Cutting back or completely stopping alcohol consumption is challenging, even if you are not at the point of addiction. The support of medical professionals and psychologists can help you in this process. Usually, alcohol withdrawal symptoms occur within 12–24 hours after stopping alcohol and can last 2–10 days. This is why it’s always best to find some form of long-term support in sobriety. Support groups, from Alcoholics Anonymous to SMART Recovery, are one free way to find a community of people on the same journey. There are also a number of anti-craving medications to help you avoid drinking again, or even help with your tapering process.
- Seizure medications are designed to protect you from seizures and stopping them suddenly can leave you unprotected.
- Because tapering is not the recommended way to stop using alcohol, there is no recommended tapering schedule.
- On top of this, quitting immediately — or “cold turkey” as many users and professionals call it — can be dangerous.
- With these things in mind, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of tapering your alcohol use to make a fully informed decision.
- Being exposed to either form of a trigger can result in unwanted relapse.
When to Seek Medical Attention
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. If you’ve been drinking heavily for a long time and think you might experience withdrawal symptoms, it’s best to talk with a medical professional before you begin a taper. They can help you decide if tapering is the safest option for you.
You’ll need to stick with gradual reduction every day and not revert to previous levels of consumption, otherwise it won’t work. If it’s too hard to control how much you drink each day, weaning might not be the right strategy. That said, there are now several medications that can help reduce your cravings and make weaning off alcohol easier. When you quit through tapering, you drink a little less each day until you’re able to have no alcohol at all.
Benefits of Weaning off Alcohol
For this reason, even at-home tapers should be done under a doctor’s care. People who have alcohol use disorder that goes undiagnosed may have an especially difficult time cutting back on their alcohol consumption. If you’re struggling to stick to a taper or do not trust yourself to moderate your alcohol use, having strict supervision and support can help you meet your recovery goals. Alcohol Tapering is a method of decreasing alcohol intake slowly and in a manageable manner. Rather than quitting cold turkey, which could lead to severe (maybe even fatal) withdrawal symptoms, tapering is a slower reduction of alcohol over time. Drinking less each day can help you eventually achieve alcohol abstinence or drinking moderation.
What Happens To Your Body When You Don’t Drink Alcohol For A Month
Switching up your behavior might make people question their own and result in them projecting onto you. Approach that with kindness and compassion—but don’t take it personally, she says. Depending on the organ and whether or not there has been relapse(s), recovery is possible. There is hope that even after years of heavy alcohol use, the liver has the ability to regenerate or regrow.
Things To Consider Before Trying A Nonalcoholic Drink If You’re Sober
This slow reduction allows your body time to adjust to the lower dose, prevent relapse or health complications and minimize withdrawal symptoms. It can also help your provider catch any problems early and ensure you are managing your health well. The HAMS tapering guide suggests dropping your consumption to 16 drinks the first day if you were drinking more than that, and then reducing your consumption by two drinks per day.
But, perhaps most importantly, understand that setbacks happen and that progress takes time or may look different than imagined. It is all part of the process, and no one’s process is the same. Alcohol withdrawal can cause many symptoms, some of which can be fatal. Establishing Sober House Rules: A Comprehensive Overview 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. 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.
Increase Time Between Drinks
Further, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression are extremely common in those who struggle with drinking, and these disorders can make it even harder to stay sober. This method is safer than abruptly stopping alcohol consumption, especially when switching from hard liquor to beer. Drinking beer can also help maintain hydration throughout the taper.
Just because you had 8 drinks instead of 6 one day doesn’t mean you’ve failed, especially if you still drank the same or less than the previous day. Maybe you just need to set more realistic goals for yourself and slow your taper. I’ve also heard of people successfully stopping by reducing their moderate drinking (8-10 a day) to 5-6 a day for a couple days, and then quitting entirely. Although I didn’t experience any seizures, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it.
Benefits of the HAMS Taper
- Because symptoms such as seizures and delirium tremens can be fatal, reducing alcohol consumption can be dangerous for some.
- They will be able to help you uncover the underlying causes of your drinking issues and properly diagnose any co-occurring mental health conditions that you may be suffering from.
- It’s always best to consult a physician on the best strategy, especially if you drink heavily.
- If you want to cut back your alcohol consumption or stop drinking alcohol altogether, tapering may help.
Because symptoms such as seizures and delirium tremens can be fatal, reducing alcohol consumption can be dangerous for some. It is therefore extremely important that you talk to your doctor before you start the process of weaning off alcohol. Although tapering down has many advantages, it is critical that you consult with a medical or addiction treatment professional first.
For example, one 12-ounce can of beer contains roughly the same amount of alcohol as a 5-ounce glass of wine or a mixed drink containing 1.5 ounces of alcohol. 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 to drink. Being exposed to either form of a trigger can result in unwanted relapse.