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.
- The typical warning signs that someone is going to experience Delirium tremens include tremors, an extremely elevated heart rate, and a drastic increase in body temperature.
- But quitting on your own can pose risks to your health and is unlikely to be successful.
- Tapering gradually lowers the amount of alcohol that you use over time.
- Alcohol withdrawal can cause something called kindling to occur in your brain.
- Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health.
- If you want to change your relationship with alcohol, it’s important to have an honest conversation with a doctor about your drinking habits before you start tapering off.
Start Your Journey To a Sober Tomorrow
Your doctor may be able to prescribe medication that can help, or you can usually refer yourself to a specialist alcohol team for support. Your GP may be able to arrange or signpost you to counselling how to taper off alcohol and psychological support, and you could access local support groups to help you stay on track. To successfully taper your alcohol use, finding what works best for you is important.
Health Categories to Explore
There are multiple health benefits you can experience when you start drinking less alcohol. The exact benefits will depend on how much alcohol you were drinking and on factors such as your genetics, overall health, and how your body responds. But drinking less is always a good choice for your body and health. In the early stages, it’s a good idea to avoid situations where you may be tempted to drink.
What does drinking alcohol do to your body?
As mentioned above, we strongly recommend speaking with a doctor to ensure your plan is a safe one, and won’t cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms. If you’ve been drinking heavily for a long time and think you might experience withdrawal symptoms, it’s best to talk with a medical professional before you begin a taper. They can help you decide if tapering is the safest option for you. When someone stops drinking, they must decide whether to quit “cold turkey” or taper their alcohol use.
- It can also help you gain a new perspective as you consider how your life will change without alcohol.
- When you quit drinking or wean off alcohol, your body will adjust to the lack of alcohol in your body.
- It’s often easier to turn down a drink when you don’t have to do it alone.
- Whether you feel like you drink too much alcohol, or you have an alcohol abuse issue, quitting drinking cold turkey can be dangerous.
Tapering involves gradually and progressively reducing your alcohol consumption over time. This method can lessen withdrawal symptoms, allowing your body to adjust to decreased alcohol levels slowly. It does, however, result in any withdrawal symptoms that do occur being prolonged over the entire period of the taper.
Recognize Dangerous Withdrawal Symptoms
- Additionally, mixed drinks may contain sugar or other additives that could exacerbate withdrawal symptoms and should be avoided during the taper.
- A medical professional can help you determine if a fast or slow taper, or quitting altogether, is appropriate based on a thorough medical assessment and evaluation of your withdrawal risk.
- The timeline for alcohol withdrawal will be different for each individual.
- Stopping alcohol use is the first step of the recovery journey, but staying sober for longer and longer periods is the goal.
- This is because when you drink heavily for months or years, your body can start to depend on alcohol to function normally.
It allows you to manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms in the comfort of your own home with little cost. If your body is used to a certain amount of alcohol, you may feel certain effects when you stop. How you feel when you stop drinking is largely based on how often and how heavily you drink. People who only drink occasionally probably won’t notice any physical or psychological symptoms. People who have a severe reaction to quitting alcohol should seek emergency treatment.
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. Weaning off alcohol gives your body chemistry a chance to adjust, reducing the shock to your system. It also lets you start working new habits and routines into your day to replace drinking, starting the transition. Rather than beginning your sober life drained and dazed from a week of feeling ill, you can already be getting on your feet.
How to Wean Off Alcohol: Tapering Safely and on Schedule
It can help you reach goals and can minimize some of the unpleasant and severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. These symptoms can happen even if you used to drink at relatively low levels, if you were drinking regularly. For most people they pass quite quickly, and are just a temporary blip before they start to feel the benefits of cutting out alcohol. But if you experience these symptoms for more than about five days after stopping or find them particularly troublesome, your GP will be able to offer some advice.
She incorporates cultural relevance and non-traditional interventions and strategies to strengthen her clients’ steps towards goals of behavioral, emotional, social and mental wellness. The length of the tapering process can vary based on the needs of the person. People with a greater dependency on alcohol may need to stretch out the process to gradually reduce their alcohol intake. If you are tapering yourself off alcohol for the first time, it can be helpful to know what symptoms to expect during the process.