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As your body adapts to alcohol, it will change its natural chemical balance to include alcohol. Quitting will cause your body’s chemical balance to be thrown off suddenly, leading to withdrawal symptoms. If you are a candidate for tapering, you can simply cut back a few drinks https://ecosoberhouse.com/ a week at will until you no longer drink at all. If you experience withdrawals, you may have an AUD and should suspend the tapering and enroll in a detox program. Spring Hill Recovery Center provides residential treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental health issues.
- Tapering involves slowly decreasing alcohol use over time, which helps to reduce withdrawal symptoms and improve safety when quitting alcohol.
- In addition, social pressures can make it hard to quit drinking, especially if your friends or family also drink heavily.
- If you are ready to stop drinking, meet first with an addiction specialist who can guide you toward the proper method of detox.
- Tapering is the practice of slowly reducing regular consumption of a substance like alcohol.
If your pulse exceeds 100, your blood pressure goes very high, or you have irregular heart beat then this means that you are tapering too fast and you need more beer. Alcohol tapering is definitely possible, but the question of whether or not it works is not quite as straightforward. In the same way that everyone person is unique and their experience with addiction is going to be unique, the most effective method of recovery is also going to vary from person to person. For example, someone who has been drinking three beers a day will generally have an easier and shorter overall time tapering off of alcohol than someone who has been drinking double that amount per day. Still, even if someone’s alcohol withdrawal experience does not include seizures of Delirium tremens, the more common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal still make for an overwhelmingly unpleasant experience. For some drinkers, cutting down on the amount of alcohol they drink simply does not work.
Cons of Tapering off Alcohol
Central nervous system depressants are a class of drugs that includes several prescription medications like benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and sedative-hypnotics. Depressants are so-called because they depress activity in the central nervous system. In other words, they slow down chemical communication in the brain and body. This is what causes many of the positive and negative effects taper off alcohol of drinking, and it causes the effects of prescription depressants. Moreover, substituting one kind of beverage for another does not help you taper off alcohol if you consume the same number of standard drinks as you usually have. For example, one 12-ounce can of beer contains the same amount of alcohol as a 5-ounce glass of wine or a mixed drink containing 1.5 ounces of alcohol.
Alexandra understands addiction from both familial and personal standpoints, as she is active in her own recovery. Alexandra is a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend and has learned the value of recovery and succeeding in whatever she sets her mind to. Her innovative approach as Director of Operations gives her clients a safe and compassionate place at The Freedom Center to begin their recovery journey.
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The length of time for alcohol tapering depends entirely on your baseline of use. Ask loved ones to look out for signs of alcohol relapse to help you stay on track with your recovery process. You will need to follow an alcohol tapering schedule so that you can find the best method for your circumstances. It’s also important to note that there are several ways to taper off alcohol successfully. The main methods include reducing the amount of drinks you consume every day, reducing the number of days that you drink, or even swapping your usual drink for one you don’t like. Knowing how to treat alcohol withdrawal can be a tricky thing to tackle.
For heavy drinkers, they will need to follow a specific medical detox which is also monitored to ensure this is done safely. The phrase cold turkey refers to abruptly stopping drug or alcohol use. Typically, when a person thinks about the word tapering they think of tapering off medications like opioids.
Have A Strong Support System
If you suddenly stop drinking, your brain will not have enough GABA and can become hyper-excitable, leading to uncomfortable and dangerous withdrawal symptoms like increased heart rate and seizure. If you drink frequently, you can become physically dependent on alcohol, meaning that your brain needs alcohol to function normally. If you stop drinking, your body needs to rapidly adjust to the absence of alcohol, leading to withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol is likely the most widely used recreational substance in the world.
