There are a range of symptoms you can experience when you stop drinking. Tapering can help minimize these symptoms, but you might still experience some of them while your body adjusts to the lack of alcohol. There is something mysterious and beautiful about embracing the idea that our expectations influence us in such profound ways and that we don’t need mind-altering substances to alter our minds. Light and moderate drinking increases risk of esophageal and breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Meanwhile, moderate to heavy drinking can increase risk of colorectal, head and neck cancers, and heavy drinking increases risk of liver cancer.

• Gradually decreasing alcohol intake through supervised tapering can make quitting safer and ease withdrawal severity.
• Every person has unique needs, and tapering off may not be an adequate solution to reduce or stop drinking.

A final strategy to assist with an alcohol taper is to get a good network of peer support. A direct taper means drinking the regular substance of choice but lowering the amount that’s consumed every day. Someone should only direct taper if their drink of choice is beer with a low alcohol percentage. If you need help figuring out how to taper off alcohol, or want to find alcohol detox services near you, our treatment specialists at Vertava Health can help. In addition to the title of Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Kevin is also licensed by the state of Maryland as a Clinical Drug and Alcohol Counselor.

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Make sure they’re aware of the severe withdrawal symptoms that can occur and tell them what to do if you experience them (get a drink and possibly call 911). If you have a seizure, the best thing they can do is stay with you, move any hazardous objects out of the way, prevent you from falling on anything hard, and call 911. They shouldn’t hold you down and there’s no real need to worry about choking on your tongue.

Alexandra works with Admissions and Clinical Departments for scheduling client admissions, transfers, discharges and outside appointments while maintaining positive relationships with all clients. Her primary focus is to provide all clients with a safe, structured environment while coordinating their care. 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. Melissa is a visionary and empathetic leader in the field of peer support and recovery.

Alcohol Taper vs. Quitting Cold Turkey

James is a CCAR Recovery Coach and believes in developing meaningful relationships, and providing highly individualized therapy and client care. In 2017, James had the opportunity to combine his business experience and passion for recovery to start The Freedom Center. Each method has pros and cons, but regardless of which one you choose, you must have the knowledge and resources to make a quit attempt successful. If you’re trying to quit cold turkey and need help, please find professional help from an addiction rehab center.

• Excessive drinking can weaken the immune system, increasing the body’s likelihood of developing an infection.
• Track your progress, note how you feel, and adjust if necessary.
• Then, I dove into the research on the placebo effect and alcohol.
• As long as safety precautions are taken, there’s no wrong way to begin a sobriety or moderation journey.

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. If you find it difficult to cut down on your number of drinks per day, try making your drinks weaker by using less alcohol per drink. You may also find it easier to stick to your taper schedule if you avoid certain places and situations. Alcohol can also activate opioid receptors, the same receptors that bind with your body’s natural endorphins and narcotic drugs such as oxycodone and heroin.

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Tapering off alcohol, rather than stopping all at once, is the most effective way to avoid serious withdrawal symptoms and other problems such as dehydration. Steeped in the 12-step philosophy and community, Shannon enthusiastically educates clients, especially newcomers in recovery, on the simple model and its transformative ways to a new life in sobriety. Client wellness, especially when dealing with the delicacy of addictions, remains a priority that drives his full engagement and committed nature.

The idea is to religiously take this like medicine for the next week or two. From what I understand, most hospitals WILL give you 3-5 days worth of benzos to taper with at home. Most doctors would rather save the beds in their psych wards for people who are actually suicidal and send you home. Reducing the amount of the chosen substance consumed daily is known as a direct taper, but it may not be effective for everyone. It is only advisable to direct taper if the preferred drink is beer with a low alcohol percentage. Therapy can help you understand why you drink and learn new habits so you can live a healthy lifestyle that doesn’t rely on alcohol as a crutch.

DO NOT ATTEMPT SELF TAPER IF:

Whichever method you choose, what is most important is to commit to your alcohol tapering schedule, so you can be sure that you have avoided the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal as much as possible. If that is, in fact, the case, and they are going to experience the symptoms of withdrawal anyway, then it might be more helpful for them to undergo a more streamlined how to taper off alcohol and straightforward detox process. This should, of course, still be done under the care and supervision of a medical professional at a treatment center specializing in medical detoxification. Some alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be so severe that they can lead to death. Contact a medical professional immediately if you notice any withdrawal symptoms.

As previously stated, some people can become frustrated with how long an alcohol tapering schedule can take and will try to place unreasonable limits on their consumption, setting themselves up to fail. For many other drugs, tapering is actually a standard treatment during medical detox. For people who depend on opioids, benzodiazepines, or antidepressants, it is typical to slowly reduce someone’s dosage as opposed to immediately cutting them off completely.

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Tapering off alcohol only deals with the immediate effect of physical dependence by managing the risk of withdrawal symptoms. Safely stopping drinking is an important task, but it is only the first step of a much longer journey of change to deal with psychological dependence. Unless you tackle the reasons your drinking got out of hand, it’ll be harder to stay stopped in the long term. 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.

Mary builds strong client relationships, ensuring satisfaction with each interaction. Her attention to detail and communication skills are valuable assets. Mary goes above and beyond to exceed expectations and is dedicated to outstanding service. I once went from averaging 25 a day to 10 the first day and five the second day. The first night I barely slept because of auditory hallucinations and the second night I had tunnel vision and felt like a stroke victim.