Quitting alcohol cold turkey is not recommended and can be dangerous. 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). When you drink heavily over a long period, your brain and body adapt to expect this. If you repeatedly cannot cut back on your drinking or otherwise cannot get lower than a certain point in the taper, this might not be the right method for you. 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. If you think you’re tapering too quickly, it’s okay to slow down.
We want to give recovering addicts the tools to return to the outside world completely substance-free and successful. Medically assisted detoxification (detox) is an inpatient program that keeps you stabilized during alcohol withdrawals. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Staffed by medical professionals, these programs offer 24-hour monitoring so you always have support if any complications arise. If you’ve been drinking for a long time, tapering off can cause withdrawal symptoms.
Alcohol-Free Days
When you taper your alcohol, you slowly reduce your alcohol intake over time. By gradually drinking less instead of stopping cold turkey, your body has a chance to adapt to smaller and less frequent drinks. In turn, your risk of undergoing alcohol withdrawal may be lower.
Unlike a home environment, medical detox services have the professional support and resources necessary to treat severe withdrawal symptoms. This medical supervision allows for some patients to quit drinking cold-turkey without compromising safety. Because alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening in some cases, safety is crucial when you work towards sobriety. Little scientific evidence exists regarding tapers, but medical detox has been proven to be a safe and effective way to quit drinking.
Unsupervised Medical Care
Further, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression are extremely common in those who struggle with drinking, and these disorders can make it even harder to stay sober. This taper off alcohol method is safer than abruptly stopping alcohol consumption, especially when switching from hard liquor to beer. Drinking beer can also help maintain hydration throughout the taper.
- Quitting any addictive substance can be extremely difficult, but quitting alcohol is often especially so.
- To learn about how our substance abuse treatment programs address alcohol dependence and withdrawal management, please contact us today.
- Another strategy for a successful taper is to drink just enough to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay.
It also can reduce the risk of relapse by not trying to attempt too much too soon, failing, and then going back to regularly using alcohol to cope with the feelings of failure. The typical warning signs that someone is going to experience Delirium tremens include tremors, an extremely elevated heart rate, and a drastic increase in body temperature. 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. Some individuals find church and reconnecting with God to be helpful. You could post about your experiences anonymously online in r/dryalcoholics, they’re a fairly open and supportive group of people.