Talk to a medical professional to find the best detox option for you. Keep drinking at this reduced level for four days, then try to cut down by another 10%. If attending a service isn’t possible, perhaps because you are isolating, you can use this advice on safely detoxing from alcohol at home. Normally, we would recommend getting professional support before you try to cut down your drinking. In many ways, your life before now has been designed to make drinking as easy as possible. Consciously and unconsciously, you’ve organised your world to maximise drinking opportunities.
- Alcohol causes serious changes in the brain, and prolonged symptoms such as sleep problems, mood changes and fatigue may take months to overcome, according to the U.S.
- 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.
- The phrase cold turkey refers to abruptly stopping drug or alcohol use.
However, your drinking habits might have strained your relationships. Your attempts to stop may be complicated if the people around you continue to drink in ways that cause you problems. Tapering off alcohol can be psychologically and physically challenging, and reaching out for support could be essential.
Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal
The alcohol withdrawal symptom delirium tremens (DT) is estimated to kill up to 5% of those attempting to quit suddenly after chronic usage. This is a staggering number considering that many other drugs do not even have the possibility of lethal withdrawals. For this reason, experts advise that alcohol cessation be monitored safely with steady effort between oneself and a physician. This is why it’s always best to find some form of long-term support in sobriety. Support groups, from Alcoholics Anonymous to SMART Recovery, are one free way to find a community of people on the same journey. There are also a number of anti-craving medications to help you avoid drinking again, or even help with your tapering process.
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. When you slowly taper your alcohol intake over time instead of quitting cold turkey, you reduce the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms. By weaning yourself from drinking, you allow your brain to adjust its sensitivity to GABA.
Can You Die from Alcohol Detox?
We have taken the necessary precautions to minimize the risk of exposure and transmission of the Coronavirus to those in our treatment programs, allowing them to focus on their recovery. Get cost-effective, quality addiction care that truly works. When you consider how to go about giving up alcohol, account for factors like how much you drink and your reasons for drinking. Start by estimating how much you drink on a daily basis—and be honest with yourself. It can help to make use of standard drink measurements, as mentioned above. Then come up with a reduction rate you think will be safe, and that you can stick to.
- You can look into medication assisted treatment, such as getting the anti-craving medication Naltrexone, see if your doctor will give you benzodiazepines to taper with, or go to rehab/detox.
- Another significant factor in how long a taper lasts is alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
- 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.
- If you haven’t been tracking your drinks, now is the time to start.
Replacing alcoholic beverages with non-alcohol drinks is a great method of helping during a taper. By substituting alcoholic drinks for non-alcoholic drinks, you can still engage in most of your habit without getting the alcohol that makes it addictive. This can taper you off alcohol while still helping you keep up with your normal drinking routine, making the process easier. Weaning off alcohol involves gradually decreasing the amount of alcohol you drink. This can be done by reducing the number of drinks, increasing time between drinks or choosing a weaker drink with a lower alcohol content. If you need help figuring out how to taper off alcohol, or want to find alcohol detox services near you, our treatment specialists at Vertava Health can help.
Can Alcohol Addiction be Safely Tapered Off?
Quitting any addictive substance can be extremely difficult, but quitting alcohol is often especially so. Many people fail to successfully quit how to taper off alcohol drinking at least once before managing to attain sobriety. On the second day drink one beer every hour and a half for a total of ten beers.
