Can You Wean Off Alcohol?

Hard liquors, for example, contain higher alcohol-by-volume measures than other beverages. When attempting to taper off alcohol, it is recommended that an individual should substitute these stronger options for wine or beer — or at least hard liquor with a smaller proof. People struggling with alcohol may choose to progressively taper off alcohol rather than quit abruptly. Alcohol can affect every part of your body, impacting the health of each body system when used heavily or for prolonged periods of time.

• Start by estimating how much you drink on a daily basis—and be honest with yourself.
• For instance, many people binge drink on the weekend without drinking during the week.
• This is a 12 step intervention for alcohol abuse and addiction that can help lead to recovery from alcohol abuse; sober living houses provide mutual sobriety support to help you remain alcohol-free.
• Its cultural acceptance has made it a common psychoactive substance in the United States.
• This medical supervision allows for some patients to quit drinking cold-turkey without compromising safety.
• As your body adapts to alcohol, it will change its natural chemical balance to include alcohol.

In these settings, they use a taper-off method that sometimes includes medications to help mitigate the effects of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. For those at risk for severe withdrawal symptoms, medically-supervised detox is often the safest choice for beginning their sobriety or moderation journey. Others may discover after consulting with a doctor that it’s safe for them to quit alcohol cold turkey if they choose to. However, they may still decide that tapering down feels most achievable for them.

Alcohol Recovery On Your Own Vs Professional Help

Then come up with a reduction rate you think will be safe, and that you can stick to. Holding a nonalcoholic drink can keep you occupied and how to taper off alcohol make it easier to delay the next serving of alcohol. Quitting alcohol can be dehydrating, and they don’t call it detox for no reason.

The absence of alcohol will mean that if you were to return to your former levels of alcohol consumption, you could potentially put yourself in fatal circumstances. 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.

Can You Use Alcohol to Taper Off?

As many as 71%8of people who go through alcohol detox experience symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol withdrawal can range from uncomfortable to life-threatening, so anyone considering stopping alcohol should speak with a medical professional to determine which method is best for them. 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. Tapers are commonly used in an attempt to reduce the chance of experiencing withdrawal or the severity of withdrawal symptoms. This should, of course, still be done under the care and supervision of a medical professional at a treatment center specializing in medical detoxification.

From day one, Ria Health has offered support for the Sinclair Method—a medication-based approach to moderate drinking or abstinence with a 78 percent success rate. Excessive drinking has numerous impacts on your body and mind, ranging from mild to severe. Learn which signs to look out for, and how to care for your well-being. Asplund, CA; Aaronson, JW; et al.“3 Regimens for alcohol withdrawal and detoxification.”The Journal of Family Practice, July 2004. Set goals4for how many days to drink and how many drinks to have on those days. For example, you could decrease by one drink each day or make the same number of drinks weaker by using half as much alcohol.

Common Withdrawal Symptoms

Detoxing at home usually takes longer because you should be cautious to avoid serious complications. You should start by determining how much alcohol you drink per day in terms of standard drinks. While there are websites that tout home remedies for alcohol withdrawal, and an overall weaning process, this process can be very dangerous. Instead, get professional help to safely withdraw from alcohol. Part of the process of learning how to taper off alcohol properly is knowing your limits. While you may crave a few drinks here and there, it’s important to remember that you are working towards complete sobriety.