Little data is available about the safety and effectiveness of alcohol tapers. In contrast, robust evidence supports quitting alcohol while under medical supervision. If you struggle with drinking, the safest way to quit is under a doctor’s care. If you drink heavily, your doctor may recommend quitting with the help of a medical detox center. In medical detox, you receive around-the-clock care from doctors and nurses to help prevent and treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms and their complications. This can set you up for a safe and effective detox and put you in a good position to continue your recovery in rehab.

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Eating well and ensuring you are staying hydrated can stop dehydration and some of the nutrient deficiencies that come from prolonged alcohol use and withdrawal. Dr Lee explains that choosing a non-alcoholic beer or a caffeinated beverage can help provide a small buzz.

As you begin your alcohol tapering process, talk to someone you trust about your plan. Consider sharing your process with a friend or family member so they can offer helpful support. Ultimately, you shouldn’t taper off of alcohol unless you’ve checked with your doctor first. Because of the risk of a lower success rate and prolonged alcohol exposure, most healthcare professionals will recommend a professional detox over tapering. Quitting cold turkey means suddenly stopping all alcohol consumption.

Find an accountability partner or someone you can call to keep you on track when you want to drink. Build a network of people you can go to when you need help, join a support group or see a therapist. 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.

Consider a Medical Detox

The Recovery Village Indianapolis offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions. Direct tapering involves gradually reducing the amount of alcohol consumed each day. Sometimes, they may wait more than a day or cut out more than one drink daily.

• Studies show that those who receive some type of formal treatment after detox are more likely to maintain sobriety8.
• Counting each drink you consume may seem simple, but all drinks are not created equal.
• Metaphorically speaking, do you like to dip your toe in first, or cannonball right in?
• This phenomenon is often described as “alcohol dependence.” The most common more mild withdrawal symptoms include headaches, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.
• The FDA, however, has approved six artificial sweeteners and considers them “generally recognized as safe” or GRAS.

Medications Used When Tapering Off Alcohol

Many insurance companies will help pay for some or all of your treatment costs. Establishing boundaries means a lot of things, such as refusing invites from well-meaning drinking buddies. Establishing boundaries also means being honest with yourself about your drinking. PLUS, the latest news on medical advances and breakthroughs from Harvard Medical School experts.

When To Seek Medical Attention

While this process isn’t enjoyable, there are so many benefits in the new sober life that you’re creating for yourself. You’ll look and feel healthier, have more energy, and save money. Plus, we’re always introducing new features to optimize your https://www.inkl.com/news/sober-house-rules-a-comprehensive-overview in-app experience. We recently launched our in-app chatbot, Melody, powered by the world’s most powerful AI technology. Melody is here to help as you adjust to a life with less (or no) alcohol.

External triggers are people, places, things, or times that offer opportunities to drink and remind a person of alcohol. Internal triggers are thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations that cause a person to drink. Being exposed to either form of a trigger can result in unwanted relapse. We believe everyone deserves access to accurate, unbiased information about mental health and addiction.

Why Does Alcohol Withdrawal Occur?

Quitting cold turkey allows the shortest detox period and a rapid transition into the next recovery stages. In these cases, talk to your doctor before cutting back on your drinking. When you quit drinking cold turkey, your body suffers from a cascade of changes caused by the sudden shift. Since alcohol depresses central nervous system activity, quitting drinking can cause an imbalance of an excitatory neurotransmitter called glutamate. This excess glutamate triggers alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which can sometimes be dangerous. When you taper your alcohol, you slowly reduce your alcohol intake over time.

Not sure how to Pay for Treatment?

The best schedule varies based on how much you drink each day and your overall health. As mentioned above, we strongly recommend speaking with a doctor to ensure your plan is a safe one, and won’t cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms. The main downside of cold turkey is how unpleasant and risky it can be. If you drink heavily, alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be harsh, dangerous, and even fatal.

But, with a little prior knowledge on how to taper off alcohol, adequate planning and professional consultation from a healthcare provider, it can certainly be done. Depending on how much alcohol you drink to start with, the amount of time an alcohol weaning schedule takes may vary. For example, those who drink more heavily may need more time to taper than those who drink less alcohol. Further, if you start to develop alcohol withdrawal symptoms during the taper, your doctor may instruct you to pause or slow the taper as a result. These factors can make one person’s taper last longer than another person’s taper.

Saved Costs and Time

Counting each drink you consume may seem simple, but all drinks are not created equal. The alcohol content itself is important, and it depends on the percentage of alcohol, the proof of the alcohol and the actual amount of alcohol in the drink. Weaning off alcohol involves gradually decreasing the amount of alcohol you drink. This can be done by reducing the number of sober house drinks, increasing time between drinks or choosing a weaker drink with a lower alcohol content. Our state-specific resource guides offer a comprehensive overview of drug and alcohol addiction treatment options available in your area.

Below are some ideas to help people reduce their drinking by alcohol tapering. Alcohol Tapering can help people start their recovery journey, including those with goals of stopping completely or curbing drinking. Tapering can also be effective for people who are unable to attend an in-person program or detox to help them stop drinking. After prolonged alcohol use, your body can come to rely on alcohol for normal functioning, and suddenly going without it can cause potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms.

Tapering is a gradual process that helps prevent alcohol withdrawal symptoms and health risks. Tapering gradually lowers the amount of alcohol that you use over time. This lessens the severity of withdrawal symptoms, as there is not an abrupt or dramatic change. Tapering will normally create less severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms but will spread them out over a prolonged period. Essentially, tapering provides less intense withdrawal symptoms but over a longer amount of time.