Keep the big picture in mind through a goal such as reducing your drinking overall in a week, month, or year,” Dr Lee said. Many people employ medication-assisted treatment for alcohol use to help curb the euphoric effects of alcohol. As you navigate this question, it can be helpful to think about how you typically prefer to approach change. Metaphorically speaking, do you like to dip your toe in first, or cannonball right in? As long as safety precautions are taken, there’s no wrong way to begin Sober House Rules: What You Should Know Before Moving In a sobriety or moderation journey. This journey is often non-linear, and your goals can change over time.
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When you quit drinking or wean off alcohol, your body will adjust to the lack of alcohol in your body. Inpatient treatment may be an expensive option in terms of time and money. Unlike inpatient treatment, tapering allows people to maintain their lifestyles while improving their drinking habits. Talk to a medical professional if you have any concerns about tapering off alcohol. They can provide recommendations to help you avoid harmful side effects. If someone you love has decided to try to reduce their drinking, what can you do to support them on the path to a healthier relationship with alcohol?
Tapering off Alcohol vs. Going Cold Turkey
- This is especially true of heavy drinkers who are surrounded by the triggers that encourage drinking and lack the support needed to encourage change.
- While you don’t need to discuss your drinking habits with everyone, bringing a few friends in on your intention is a good idea, says Treloar Padovano.
- Heavy drinking can lead to a reduction in the sensitivity of your brain to the amount of GABA produced.
- Sober living homes provide a comfortable, safe place for you to focus on your healing.
- Are you looking to cut back on excessive drinking and take control of your health?
Bespoke addiction and dual diagnosis recovery with personalized treatment programs, holistic therapies, and upscale amenities with sweeping mountain views. Your body has become used to, and dependent on, certain levels of alcohol. Alcohol depresses your nervous system2, so your body creates more receptors for neurotransmitters, or messengers, to stimulate the nervous system. She spends most of her time interviewing expert sources about the latest fitness trends, nutrition tips, and practical advice for living a healthier life. Olivia previously wrote for New York Magazine’s The Cut, PS (formerly POPSUGAR), and Salon, where she also did on-camera interviews with celebrity guests.
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Detox doesn’t treat addiction, which is a disease characterized by compulsive behaviors, such as chronic alcohol use. You can also get help by reaching out to a professional rehab facility directly, like The Recovery Village. We can leverage our resources and team to help you reduce and eventually end your alcohol use. A doctor can supervise your tapering progress, helping you manage your cravings and prevent relapse. Overall, getting professional help can improve your chances for long-term sobriety.
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Together, these factors can make people’s addictions more emotionally and physically debilitating. Progressively tapering off of alcohol rather than stopping abruptly can mitigate both the discomfort and the dangers of quitting this powerful substance. To avoid severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, you should slowly reduce alcohol consumption. Cautious tapering may take longer than medically supervised detox, but it will help you avoid major health problems.
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Most of these symptoms occur after approximately half a day without drinking alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome refers to a wide range of physical and psychological events that occur when a person stops drinking alcohol. Individuals generally experience some degree of alcohol withdrawal even after one night of drinking. In fact, a hangover is simply another term for alcohol withdrawal. As most https://yourhealthmagazine.net/article/addiction/sober-houses-rules-that-you-should-follow/ people are aware, hangovers can vary considerably in intensity. Weaning off alcohol in a safe way can help reduce the severity of some withdrawal symptoms.
Only people who are tapering down from very large quantities of alcohol such as a liter of vodka per day will need to start drinking in the morning in order to taper. If you are tapering from smaller quantities and feel no withdrawal symptoms until afternoon or evening then you can wait until then to consume your taper beers. Remember that you are not drinking for pleasure–you are drinking medicine–so only drink what is needed. You may decide to seek medical treatment for your withdrawal symptoms or make the choice to enter a professional detox or rehab center.
Working with a medical professional to taper your alcohol consumption can help the likelihood and severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Instead of quitting alcohol cold turkey, you can steadily reduce your consumption so that your body has time to gradually readjust to absence of alcohol. It’s important to note that stopping drinking can be dangerous and even life-threatening.
How to Wean Off Alcohol Safely
Individuals who suffer from alcohol use disorder may recognize the devastating consequences of continued alcohol consumption, but they are simply unable to manage their own drinking. For those struggling with alcohol dependency, quitting cold turkey can be dangerous and lead to severe withdrawal symptoms. However, tapering is not necessarily the best strategy for everyone.