This can cause seizures and delirium tremens, a severe form of withdrawal marked by tremors and hallucinations. If you taper off alcohol slowly or with medical supervision, the brain has time to adapt without causing severe side effects. Tapering alcohol is beneficial because you can avoid alcohol withdrawal symptoms. This is because when you drink heavily for months or years, your body can start to depend on alcohol to function normally. When you are physically dependent on a substance like alcohol, your body adapts accordingly. If you are struggling with severe alcohol use or addiction, tapering off alcohol at home may not be a safe option.
- When an individual has developed a substance use disorder or dependence on alcohol, stopping its use outright can seem virtually impossible.
- For this reason, you should never start an alcohol taper before clearing with your doctor.
- Maybe you’ve never been interested in logging your innermost thoughts, but journaling can be a great tool to track your feelings as you work on quitting alcohol.
Symptoms timeline
- You may not need to completely reinvent your life to quit drinking, but making a few changes in your surroundings to help avoid alcohol triggers can make a big difference.
- Alcohol detox isn’t easy and not everyone can do it on their own.
- People who are severely dependent or addicted to alcohol should seek medical support for alcohol detox.
- If you begin to experience DT, you always need to get immediate medical attention, as it can be life-threatening.
Relapses happen during rehabilitation, but what’s important is how you move forward from it. You may want to talk with a loved one or therapist about why it happened and what you can do differently next time. Keep it interesting and varied with sparkling water, https://thecoloradodigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ virgin cocktails (also known as mocktails), fruit juices, low-fat milk, or kombucha. Also, don’t get caught off guard thinking that since one craving has stopped, another one won’t come quickly. Often, cravings can come quickly and in succession of each other.
Can Tapering Down Alcohol Use Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms?
People with a greater dependency on alcohol may need to stretch out the process to gradually reduce their alcohol intake. Each individual’s journey to reduce alcohol intake will be unique, and these solutions should be adapted to fit personal circumstances and needs. It’s important to remember that tapering off alcohol is a significant change that requires commitment and support. Setting achievable goals and providing positive reinforcement upon reaching these milestones is beneficial when creating or adjusting a taper schedule.
Optimizing the Alcohol Taper Schedule for Safe Withdrawal
Inpatient treatment may be an expensive option in terms of time and money. Unlike inpatient treatment, tapering allows people to maintain Sober House their lifestyles while improving their drinking habits. For people who moderately consume alcohol, tapering off may be a good option.
