If you drink heavily, your doctor may recommend quitting with the help of a medical detox center. In medical detox, you receive around-the-clock care from doctors and nurses to help prevent and treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms and their complications. This can set you up for a safe and effective detox and put you in a good position to continue your recovery in rehab. Due to the risk of withdrawal symptoms like seizures, many people benefit from a stable environment provided by medical detox centers.
A direct taper means you continue to drink your regular drinks but slowly decrease the amount over time. Direct tapers are better if you prefer drinks that contain a low percentage of alcohol. You can taper off alcohol if you worry that you are developing alcohol addiction. 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.
If Someone Displays Two of These Symptoms Over 12 Months, Then They May Have an Addiction:
Corey’s mission is to provide quality behavioral health care to local community members who reach out in need, regardless of their financial situation. Outside of The Freedom Center, Corey enjoys playing golf, hiking and most of all being the best father to his three young boys. When you quit cold turkey without supervision, you’re more likely to relapse and binge drink, which increases the likelihood of overdose. This can sometimes cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, and these symptoms can make it hard to stick with your recovery plan. These can indicate a life threatening condition called delirium tremens. It’s important to seek urgent medical care if you experience any of these symptoms.
Further, if you start to develop alcohol withdrawal symptoms during the taper, your doctor may instruct you to pause or slow the taper as a result. These factors can make one person’s taper last longer https://trading-market.org/art-therapy-for-drug-alcohol-addiction-recovery/ than another person’s taper. At Muse Treatment Center, we not only offer an entirely safe and integrated medical detox program, but we also provide the full spectrum of care needed after detoxing.
Drug Tapering Methods: Direct, Substitution and Titration Tapering
Prior to entering the substance abuse and mental health field, Erin was a Special Education Teacher for 10 years. Steeped in the 12-step philosophy and community, Shannon enthusiastically educates clients, especially newcomers in recovery, on the simple model and its transformative ways to a new life in sobriety. These symptoms can last for several days or weeks depending on how much alcohol you drink regularly and the length of time you have been drinking excessively. While these symptoms are not life-threatening per se, they can be pretty uncomfortable.
- It’s always best to consult a physician on the best strategy, especially if you drink heavily.
- This is especially true of heavy drinkers who are surrounded by the triggers that encourage drinking and lack the support needed to encourage change.
- Due to the risk of withdrawal symptoms like seizures, many people benefit from a stable environment provided by medical detox centers.
- Below I share some key information so you can determine if weaning off alcohol is right for you.
Addiction can also occur when someone repeatedly uses a substance to avoid painful and, depending on the substance, life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. Aside from unavoidable triggers, tapering off alcohol can also have side effects which can be difficult to manage at home. There are two types of triggers that can set off a person’s urge to drink. External triggers are people, places, things, or times that offer opportunities to drink and remind a person of alcohol. Internal triggers are thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations that cause a person to drink. Being exposed to either form of a trigger can result in unwanted relapse.
Does Tapering Help Cravings?
However, this may not be the best approach and could even lead to relapse in some cases. Tapering off alcohol can lead you to feel emotionally and physically healthier. With professional help, you can increase your chances of tapering https://g-markets.net/sober-living/how-to-cure-boredom-7-ways-to-stop-being-bored/ successfully. A substitution taper refers to switching strong liquor for an alternative that contains less alcohol, like beer. Once you’ve changed to a less alcoholic option, you can gradually reduce your drink amount.
The intensity of the withdrawal symptoms depends on the severity of the alcoholism. I have experience working in psychiatric hospitals, inpatient, outpatient, detox, and partial hospitalization programs providing clinical social work services. My approach to therapy is grounded in compassion, empathy, and a deep understanding of the unique experiences and perspectives of each of my clients . I utilize Intermittent explosive disorder Symptoms and causes a person-centered approach to my clients to help empower change within themselves. I began working in the treatment field for alcohol and drug addiction in January 2020, and it has provided me with a sense of purpose, as helping others has always been a passion of mine. I worked in construction prior to this field and needed a complete change in career as I was too suffering from substance addiction.