How to Taper Off Alcohol The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health

Unless an AUD is addressed, the health problems drinking causes may be unstoppable. Alcohol metabolizes more quickly in individuals with a high tolerance to alcohol. On the other hand, it will take longer to metabolize in someone with a lower tolerance.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Suddenly stopping alcohol consumption can cause withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, hallucinations, and delirium tremens. The problem is that this can drag your taper out for several weeks or even months, depending on how slowly you’ve tapered and how much you’ve been drinking to start. I don’t think I could go through more than a couple weeks of tapering, but you do you. The HAMS tapering guide suggests dropping tapering off alcohol your consumption to 16 drinks the first day if you were drinking more than that, and then reducing your consumption by two drinks per day. In this schedule, the biggest drop occurs during the first couple days.

Build a Support Network

Before you begin an alcohol taper, a little preparation can go a long way, especially when it involves handling your triggers and tracking how much you drink. Remember your motivation for cutting back and set realistic goals. If you’ve been drinking for a long time, tapering off can cause withdrawal symptoms. Getting professional help can mitigate drug addiction harmful withdrawal symptoms and ensure success.

• Do not allow yourself to be forced into AA against your will by anyone–not even a doctor or a psychologist or a judge or an employer or a friend or a family member.
• The exact symptoms you experience will depend on factors such as how much alcohol you’re consuming, other medical conditions you have, medications you take, and your body’s response to the taper.
• They may have trouble relating to you and you could feel out-of-place talking to them about your problems.
• Gradually reducing alcohol intake can help the body adjust to lower levels of alcohol, decreasing the risk of severe withdrawal symptoms.
• When people drink alcohol, the body actually goes into overdrive to fight off the effects.

Saved Costs and Time

If your body becomes physically dependent on alcohol, you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking. Studies have shown that 13–71% of people undergoing alcohol detox develop withdrawal symptoms. Factors such as pattern of alcohol use, other medical conditions, genetics and how your body responds to alcohol can play a role in withdrawal symptoms.

Instead of using the highly successful Sinclair Method, most American addiction experts recommend that patients be told to take naltrexone daily and to abstain from alcohol. When prescribed in this manner, naltrexone is hardly more effective than a placebo. This method of using naltrexone appears to be far inferior to the Sinclair method in terms of positive results.

Coping Strategies

Being a person in long term recovery, Erin wanted to give back and help those struggling with the disease of addiction. Erin decided to switch careers and went back to school to obtain her Addiction Counseling certification. In addition, to being a certified Addictions Counselor, Erin is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS), and a Registered Peer Supervisor (RPS).

• It is also important to note that the degree of symptoms will depend on how much alcohol you have been using, the frequency of use, and how long you have been drinking.
• Tapering alcohol may be uncomfortable, and there may be subconscious triggers that stimulate the desire to drink alcohol.
• Ark Behavioral Health offers 100% confidential substance abuse assessment and treatment placement tailored to your individual needs.
• It is crucial to consult with a healthcare professional before beginning a taper, as they can provide personalized advice and monitor for any complications.
• Do not allow anyone to put the notion into your head that you are diseased or powerless of that you will die without AA.

During this time you’ll likely experience the worst portion of withdrawal symptoms. You then get a couple days where the drop is not as much to stabilize. Tapering is the process of gradually decreasing your consumption of a substance over time to lessen the withdrawal symptoms if you’re physically dependent. This is the same thing they’ll do if you go to a detox facility or hospital, except they’ll use medications instead of alcohol for the taper.