It also increases the chances of success by completing the detox quickly instead of dragging it out for weeks like a taper can. Reducing alcohol consumption should begin with determining your baseline of use since your taper schedule depends on how much you drink before you start decreasing your intake. To calculate your baseline, you must know how many standard drinks you consume daily. “Management of moderate and severe alcohol withdrawal syndromes.” September 15, 2023.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
If you currently have high blood pressure, a doctor may recommend reducing your alcohol intake or avoiding alcohol altogether. This means you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop abruptly. If you drink frequently, you can become physically dependent on alcohol, meaning your brain needs alcohol to function normally. If you stop drinking, your body must rapidly adjust to the absence of alcohol, leading to withdrawal symptoms. Yes, your tolerance to alcohol can diminish fairly quickly after you stop drinking.
Consider Medically Assisted Detox
Keep reading to learn how alcohol can affect your blood pressure and cardiovascular health and which other factors may play a role. When you drink heavily, alcohol is present in your bloodstream constantly. Alcohol suppresses your brain’s normal function, and your body adjusts to this constant presence of alcohol by making your brain more hyperactive.
How does drinking too much alcohol affect your blood pressure?
Going “cold turkey” means abruptly stopping drinking entirely, leading to uncomfortable withdrawal effects. The intensity of the withdrawal symptoms depends on the severity of the alcoholism. When you quit alcohol cold turkey, you quit drinking completely and suddenly. Tapering helps people stop using alcohol and other substances in small and manageable steps.
- If you suddenly quit drinking, your brain can start to make more of an excitatory substance called glutamate.
- You can strengthen your emotional and communication techniques to help you work through any tough situations that may arise in the future.
- Your doctor can determine if tapering alcohol is safe for your unique situation and help you create a plan to quit drinking alcohol.
- The reason for weaning off alcohol instead of quitting cold turkey is to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
- If you drink the same amount you were used to during active addiction, you may experience extreme intoxication or alcohol poisoning.
The main difference between tapering and quitting alcohol cold turkey is how fast you quit. Cold turkey is a common slang term for quitting alcohol (or any substance) all at once. Tapering or weaning means ramping down your alcohol use until you get to zero—or to a more moderate level of drinking that you prefer. Reducing alcohol intake can have significant positive effects on mental health.
Tapering can also be effective for people who are unable to attend an in-person program or detox to help them stop drinking. 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. We are dedicated to transforming the despair of addiction into a purposeful life of confidence, self-respect and happiness. We want to give recovering sober house addicts the tools to return to the outside world completely substance-free and successful. Don’t try to reduce your alcohol intake based on what feels right.
Below I share some key information so you can determine if weaning off alcohol is right for you. People who try tapering off alcohol won’t have the guided support of medical professionals that they would at inpatient treatment. In contrast, in-patient care can be more beneficial and less expensive in the long-term. If you properly taper your alcohol use, you’re less likely to experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Gradually reducing the amount of alcohol you drink can help give your body the time it needs to adjust to the lack of alcohol. While a taper may seem appealing to some, it is not a medically recommended method of detoxing from alcohol due to the increased risk of not completing it.
Medical detox is often the safest and most effective way to manage alcohol withdrawal for those with severe alcohol dependence. It provides the necessary medical expertise and support to ensure a safe and comfortable detoxification process. If you encounter severe symptoms during your tapering off alcohol schedule, contact your healthcare provider immediately. People looking to quit drinking may consider either tapering or going cold turkey, meaning they abruptly stop all alcohol consumption without weaning. Take the first step towards a happier, healthier life at The Haven Detox-New England. Our team of medical professionals offers a professional alcohol abuse treatment program.
- Excessive drinking has numerous impacts on your body and mind, ranging from mild to severe.
- This is the most commonly accepted method of stopping alcohol by the medical community.
- The authors of a 2020 research review examined the short-term effects of alcohol on healthy people over 18 years old within 6 hours of consumption.
- Further, if you start to develop alcohol withdrawal symptoms during the taper, your doctor may instruct you to pause or slow the taper as a result.
These factors can make one person’s taper last longer than another person’s taper. Tapering gradually lowers the amount of alcohol that you use over time. This lessens the severity of withdrawal symptoms, as there is not an abrupt or dramatic change. Tapering will normally create less severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms but will spread them out over a prolonged period.
Throughout history alcohol has been used for a number of different issues, including tapering off to overcome alcohol use. Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous can help reinforce your goals and boost your spirits. Surrounding yourself with those going through the same process you are, and learning the same life lessons you are, can make a big difference in your healing journey. You’ll talk about different topics regarding addiction and recovery and bond over shared feelings and experiences. Blending modern and traditional approaches, a residential treatment center addressing substance use disorders with equine therapy in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Consider a Medical Detox
You can start building the foundation for a happy future by going to rehab for alcohol. In some cases, medications may be administered to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings. These medications are prescribed and managed by healthcare providers. Quitting alcohol can be extremely hard, especially without medical support. 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. You’ll need to stick with gradual reduction every day and not revert to previous levels of consumption, otherwise it won’t work.
The success of these strategies will depend on how much you drink and what you drink. Having a plan can help you stay on track and it can keep you safe. One of the keys to a successful taper is taking gradual steps that will cause as few side effects as possible.
You may decide to seek medical treatment for your withdrawal symptoms or make the choice to enter a professional detox or rehab center. Even if you don’t succeed the first time, there are still plenty of treatment options you can turn to. 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. If your health, wellness, and even life may be at risk, quitting alcohol should only be attempted with the help of a medical professional.
While you are tapering off alcohol, it is important that you stay hydrated. Follow a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables, and take a multi-vitamin. With tapering, you start slowly to minimize the chances of severe withdrawal and relapse, avoiding the shock quitting cold turkey can cause. Alcohol tapering should be personalized, based on how much and the length of time someone has been drinking. Along with withdrawal symptoms, it may be even more difficult to cut back or taper your alcohol use if you struggle with an alcohol use disorder (AUD).
- This is because this process gives your brain more time to get used to the changes and damage that alcohol originally created.
- This process can help your body break its dependency on alcohol with minimal side effects.
- The chemical binds to its receptors on your nerve cells and opens up a channel that allows a negative charge to shut down or slow your nervous system’s excitatory functions.
- Some individuals experience a neurological condition known as the “kindling effect” as a result of repeated alcohol withdrawal.
For example, if you typically have 10 drinks per day, you could cut back to 8 the first day, then 6, 4, 2, and finally none. If you have 20 or more drinks per day, they suggest one drink per hour the first day, every hour and a half the next, then reducing by 2 drinks per day after that. If you’ve decided to taper off alcohol, you’ll need to be prepared with some strategies to make the process easier. You’ll likely face the urge to drink more than you’ve planned each day, but there are some good https://www.inkl.com/news/sober-house-rules-a-comprehensive-overview tricks to help you delay that next serving and keep yourself honest. After prolonged alcohol use, your body can come to rely on alcohol for normal functioning, and suddenly going without it can cause potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms. This phenomenon is often described as “alcohol dependence.” The most common more mild withdrawal symptoms include headaches, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.