“Replacing time or events spent drinking with other enjoyable activities is helpful. Exercise, family time, or cooking may provide distraction and promote your wellness,” Dr Lee said. Taking days off within the week is a common strategy to encourage drinking less overall. “Many people still want to enjoy socializing but are mindful of wanting to average one to two drinks per day. They often try to not drink at all during the week, and allow for moderate drinking Friday through Sunday,” Dr Lee said.
Ready To Stop Drinking? Dove Recovery Provides Alcohol Addiction Treatment in Columbus, OH
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. It can be tempting to just “rip off the Band-Aid” when getting sober, but tapering off alcohol is often much safer—and much less stressful. Rather than quitting drinking abruptly (or “cold turkey”), many professionals recommend gradually reducing your drinking (or tapering) over time.
Tapering Off Alcohol Vs. Quitting Cold Turkey
As long as safety precautions are taken, there’s no wrong way to begin a sobriety or moderation journey. This journey is often non-linear, and your goals can change over time. There are several ways to taper your alcohol consumption without therapy. “Shared decision-making with patients and their providers is a great way to ensure everyone is on the same page and that no medications are abruptly stopped,” Dr. Erdos said. There is also an intensive outpatient program (IOP) that includes group therapy, individual counseling, and education about the disease of addiction.
How To Taper off Alcohol Safely and Effectively
- Is alcohol beginning to take up more and more of your time, budget, and life?
- Make sure to share your successes with your loved ones and especially your sober support network.
- Programs such as inpatient or outpatient rehab, medical detox, individual or family therapy and support groups are available.
- It is best to consult with a medical professional first before reducing or stopping alcohol use.
- Another strategy for a successful taper is to drink just enough to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay.
However, the efficacy of tapering alone without medical supervision is questionable, as studies show that withdrawal symptoms can persist despite the gradual reduction of alcohol use. Making a schedule to slowly reduce your alcohol intake is a safe way to taper off the substance. This will ensure that you are not quitting cold turkey which could result in severe and debilitating withdrawal symptoms or even death. Depending on how much alcohol you’ve been consuming, it can take days or over a week to gradually reduce your dose safely and get off alcohol. If you suddenly quit drinking, your body can struggle to catch up.
Switching to beer from hard liquor is safer because it is easier to control the amount of beer that is consumed and is harder to binge drink. Consuming a lighter alcoholic drink like beer also makes it easier for someone to stay hydrated throughout the taper. There is no shame in admitting this — the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 28.9 million Americans suffered from alcohol use disorder in 2023 alone. “Any relative reduction in daily alcohol intake is healthy and headed in the right direction,” explains Lee.
Alcohol Tapering Methods
You may face social pressure, ingrained habits, and emotional reliance on alcohol. Moreover, physical withdrawal can be challenging, and there’s also a phenomenon called the kindling effect to consider. “The role of GABAA receptors in mediating the effects of alcohol in the central nervous system.” Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, July 28, 2003. Within 5 minutes, you’ll receive an email with these details – free of charge.
As such, there is only limited guidance available about the best ways to taper. Set a goal for how many drinks you want to have a week and stick to it. By making a boundary for yourself and sticking to it you will gain confidence and discipline, and that is a big step toward managing drinking.
Tapering can help minimize these symptoms, but you might still experience some of them while your body adjusts to the lack of alcohol. Each of these challenges requires a unique approach and often the support of professionals, loved ones and support groups. Understanding and preparing for these difficulties can greatly enhance the chances of successful recovery. While the safest way to taper is with professional help in a detox facility, this may not be an option for everyone.
However, help and support aren’t just something for when you finish detoxing; it is also important while initially stopping alcohol. The Recovery Village at Baptist Health can help you start your recovery with alcohol addiction treatment — safely, comfortably and with your future in mind. Reach out to one of our Recovery Advocates and begin the healing process. It’s important to note that tapering alcohol should be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional to navigate potential challenges safely. The goal of monitoring is not only to manage withdrawal symptoms but also to support the individual’s journey to sobriety in a controlled and sustainable manner.
This will be the basis of the protocol to taper off the substance to increase the chances of success. Before you begin an alcohol taper, a little preparation can go a long way, especially when it involves handling your triggers and tracking how much you drink. Remember your motivation for cutting back and set realistic goals.
Generally, alcohol-free days are better towards the end of a gradual reduction, not towards the beginning. Choosing to taper off alcohol is an admirable decision and a step in the right direction. As with many self-detox methods, the risks and rewards go hand in hand when attempting to overcome an alcohol substance use disorder. 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.
What To Do After You Finish Tapering Off
Instead, doctors and nurses encourage them to quit cold turkey with their help. On the other hand, quitting cold turkey involves stopping alcohol all at once. The individual must sober house push through the resulting withdrawal symptoms. The amount of alcohol it takes to cause withdrawal symptoms can vary from person to person. For this reason, you should always talk to your doctor before attempting to quit drinking. That said, tapering off alcohol doesn’t completely eliminate withdrawal symptoms.
Alcohol and Cialis: Risks, Side Effects & Treatment
The long and the short of it is–tapering off alcohol with medical support can help you quit drinking. But could weaning yourself off alcohol help you stay sober for good? In fact, 30 million people have alcohol use disorder1 in the United States alone. Luckily, this nationwide issue has resources available to help you heal.