You must continue abstaining from alcohol and monitor cravings or urges to drink. Don’t try to go through recovery alone — reach out for help and support. The support of family, friends and others in recovery is crucial during this adjustment period. As you begin your alcohol tapering process, talk to someone you trust about your plan.
Aftercare: What To Do After Detox
- The support of an alcohol detox program may help you wean off alcohol more quickly and with fewer unpleasant side effects.
- Talk to a medical professional if you have any concerns about tapering off alcohol.
- Tapering is the act of gradually reducing alcohol use until completely abstinent.
- However, improper tapering could lead to relapse, overdose, and severe health consequences.
Metaphorically speaking, do you like to dip your toe in first, or cannonball right in? As long as safety precautions are taken, there’s no wrong way to begin a sobriety or moderation journey. This journey is often non-linear, and your goals can change over time. But, perhaps most importantly, understand that setbacks Top 5 Advantages of Staying in a Sober Living House happen and that progress takes time or may look different than imagined. When you call our team, you will speak to a Recovery Advocate who will answer any questions and perform a pre-assessment to determine your eligibility for treatment. If eligible, we will create a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
Understanding the Role of Alcohol Tapering in Treatment
The support of an alcohol detox program may help you wean off alcohol more quickly and with fewer unpleasant side effects. Some detox programs also offer therapy to prepare you for addiction treatment. You may receive medication to ease withdrawal symptoms—such as anti-diarrheal medicines or over-the-counter pain relievers. A doctor may prescribe a benzodiazepine as part of the tapering process. All of these withdrawal symptoms are common during acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome. For example, depression could cause suicidal thoughts, and eating poorly can weaken your immune system.
Medications
They can provide recommendations to help you avoid harmful side effects. To learn about how our substance abuse treatment programs address alcohol dependence and withdrawal management, please contact us today. Over time, this can help you slow down and make more intentional choices https://capitaltribunenews.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ about how much you’re drinking. You can read all about mindful drinking in this article by a licensed therapist at Monument. Research has shown that professional help improves your ability to overcome an addiction to alcohol or cut back if you have found it difficult.
- Consistency in the tapering schedule is essential, as is maintaining proper hydration and nutrition.
- 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.
Increase Time Between Drinks
A taper may not be right for you if you frequently drink more than you intended, try to cut back but cannot or feel that your alcohol use is affecting your life. People with AUD may be unable to quit drinking alcohol on their own or have attempted to quit before and relapsed. If you’re struggling with severe alcohol addiction, a medical detox program is your likely best option for tapering off alcohol safely. But if you still have control over your drinking and want to drink less, you may be able to self-taper. Those who find that they cannot taper off the number of drinks for any significant length of time probably have developed a severe alcohol use disorder or have become what is commonly known as an alcoholic. For others, simply cutting back the number of drinks can bring on alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
Most patients are evaluated daily until their symptoms decrease and the medication dosage is reduced. If available, an alcohol breath analysis could be performed at random intervals. The severity of AWS symptoms should be reassessed using the same instrument from the initial assessment. When the CIWA-Ar score is less than 10, or the SAWS is less than 12, medication dosages can be reduced and eventually discontinued. A more recent article on outpatient management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome is available.
Why Is Alcohol Withdrawal Dangerous?
If it’s too hard to control how much you drink each day, weaning might not be the right strategy. That said, there are now several medications that can help reduce your cravings and make weaning off alcohol easier. The main difference between tapering and quitting alcohol cold turkey is how fast you quit.
