How to Taper Off Alcohol

We have taken the necessary precautions to minimize the risk of exposure and transmission of the Coronavirus to those in our treatment programs, allowing them to focus on their recovery. This only escalates the alterations in the brain’s pathways that are then wired to need the substance. The result is physical dependence and/or psychological addiction to alcohol. Next, there is a day treatment program or partial hospitalization program (PHP) at Serenity Lane. As a step down from residential inpatient treatment, PHP allows participants the flexibility to balance the demands of both their personal and professional lives. While many may choose to attempt the process alone, it’s highly advised that you undergo the process under the supervision of a trained medical team via either inpatient or outpatient treatment.

• The process of reducing alcohol consumption should begin with your baseline of use, since your taper schedule depends on how much you drink before you start decreasing your intake.
• You can receive 24/7 text support right away and at your convenience.
• Only people who are tapering down from very large quantities of alcohol such as a liter of vodka per day will need to start drinking in the morning in order to taper.

Tapering off helps reduce uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and prevent life-threatening complications. Some people might need medications or tapering drugs to help ease any withdrawal symptoms that arise throughout the https://goodmenproject.com/everyday-life-2/top-5-tips-to-consider-when-choosing-a-sober-house-for-living/ tapering-off process. From here, you can plan a schedule for gradually reducing how much you drink per day. Ideally, this schedule will be determined with the assistance of a doctor or addiction treatment professional.

Setting Up A Taper Schedule

The amount of time it takes to taper off of alcohol can vary greatly from person to person. Some people may be able to taper quickly and quit alcohol completely, while others may take a longer time. But making the difficult decision to cut back on drinking is much more important than the length of your alcohol taper. A medical professional can help you determine if a fast or slow taper, or quitting altogether, is appropriate based on a thorough medical assessment and evaluation of your withdrawal risk. When a person decides to stop drinking, they must decide whether to stop “cold turkey” or taper their alcohol use. Quitting cold turkey involves suddenly stopping all alcohol use, while tapering involves slowly decreasing the amount of alcohol a person drinks each day.

For some drinkers, cutting down on the amount of alcohol they drink simply does not work. They may cut back for a short period of time, but they soon find themselves back to drinking at their usual level. This is especially true of heavy drinkers who are surrounded by the triggers that encourage drinking and lack the support needed to encourage change. For example, healthcare sober house providers usually don’t take patients off antidepressants suddenly; rather, they gradually reduce the dosages. While cirrhosis scars from excessive drinking are irreversible, quitting alcohol and leading a healthier lifestyle can help your liver heal from alcohol-related liver disease. However, even the best-designed tapers can put you at risk for alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

How Long Does It Take to Taper off Alcohol?

Establishing new habits and routines, and dealing with the underlying causes of your drinking habits, are essential to lasting recovery. Alcohol also changes your brain chemistry, which can result in higher levels of anxiety and depression for the first several months. 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. Quitting binge drinking may require different strategies than either tapering or cold turkey. However, it should not cause someone to become stuck on a step, which would defeat the purpose of a taper. A person is free to increase the taper speed (e.g., lower by three drinks instead of two) as they see fit.