Because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, quitting drinking can cause your body to have too much of an excitatory substance called glutamate as it tries to rebalance. This can trigger alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which can be dangerous in some cases. Quitting cold turkey is the preferred method of withdrawal, but only if done under medical supervision, where symptoms can be treated as they occur.
Sustained Recovery
However, quitting cold turkey or tapering is not advisable for people with an AUD. Always remember that if the taper is not working for you or if you are having major withdrawal that it is safest to check into a medical detox because alcohol withdrawal can kill you. It is also very important when tapering off to fight dehydration and to replenish lost vitamins. If you go through a medical detox the people they may rehydrate sober house you with an IV and may also give you vitamin shots. If you are doing a self detox be sure to drink lots and lots of fluids and to take vitamin pills.
Benefits of Getting Professional Help for Tapering Off
In addition, social pressures can make it hard to quit drinking, especially if your friends or family also drink heavily. Quitting drinking can feel very isolating, making it even more difficult to do alone at home without medical support. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that leads to an increase in brain neurotransmitters that slow down your brain’s functions, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
Addiction Treatment
- For example, someone who has been drinking three beers a day will generally have an easier and shorter overall time tapering off of alcohol than someone who has been drinking double that amount per day.
- It is important to note that prescription medication should not be used for a substitution taper unless it has been prescribed as part of a medical detox program.
- As such, there is only limited guidance available about the best ways to taper.
- Essentially, tapering provides less intense withdrawal symptoms but over a longer amount of time.
If you’ve been drinking for a long time, tapering off can cause withdrawal symptoms. Getting professional help can mitigate harmful withdrawal symptoms and ensure success. It is sometimes possible to taper your alcohol use at home if your AUD isn’t severe. Although, you’ll need support if you want to successfully and safely taper at home.
What Helps with Weed Withdrawals?
- Alcohol withdrawal can range from uncomfortable to life-threatening, so anyone considering stopping alcohol should speak with a medical professional to determine which method is best for them.
- It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.
- Individuals experience alcohol withdrawal when they stop giving their bodies alcohol.
- Although you can use methods to taper off alcohol at home, the best way to taper is to talk to a doctor.
- Withdrawal symptoms are generally uncomfortable to deal with, but they can be fatal.
However, chronic alcohol use will suppress GABA activity in such a way that progressively increased amounts of alcohol are needed to produce the desired effects – which is known as tolerance. Chronic alcohol use also suppresses glutamate activity, the neurotransmitter that produces feelings of excitement. In excessive alcohol users, the glutamate system has to function at a higher level to maintain equilibrium. Withdrawal symptoms may begin within a few hours after the last drink and may last up to 48 to 72 hours.
Psychological alcohol withdrawal may continue long after the physical symptoms subside. In fact, many in recovery report having psychological cravings years after they stopped drinking. Another more serious condition that develops during alcohol withdrawal is delirium tremens or the DTs. The DTs usually emerge within two to five days after you stop drinking and are periods of confusion, disorientation, and hallucinations. Physical DT symptoms may include shaking, irregular heartbeat and blood pressure, sweating, and a change in body temperature.
If alcohol withdrawal is so dangerous, is tapering off alcohol necessary for everyone who drinks? If you’ve been drinking consistently for a long time, it’s a good idea to consider the safest way to stop when it’s time to cut back. However, weaning off alcohol isn’t always necessary for people who want to cut back or stop drinking. The most significant factor is whether or not you’ve become chemically dependent. This is why many people dependent on alcohol will choose to taper down their usage rather than stop drinking altogether.
Ways to Stop Drinking
Unfortunately, alcohol withdrawal symptoms can worsen quickly, and they can include agitation and hallucinations that make it more difficult to seek help. For this reason, it is best to seek medical advice on whether you should taper at home or under medical observation. Long-term alcohol use can lead to alcohol use disorder (AUD) and physical dependence. If your body becomes physically dependent on alcohol, you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking.
- In other words, they slow down chemical communication in the brain and body.
- For this reason, even at-home tapers should be done under a doctor’s care.
- However, you may experience withdrawal symptoms or relapse if you’re not tapering correctly and safely.
- Further, if you start to develop alcohol withdrawal symptoms during the taper, your doctor may instruct you to pause or slow the taper as a result.
Stopping alcohol use is the first step of the recovery journey, but staying sober for longer and longer periods is the goal. Getting professional treatment and long-term support are two of the most valuable strategies for avoiding relapse. Deciding to quit drinking and following through isn’t just about willpower. Many other factors go into play with these difficult and trying scenarios. Tolerance, dependence, social habits, setting, the biology of the individual and more must all be considered. Dependence is often accompanied by tolerance, which is when it takes more and more alcohol for you to achieve the same effects that you experienced when you first started.