How Does Tapering Off Alcohol Work?

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 roughly the same amount of alcohol as a 5-ounce glass of wine or a mixed drink containing 1.5 ounces can you taper off alcohol of alcohol. For some drinkers, cutting down on the amount of alcohol they drink simply does not work.

• For example, if you start to suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms despite an attempt to taper, your symptoms may worsen before you have the chance to seek medical attention.
• If you notice intense physical reactions, such as hallucinations, seizures, or delirium tremens (DTs), seek immediate medical attention.
• The most common research technique among those surveyed is an internet search (61%), followed by asking a doctor or medical professional (55%).
• If you’re relying on internet searches to find potential treatment centers, make sure to ask these ten questions to find a licensed facility that can meet your needs.
• But quitting on your own can pose risks to your health and is unlikely to be successful.

Tapering Off Alcohol Vs. Quitting Cold Turkey

If you’re not sure if cold turkey or tapering is right for you, you can join the Monument Community to hear from others who have confronted similar questions. To avoid severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, you should slowly reduce alcohol consumption. Cautious tapering may take longer than medically supervised detox, but it will help you avoid major health problems.

You should get medical guidance before tapering your drinking if you may have withdrawal

Still, they may need to consider cutting back for other physical, mental, and social health reasons. Alcohol works by increasing the potency of a neutral chemical in the brain called GABA, or gamma-Aminobutyric acid. GABA is a neurotransmitter responsible for your brain’s rest and digest response, which helps to facilitate sleep, relaxation, and anxiety release. However, your body is adaptable, and after a period of regular, heavy drinking, your nervous system will adapt to the presence of alcohol.

Withdrawal and Safety When Tapering Off Alcohol

There are also a number of anti-craving medications to help you avoid drinking again, or even help with your tapering process. Finally, finding a therapist or a recovery coach can help you develop new coping mechanisms and move forward in your life. Stopping all at once can make withdrawal symptoms more severe, but it also shortens the duration of withdrawal symptoms and gives you less time to change your mind and go back to using alcohol. Quitting cold turkey under medical supervision provides the best of both worlds, allowing increased control and comfort of withdrawal symptoms while also getting you through withdrawal quickly. Quitting cold turkey means suddenly stopping all alcohol consumption. This method can lead to withdrawal symptoms, especially if you’ve been a heavy drinker.

• Within 5 minutes, you’ll receive an email with these details – free of charge.
• A doctor can supervise your tapering progress, helping you manage your cravings and prevent relapse.
• Because quitting cold turkey produces such intense withdrawal symptoms, people are more likely to consume alcohol to stop them.
• This reduces the severity of withdrawal symptoms and chances of fatal complications.
• Alcohol works by increasing the potency of a neutral chemical in the brain called GABA, or gamma-Aminobutyric acid.

Various treatment programs are available to help you recover from addiction. If you accidentally skip a dose, you may or may not notice any symptoms—but if you go on vacation and forget to bring your pills with you for a week, there’s a higher chance you’ll see a difference. And if you’re extra sensitive or tend to feel side effects quickly from other medications, your brain zaps may manifest quicker or more intensely than others, Dr. Gold says. Zaps may happen a few times periodically throughout the day, but chances are, you aren’t experiencing them all day, every day—it’s something that should only happen occasionally, Dr. Gold says. While some people experience them intensely, others say the zaps aren’t too bothersome, and they come and go periodically before eventually fading away.

Loop in a Therapist or Addiction Specialist

These include direct tapers, where you regularly decrease the amount of alcohol you consume, and substitution tapers, where you replace alcohol with another substance. These strategies work in different ways to help you quit drinking, and one may be more appropriate for you based on your needs. Tapering off alcohol can be a reasonable strategy for anyone who desires to stop drinking.

• You don’t need to be diagnosed with alcohol use disorder in order to quit drinking.
• Now that I know, it makes sense that some folks are directed by their healthcare provider to taper their alcohol consumption down rather than stopping cold turkey.
• People who have successfully tapered from alcohol before may be especially likely to benefit from this strategy.
• Finally, just because you’ve gotten past the withdrawal phase doesn’t mean you won’t continue to face psychological aspects of addiction—including alcohol cravings and drinking triggers.