If you plan to taper, you must create a schedule that is right for you. Substitution involves replacing alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic ones. This can help address the habitual aspect of drinking, like having a beverage in hand at social events without the alcohol content. Over time, you can decrease the alcoholic drinks while increasing the non-alcoholic ones while still following the same behaviors you were used to. Jeff’s work has been used in rehabs across the country as tools to help patients achieve sobriety. Give yourself personal rewards such as taking yourself to a special, non-alcoholic meal, buying yourself a meaningful item, hosting a sober celebration, or planning a day out.
Rehab Resources
- Programs such as inpatient or outpatient rehab, medical detox, individual or family therapy and support groups are available.
- Excessive drinking can weaken the immune system, increasing the body’s likelihood of developing an infection.
- That said, If you’ve been drinking excessively, then stopping drinking cold turkey can lead to withdrawal symptoms.
- Minor symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be overcome with rest and at-home remedies, and it is possible for some people to taper off alcohol without supervision.
Alcohol also changes your brain chemistry, which can result in higher levels of anxiety and depression for the first several months. Finally, just because you’ve gotten past the withdrawal phase doesn’t mean you won’t continue to face psychological aspects of addiction—including alcohol cravings and drinking triggers. Risky withdrawal symptoms are not limited to the above.3 Learn more about alcohol withdrawal here and, once again, speak to a doctor first. Quitting binge drinking may require different strategies than either tapering or cold turkey. People attempting to quit may turn to drinking again to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
- Vitamin supplements can play a beneficial role in supporting the recovery process and reducing withdrawal symptoms.
- You should talk to a doctor about the safest way to detox if you experience any withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking.
- Get professional treatment and long-term support to prevent relapse.
- It might help to set goals and reward yourself when you reach them.
- Alcohol detox medications can make the process safer and more comfortable.
Life-Threatening Withdrawal Signs
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 how to taper off alcohol honest. It’s a good idea to talk with a medical professional before you begin a taper. They can help you decide if it’s the safest way to start your recovery, and they can help you make a taper plan. These can indicate a life threatening condition called delirium tremens.
Inpatient vs. Outpatient Programs
The second situation involves counting the daily drinks and switching them to a beverage with lower alcohol content, such as beer. Switching to beer from hard liquor is safer because it is easier to control the amount of beer that is consumed and is harder to binge drink. Consuming a lighter alcoholic drink like beer also makes it easier for someone to stay hydrated throughout the taper.
Consult a Medical Professional
But if heavy drinkers cut back on their average number of drinks too quickly, they may be at risk of life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. You may decide to seek medical treatment for your withdrawal symptoms or make the choice to enter a professional detox or rehab center. Even if you don’t succeed the first time, there are still plenty of treatment options you can turn to. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ With these things in mind, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of tapering your alcohol use to make a fully informed decision. If your health, wellness, and even life may be at risk, quitting alcohol should only be attempted with the help of a medical professional. This is why it is important to stop regular, heavy drinking only under the supervision of medical staff.
- Maybe you’ve never been interested in logging your innermost thoughts, but journaling can be a great tool to track your feelings as you work on quitting alcohol.
- Long-term counseling plays a crucial role in the recovery process for individuals seeking to overcome alcohol addiction.
- It is important that your recovery plan has a list of people who can support you as you wean off alcohol.
- This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times.
- A person is free to increase the taper speed (e.g., lower by three drinks instead of two) as they see fit.
- Alcohol can have a significant impact on nutrient levels in the body.
- The Recovery Village Atlanta offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions.
- Unlike inpatient treatment, tapering allows people to maintain their lifestyles while improving their drinking habits.
- These programs involve regular visits to a treatment center, where individuals participate in counseling sessions, support groups, and educational programs.
- The first is the physical detox process your body goes through if you abruptly stop drinking when you are physically dependent on alcohol.