However, when alcohol makes up part of your typical routine, drinking can become something of an automatic response, especially when you feel stressed or overwhelmed. It’s possible to develop a better relationship with alcohol and make more mindful, informed choices about drinking without total sobriety. What’s most important is to look at your drinking habits and find a way to cut back that works for you.
How to Wean Off Alcohol Safely
Alcohol addiction can be difficult and sometimes dangerous to handle on your own. If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, contact us to learn more and get started with alcohol addiction treatment. Usually, alcohol withdrawal symptoms occur within 12–24 hours after stopping alcohol and can last 2–10 days.
If you have a severe alcohol addiction, it might be best to seek professional addiction treatment. Slowly tapering your alcohol use can help you manage mild withdrawal symptoms and decrease the risk of AUD. However, you may experience withdrawal symptoms or relapse if you’re not tapering correctly and safely. Tapering off alcohol involves gradually reducing the amount of alcohol you drink.
How does understanding the stages of relapse help cope with potential relapses?
This approach not only ensures safety but also promotes a more successful outcome. The kindling effect is an aspect of alcohol withdrawal that makes repeated attempts at withdrawal less safe. If you go through alcohol withdrawal multiple times, a kindling effect can occur. With kindling, the brain becomes increasingly sensitized to stopping alcohol.
How Long Does it Take to Wean Off Alcohol?
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. As you prepare to wean off alcohol, consider taking the following steps ahead of time to have a clear path to success. Alcohol tapers are strategies to stop drinking by slowly decreasing the amount of alcohol a person consumes. Ria Health offers several FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder.
As the name suggests, this method involves gradually reducing the amount of alcohol you drink over time, so you consume less and less alcohol each day or week. The gradual reduction method can be difficult, as you must strictly control how much you drink daily. Your doctor can determine if tapering alcohol is safe for your unique situation and help you create a plan to quit drinking alcohol. This helps you stay accountable and ensures that you’re following your tapering schedule.
#2: Create a Plan
Knowing how to wean off alcohol safely means being prepared for these symptoms and having strategies to manage them. Techniques such as deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, and relaxation practices can help alleviate discomfort. Ria Health offers access to many of these tools, including prescription medications, recovery coaching, and online support groups—all through a HIPAA-compliant smartphone app. We support both moderation and abstinence as goals and, although we cannot provide medical detox remotely, we can help you design an effective tapering schedule to reduce your drinking.
It can also involve substituting the drink of choice with another drink; for example, a person may taper off hard alcohol with beer. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms consistent with DTs, call 911. DTs can be fatal, and a person going through them should have medical support in a hospital or rehab facility. If you do relapse, talk to your therapist or addiction treatment specialist who can help you quickly get back on track and prevent it from happening again. Before you attempt to quit alcohol, it is critically important that you first consult with a medical professional. As such, there is only limited guidance available about the best ways to taper.
- Medications such as Naltrexone, Acamprosate, and Disulfiram have been shown to be effective in reducing or stopping alcohol consumption when combined with psychosocial support.
- This is a journey, and you’re in it for the long haul — there’s no need to rush.
- To curb habitual drinking, alternating between alcohol and water is useful.
- Whether you’re sober curious, know for sure you’re ready to quit, or fall somewhere in between, Dr. Streem shares advice for how to stop drinking.
- Withdrawal symptoms can vary from person to person, and having medical supervision allows for individualized care.
A person may need to detox at home for many reasons, including cost or time. A direct taper means drinking the regular substance of choice but lowering the amount consumed daily. Someone should typically only direct taper if their drink of choice is beer with a low alcohol percentage. Give yourself personal sober house 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. Make sure to share your successes with your loved ones and especially your sober support network. You should include strategies to both reduce drinking and prevent relapse.
- “I say that we both ended up winning because it changed my perspective entirely about how alcohol is affecting my brain, my body, my mood, my life, and my career,” she says.
- Drinking less each day can help you eventually achieve alcohol abstinence or drinking moderation.
- Unravel the link between drugs and heart attacks, from prescriptions to illicit substances.
- This can happen whether you’re quitting alcohol cold turkey or tapering.
- The gradual reduction approach allows the body to adjust to lower alcohol levels, minimizing the risk of severe withdrawal symptoms.
Don’t wait— reach out today to take the first step toward taking control of your life. There are multiple health benefits you can experience when you start drinking less alcohol. The exact benefits will depend on how much alcohol you were drinking and on factors such as your genetics, overall health, and how your body responds. This can sometimes cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, and these symptoms can make it hard to stick with your recovery plan.
- Satisfying hobbies can distract you from wanting to drink, but they also help you relax — something everyone needs to do.
- This can give your body the chance to adjust, helping you avoid the worst of withdrawal symptoms.
- Outpatient treatment can be an option for individuals with mild-to-moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
- When it comes to reducing alcohol intake, implementing effective strategies can play a crucial role in the journey towards sobriety.
How Long Can You Live Drinking 12 Beers a Day?
Alcohol withdrawal occurs when neurotransmitters that combat the effects of alcohol on the nervous system suddenly have nothing to counteract them. Essentially, when an individual drinks, the brain amplifies certain activities to counterbalance the depressive effect alcohol has on it. When that numbing sensation disappears entirely, the brain is left dangerously overstimulated. Insomnia, anxiety and paranoia — the opposite effects of alcohol — are the expected results. Thus, a user will likely seek out alcohol again to rid themselves of the uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms range in severity depending on how extensive the misuse behavior was.
Honesty fosters trust and helps individuals confront their challenges directly, reducing the likelihood of relapse. Alongside this, prioritizing self-care by incorporating healthy routines creates a more resilient mindset. Developing a robust support system is essential for effective relapse prevention. Engage with family, friends, and support groups to create a network that provides encouragement and understanding. This plan also encourages ongoing self-reflection by prompting individuals to document their motivations for sobriety and ways to cope with potential triggers. Furthermore, it brings attention https://appsychology.com/living-in-a-sober-house/ to the significance of aftercare programs, which help reinforce coping skills and support long-term recovery.
Quitting abruptly can be dangerous without medical supervision due to potential withdrawal symptoms. Gradually decreasing alcohol intake through supervised tapering can make quitting safer and ease withdrawal severity. An alcoholic can only safely reduce their alcohol consumption under medical supervision.
Recovery is a lifelong process, and safely tapering off of alcohol is the first step towards achieving the life you want. It’s important to nurture a healthy relationship with your body so you can have a healthy relationship with your mind. You can start building the foundation for a happy future by going to rehab for alcohol.
The process of tapering off alcohol involves gradually reducing alcohol consumption over time. This helps to minimize withdrawal symptoms and make the process more manageable, particularly for individuals who have been consuming alcohol regularly and in higher quantities 3. When done under medical supervision, tapering off alcohol has few downsides. However, tapering can sometimes be unsafe if you attempt to do so on your own without a doctor’s knowledge.