If it’s safe for you to quit cold turkey, you may find that cutting alcohol out entirely from the start helps you clearly uphold your boundaries. Or, you may find that quitting all at once is too drastic and decide to start by practicing harm reduction. 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. Ria Health offers access to many of these tools, including prescription medications, recovery coaching, and online support groups—all through a HIPAA-compliant smartphone app.
Sample Alcohol Tapering Schedules
- This is because Delirium tremens is caused by hyperactivity in the nervous system, which is now without the depressant effects of alcohol and is instead going into overdrive.
- Quitting cold turkey involves suddenly stopping all alcohol use, while tapering involves slowly decreasing the amount of alcohol a person drinks daily.
- You may also find it easier to stick to your taper schedule if you avoid certain places and situations.
- However, tapering can sometimes be unsafe if you attempt to do so on your own without a doctor’s knowledge.
- 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.
Depressants are so-called because they depress activity in the central nervous system. In other words, they slow down chemical communication in the brain and body. This is what causes many of the positive and negative effects of drinking, and it causes the effects of prescription https://thealabamadigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ depressants. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that affects your brain. When you quit drinking or wean off alcohol, your body will adjust to the lack of alcohol in your body. People attempting to quit may turn to drinking again to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Who is likely to have significant alcohol withdrawal symptoms?
This can sometimes cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, and these symptoms can make it hard to stick with your recovery plan. The timeline for alcohol withdrawal will be different for each individual. However, here is a sample timeline of what the average person can expect.
Unsupervised Medical Care
Establishing new habits and routines, and dealing with the underlying causes of your drinking habits, are essential to lasting recovery. Alcohol also changes your brain chemistry, which can result in higher levels of anxiety and Sober House 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.
Reduce Your Number of Drinks Per Day
It requires a lot of willpower and you will be uncomfortable, but it can be done. I know because I’ve done it and I’ve met others who have done it. It’s important to note that tapering alcohol should be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional to navigate potential challenges safely. The goal of monitoring is not only to manage withdrawal symptoms but also to support the individual’s journey to sobriety in a controlled and sustainable manner. In outpatient settings, monitoring techniques and follow-up care are essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the tapering process.
Is it Better to Taper Off Alcohol or Quit “Cold Turkey?”
Remember, tapering off alcohol is a highly individualized process, and what works for one person may not work for another. Patience, support, and professional assistance are the cornerstones of a successful alcohol tapering strategy. Consistency in the tapering schedule is essential, as is maintaining proper hydration and nutrition. A structured plan might involve reducing the number of drinks by a set amount at regular intervals to gradually decrease alcohol intake until it reaches zero or a predetermined moderate level.