended as the best way to stop using alcohol. Developing a proactive plan for tapering alcohol is an important step.

Soothing the Storm: Coping Tips for Alcohol Withdrawal

This is because drinking heavily over a long period can cause your body to become physically dependent on alcohol. With physical dependence, your body becomes used to the presence of alcohol in your system and begins to adapt accordingly. Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or sober living houses can help you get connected with peers who are going through the same journey as you are. Once you have completely tapered off alcohol, it is a good idea to avoid alcohol use for a period of 30 days, which will allow your body time to adjust to being alcohol-free. Some people find that they do not want to return to alcohol use, while others try to find a happy medium for moderate consumption. After you have completely tapered off alcohol, you will have to decide if you want to follow a path of total abstinence or moderate alcohol use.

So, if you normally have 6 beers a day, you could be done tapering within one week. It’s always best to consult a physician on the best strategy, especially if you drink heavily. The goal of tapering down is to make a gradual change while causing less stress on your body, both physically and emotionally. Withdrawal symptoms can vary in severity and depend on many factors, such as drinking history, metabolism, age, medical condition, what other substances or medication you take, and more. Because everyone’s body reacts differently, there’s not a lot of research that proves tapering can decrease the effects of alcohol withdrawal.

• Moreover, physical withdrawal can be challenging, and there’s also a phenomenon called the kindling effect to consider.
• When GABA opens the channel to a negative charge, ethanol keeps that channel open for longer, leading to feelings of sedation, muscle relaxation, and other depressant-like effects.
• It’s physically dangerous, and it may also cause emotional instability.
• However, help and support aren’t just something for when you finish detoxing; it is also important while initially stopping alcohol.
• Even if your situation seems like someone else’s, your body may respond differently to the tapering process.
• It doesn’t take GABA’s place; rather, it binds to a different site on the receptor and makes GABA even stronger.

Regularly drinking alcohol can increase your risk of hypertension. A high dose of alcohol typically raises your blood pressure for about 24 hours after you drink it. Drinking alcohol regularly can increase your risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). In the short term, a small amount of alcohol may not affect your blood pressure, but a large amount can raise it. When you drink heavily and frequently, your brain compensates for the suppressive effects of alcohol by becoming more hyperactive.