How to Taper Off Alcohol The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health

Nanci Stockwell of Advanced Recovery Systems discusses the risks of detoxing at home and the benefits of detoxing from alcohol and other drugs in a safe environment. At Legacy, we’re dedicated to fully healing your mind, body, and spirit from the ravages of alcoholism. We utilize a three-pronged, holistic approach that combines the right psychotropic medications, cutting-edge clinical therapy, and an environment of supportive peers. Give yourself personal rewards such as taking yourself to a special, non-alcoholic meal, buying yourself a meaningful item, hosting a sober celebration, or planning a day out.

Many other factors go into play with these difficult and trying scenarios. Tolerance, dependence, social habits, setting, the biology of the individual and more must all be considered. Our programs are designed to treat alcohol use disorder effectively and with dignity. If you or your loved one is suffering, contact us to learn more about a brighter, sober tomorrow.

best way to taper off alcohol

How To Make an Alcohol Tapering Schedule

  • If you regularly drink a handle of liquor (around 40 standard drinks) or more per day, please seek professional help.
  • Generally, light to moderate drinkers should plan to taper for a week or more.
  • Tapering down also increases the likelihood that the individual will achieve sobriety.
  • BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor.
  • Tapering can be an excellent way to prevent harmful withdrawal effects after ceasing alcohol intake.

Alcohol withdrawal occurs when alcohol use is suddenly stopped, removing its suppressing effect. Your brain will still be hyperactive and take about a week to 10 days to readjust. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are related https://appsychology.com/living-in-a-sober-house/ to the hyperactivity of your brain and will continue until your brain fully adjusts to the absence of alcohol.

How To Cut Back on Drinking Alcohol: 7 Steps Toward Mindful Drinking

“Having people who are going to do it with you or who are going to check in on you to see if you need support around that new choice I think is very, very critical,” says Carr. Taking a couple of shots, for example, might be the same amount of alcohol as a few beers, but because of how quickly you’re consuming it, it can do a lot more damage to your liver. Same goes for a straight-up cocktail versus a beverage like a spritz or a mixed drink, which has a lower alcohol by volume, or ABV.

  • “The role of GABAA receptors in mediating the effects of alcohol in the central nervous system.” Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, July 28, 2003.
  • As long as you are trending downward overall, you’re doing well.
  • During recovery, the liver may return to its original mass and function.
  • If your health, wellness, and even life may be at risk, quitting alcohol should only be attempted with the help of a medical professional.
  • In between drinks, you can have soda, water, or even a non-alcoholic beer or mocktail.

Advice for Your Journey

  • Make sure to share your successes with your loved ones and especially your sober support network.
  • Consider sharing your process with a friend or family member so they can offer helpful support.
  • Keep the big picture in mind through a goal such as reducing your drinking overall in a week, month, or year,” Dr Lee said.
  • Being surrounded by triggers can make it extremely difficult to stay on track and avoid overdoing it on alcohol.
  • Abrupt cessation, especially for regular drinkers, might lead to severe withdrawal symptoms that could be harmful.
  • Drinking beer can also help maintain hydration throughout the taper.

This is especially true if you are suffering from an alcohol use disorder. Addiction alters the chemical balance in a person’s brain, making it extremely difficult to quit drinking alcohol on one’s own. Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or sober living houses can help you get connected with peers who are going through the same journey as you are.

Unsupervised Medical Care

These are called “triggers” and they subconsciously encourage you to drink alcohol. Xenia Ellenbogen (she/they) is a journalist specializing in health, mental health, and wellness. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Everyday Health, Well+Good, Rewire News Group, Prism, and more. Excessive drinking can weaken the immune system, increasing the body’s likelihood of developing an infection. Diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis are more frequent in individuals who chronically drink.

best way to taper off alcohol

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best way to taper off alcohol

Delay your drinking by 30 minutes.

Seizures can occur within the first 24 hours, but seizures occur only in about 25 percent of patients, according to the NIAAA. Weaning off alcohol is a hard process, but it is something that you should be immensely proud of. That’s why it’s important to remember that relapse is not failure. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine.

Tips to Talk to Your College Kid About Substance Use and Spring Break

Figure out a plan for what you want to do or what you want to say ahead of time. There are two types of triggers that can set off a person’s urge to drink. 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 sober house to drink. Being exposed to either form of a trigger can result in unwanted relapse.

When you drink heavily, alcohol is present in your bloodstream constantly. Alcohol suppresses your brain’s normal function, and your body adjusts to this constant presence of alcohol by making your brain more hyperactive. This increased hyperactivity, combined with the suppressing effect of alcohol, helps your brain function more normally.