Alcohol causes serious changes in the brain, and prolonged symptoms such as sleep problems, mood changes and fatigue may take months to overcome, according to the U.S. The amount of time it takes to detox from alcohol depends on several factors, including whether you’re detoxing at home or with medical supervision. Detoxing at home usually takes longer because you should be how to taper off alcohol cautious to avoid serious complications. The alcohol content in specific beer, wine and liquor products differs. You can use the guidelines to get an idea of how many standard drinks you’re used to. While cirrhosis scars from excessive drinking are irreversible, quitting alcohol and leading a healthier lifestyle can help your liver heal from alcohol-related liver disease.
Why Do You Experience Withdrawal Symptoms?
Chronic alcohol abuse can cause serious health problems, including heart and liver disease. An alcohol use disorder can also have an impact on your social, psychological, and financial health. Because symptoms such as seizures and delirium tremens can be fatal, reducing alcohol consumption can be dangerous for some.
How to Safely Taper Off Alcohol
When done under medical supervision, tapering off alcohol has few downsides. However, tapering can sometimes be unsafe if you attempt to do so on your own without a doctor’s knowledge. For example, if you start to suffer from alcohol withdrawal symptoms despite an attempt to taper, your symptoms may worsen before you have the chance to seek medical attention. For this reason, even at-home tapers should be done under a doctor’s care.
Tapering Off Alcohol vs. Going Cold Turkey
- Because symptoms such as seizures and delirium tremens can be fatal, reducing alcohol consumption can be dangerous for some.
- If you taper off alcohol slowly or with medical supervision, the brain has time to adapt without causing severe side effects.
DTs can be fatal, and a person going through them should have medical support in a hospital or rehab facility. The timeline for alcohol withdrawal will be different for each individual. However, here is a sample timeline of what the average person can expect. It is important to only attempt a taper while under a doctor’s care. However, understanding how an alcohol taper works and what the process is like can help you prepare yourself and find the support you need.
Alcohol Detox at Home
Drink a cup of soothing tea or a tall glass of water before you imbibe—once your thirst is quenched, you may not feel the need for as much—or any—alcohol. If you turn to alcohol to ease anxiety, try exercise as a healthy alternative. You’ll get a 100% custom plan, then use daily texts to track your progress and help you stay on target. In order to change your drinking habits, your first step is to take a close look at your current behaviors and find patterns.
Unsupervised Medical Care
- We utilize a three-pronged, holistic approach that combines the right psychotropic medications, cutting-edge clinical therapy, and an environment of supportive peers.
- Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health.
- There are two ways to taper off alcohol—a direct or substitution taper.
- As you prepare to wean off alcohol, consider taking the following steps ahead of time to have a clear path to success.
- Late symptoms begin between two and four days after the last drink, and they usually include changes in heart rate, breathing and blood pressure.
- This will ensure that you are not quitting cold turkey which could result in severe and debilitating withdrawal symptoms or even death.
- In many cases, medically-supervised alcohol detox is the only safe way to stop drinking, especially if you’re suffering from AUD.
- Someone who has been drinking heavily for a long period may struggle with cravings and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, leading to relapse.
- Nanci Stockwell of Advanced Recovery Systems discusses the risks of detoxing at home and the benefits of detoxing from alcohol and other drugs in a safe environment.
- But quitting alcohol after becoming dependent can also be dangerous.
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