Tapering Off Alcohol How To Wean Off Safely

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. The most recommended form of alcohol to use in tapering is beer due to its lower alcohol content. Consumption should be minimal; just enough to prevent withdrawal symptoms and gradually reducing the amount until you are no longer using alcohol. You should be able to taper off alcohol within a few days, 3 to 5 days at the most. While you are tapering off alcohol, it is important that you stay hydrated.

Alcohol Withdrawal and Abstinence

When you drink heavily over a long period, your brain and body adapt to expect this. 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.

Effects of Tapering Off Alcohol

Quitting drinking can feel very isolating, making it even more difficult to do alone at home without medical support.
When the alcohol is completely taken away then this adrenaline and its cousins are left to run rampant in the brain.
Weaning off alcohol reduces the chance of experiencing withdrawal or the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms range in severity depending on how extensive the misuse behavior was.
Depending on the severity of alcohol dependence, symptoms may range from mild to moderate or severe.
Since alcohol depresses central nervous system activity, quitting drinking can cause an imbalance of an excitatory neurotransmitter called glutamate.

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. Direct tapering is not recommended for liquor drinkers as it is challenging to measure amounts and can result in binge drinking. Additionally, mixed drinks may contain sugar or other additives that could exacerbate withdrawal symptoms and should be avoided during the taper. Alcohol tapering is definitely possible, but the question of whether or not it works is not quite as straightforward.

Tapering or Weaning Off Alcohol

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. If you drink alcohol and are thinking about quitting, it is important to make sure you do so safely. One potential way to quit drinking is through tapering, which involves slowly reducing your alcohol intake over time. Weaning off alcohol can benefit people who drink moderately or have support systems. If you have a severe alcohol addiction, it might be best to seek professional addiction treatment.

How Alcohol Addiction Is Like an Abusive Relationship

A taper might be helpful for those who find they cannot stop drinking without experiencing negative symptoms. Medical professionals will often, however, recommend a professional detox in which withdrawal symptoms are treated instead of avoided so that you can get off of alcohol as quickly as possible. If you’ve been drinking for a long time, you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you quit drinking. It is important to note that prescription medication should not be used for a substitution taper unless it has been prescribed as part of a medical detox program. In the case of switching to a different beverage, it is recommended to count the number of drinks consumed daily and gradually replace them with a beverage that contains less alcohol, such as beer. Gradually reducing alcohol consumption can be achieved through a substitution taper.

What Is an Alcohol Taper?

However, your body Sober House Rules: A Comprehensive Overview is adaptable, and after a period of regular, heavy drinking, your nervous system will adapt to the presence of alcohol. The effects of alcohol can vary depending on weight, gender, age and other factors. Each person’s alcohol metabolism is different, and even though a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .085 is considered legal intoxication, a BAC lower than .08 may adversely affect some people. Replacing alcoholic beverages with non-alcohol drinks is a great method of helping during a taper.

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Then continue to taper down by reducing the amounts by two beers per day until you are down to zero.
Understanding and preparing for these difficulties can greatly enhance the chances of successful recovery.
If you have trouble controlling how much you drink or experience significant alcohol cravings, you may need professional help instead of trying to taper your alcohol use at home.
By gradually tapering off alcohol, you can lower your risk for alcohol-related accidents or death.
While the safest way to taper is with professional help in a detox facility, this may not be an option for everyone.

beer taper

Someone will slowly diminish the amount they drink with the intention of avoiding the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal completely and will hopefully be able to avoid a relapse as well. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be more than enough to drive people back to drinking to find relief. Chronic and excessive alcohol use disrupts the brain’s neurotransmitters. Alcohol will increase the effect of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) – the neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that creates feelings of peace and relaxation.

Tapering is a more cost-effective method of stopping alcohol use, especially for those who do not have healthcare insurance or the resources needed to get a professional detox. People who have successfully tapered from alcohol before may be especially likely to benefit from this strategy. If that is, in fact, the case, and they are going to experience the symptoms of withdrawal anyway, then it might be more helpful for them to undergo a more streamlined and straightforward detox process. This should, of course, still be done under the care and supervision of a medical professional at a treatment center specializing in medical detoxification. The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions. If you are tapering off of alcohol, the time it takes depends entirely on how long the taper is and how well you adhere to it.