How to Safely Taper Off Alcohol Safely Quit Drinking

Tapering or weaning means ramping down your alcohol use until you get to zero—or to a more moderate level of drinking that you prefer. Quitting alcohol can be done safely, and it may be important for someone with a substance use problem. 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.

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• Smaller drinks with a higher percentage of alcohol are stronger than the same size drink containing a lower-proof liquor.
• Weaning off alcohol is a hard process, but it is something that you should be immensely proud of.
• If it is a mixed drink, it can contain sugar or other additives that should not be included in the taper and may worsen the effects of withdrawal symptoms.
• Mild anxiety, for example, can turn into overwhelming agitation or even hallucinations.
• Despite the potential effectiveness of tapering off alcohol, the complexities involved in this process make it crucial to seek professional guidance.
• In order to change your drinking habits, your first step is to take a close look at your current behaviors and find patterns.

By substituting alcoholic drinks for non-alcoholic drinks, you can still engage in most of your habit without getting the alcohol that makes it addictive. This can taper you off alcohol while still https://thechigacoguide.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ helping you keep up with your normal drinking routine, making the process easier. Set up therapy, counseling and support groups, a plan for sober living, and follow-up medical evaluations.

How to Wean Yourself Off Alcohol Safely: Tips and Strategies

Educate your loved ones on dangerous symptoms, too, so they can look out for you and get you medical attention if you need it. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers on hand that includes contact info for your doctor, the police, a nearby hospital, and someone you trust. At the end of the day, one of the most important tools you have at your disposal is self-compassion. Sober House Instead of criticizing yourself for having a hard time or slipping up and having a drink, remember that no one’s perfect. What matters most is your ability to maintain an open, curious outlook as you learn what does and doesn’t work for you. Satisfying hobbies can distract you from wanting to drink, but they also help you relax — something everyone needs to do.

• If you’ve been drinking for a long time, you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you quit drinking.
• 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.
• Being surrounded by triggers can make it extremely difficult to stay on track and avoid overdoing it on alcohol.
• As a depressant, alcohol will cause your brain and body to get used to its inhibitory effects on your nervous system.

How to Talk to Someone about Your Alcohol or Drug Use

A substitution taper can involve substituting a prescription drug for alcohol. It can also involve substituting the drink of choice with another drink; for example, a person may taper off hard alcohol with beer. An example of a short-term goal would be to reduce alcohol consumption by half within the next month. An example of a long-term goal would be to achieve complete abstinence from alcohol within six months.

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• If you’re used to drinking alcohol or using drugs when you feel tense, nervous or worried, here are some other ideas to help you relax.
• Sustainable recovery is possible and the best version of youself awaits at our Norcross addiction recovery center.
• Conversely, if the individual tolerates the reduction well, the pace of tapering may increase.

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