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. A medical detox reduces the potential dangers of alcohol withdrawal by ensuring medical monitoring and assistance are present. It also increases the chances of success by completing the detox quickly instead of dragging it out for weeks like a taper can. If you drink frequently, you can become physically dependent on alcohol, meaning your brain needs alcohol to function normally.
Once you’ve changed to a less alcoholic option, you can gradually reduce your drink amount. You can taper off alcohol if you worry that you are developing alcohol addiction. A substitution taper involves replacing alcoholic beverages with less potent alternatives.
Effects of Tapering Off Alcohol
Based on your medical history, your doctor can advise you about the safety of the taper. It can be tempting to throw yourself into an alternative behavior or substance use in order to distract from the difficulties of recovery. If you notice an urge to use other substances, observe your feelings and consider talking to a counselor to help navigate the emotional impact of tapering your alcohol use. When you drink heavily, alcohol is present in your bloodstream constantly. Alcohol suppresses your brain’s normal function, and your body adjusts to this constant presence of alcohol by making your brain more hyperactive. This increased hyperactivity, combined with the suppressing effect of alcohol, helps your brain function more normally.
What Does it Mean to Taper Off Alcohol?
Prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption can impact your brain, causing changes to the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. Heavy drinking can lead to a reduction in the sensitivity of your brain to the amount of GABA produced. If you abruptly stop consuming alcohol, your brain may not have enough sensitivity to GABA, which can result in hyper-excitability and withdrawal symptoms.
Identifying a Standard Drink
One of the more difficult parts is maintaining sobriety after you achieve it. Alcohol withdrawal occurs when you stop using alcohol after a prolonged period of heavy use. Alcohol withdrawal is the most dangerous form of substance withdrawal, creating unpleasant symptoms that can be potentially deadly for those with more severe symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal will last about a week to a week and a half for most people, with symptoms peaking two to three days into withdrawal. Before you begin an alcohol taper, a little preparation can go a long way, especially when it involves handling your triggers and tracking how much you drink.
You can read all about mindful drinking in this article by a licensed therapist at Monument. This method can help individuals gradually lower their alcohol intake, minimizing the risk of withdrawal symptoms while promoting long-term recovery. For some people who consume alcohol, tapering just doesn’t work. Maybe they don’t have peer support or maybe their alcohol addiction is too severe. Being surrounded by triggers can make it extremely difficult to stay on track and avoid overdoing it on alcohol.
- Reducing the amount of the chosen substance consumed daily is known as a direct taper, but it may not be effective for everyone.
- However, they may still decide that tapering down feels most achievable for them.
- Substitution involves replacing alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic ones.
- A sample taper schedule involves calculating the number of drinks consumed per day.
- If you’re lucky enough to have a supportive friend, a roommate, or a family member that lives with you who can assist, that is ideal.
- They can provide recommendations to help you avoid harmful side effects.
The 3 C’s of Addiction Recovery: 3 Goals for Family Members
If you don’t really like hard seltzer, like me, drink hard seltzer. It has a lot of water and you can find them in the 4.5-5% range. I wouldn’t recommend getting anything above 7% for your taper. If you don’t like beers, drink beers (find ones with lower alcohol, some have high concentrations).
If you properly taper your alcohol use, you’re less likely to experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Gradually reducing the amount of alcohol you drink can help give your body the time it needs to adjust to the lack of alcohol. If you drink alcohol and are thinking about quitting, it is important to make sure you do so safely. One potential way to quit drinking is through tapering, which involves slowly reducing your alcohol intake over time. Choosing to taper off alcohol is an admirable decision and a step in the right direction. As with many self-detox methods, the risks and rewards go hand in hand when attempting to overcome an alcohol substance use disorder.
On the other hand, quitting cold turkey involves stopping alcohol all at once. The individual must push through the resulting withdrawal symptoms. If you encounter severe symptoms during your sober house tapering off alcohol schedule, contact your healthcare provider immediately. Whether you feel like you drink too much alcohol, or you have an alcohol abuse issue, quitting drinking cold turkey can be dangerous. Knowing how to safely taper off alcohol can make all the difference in how successful you are in quitting drinking. Slowly tapering your alcohol use can help you manage mild withdrawal symptoms and decrease the risk of AUD.
A substitution taper can also involve switching alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic beverages. Diluting alcohol with other beverages is another option people may use. This is because it allows for a more controlled reduction in alcohol. Proper nutrition and hydration are essential components of medical detox. Nutritional support is provided to address any deficiencies and promote overall health. There are two types of triggers that can set off a person’s urge to drink.
Tapering and Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
This process is called dependence because your brain depends on alcohol being present to function normally. The effects of alcohol can vary depending on weight, gender, age and other factors. Get professional treatment and long-term support to prevent relapse.
Weaning off alcohol can benefit people who drink moderately or have support systems. If you have a severe alcohol addiction, it might be best to seek professional addiction treatment. People who try tapering off alcohol won’t have the guided support of medical professionals that they would at inpatient treatment.
As the brain readjusts, physical and mental health will improve. An alcohol taper should only be undertaken under the supervision of a medical professional. Having said that, gaining an awareness of the principles of an alcohol taper can help you when determining how to detox from alcohol by tapering off. Aside from unavoidable triggers, tapering off alcohol can also have side effects which can be difficult to manage at home.
Remember, doctors are (usually) intelligent people who spent over a decade studying medicine to help people. Everything you say is confidential and you’re paying them to HELP you. The chances of seizures and DTs are low if you’re tapering, but they happen even in controlled rehab environments. In this study on tapering with a benzo, about 1% of patients had a seizure after completing their taper. This does not, by any means, mean that you have a 1% chance of a seizure if you taper with alcohol according to the schedule above. The actual percentage could be significantly higher for tapering with alcohol.
The rest of this guide addresses pre-planning, withdrawal symptoms, planning, creating a taper schedule, and the next steps after a taper. I’d encourage you to read them all, but at the very least, please read the sections on withdrawal symptoms and the schedule itself. If you’ve decided to taper off alcohol, you’ll need to be prepared with some strategies to make the process easier. You’ll likely face the urge to drink more than you’ve planned each day, but there are some good tricks to help you delay that next serving and keep yourself honest. 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.