How to Taper Off Alcohol The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health

In particular, it alters the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid . When you drink a lot over a long period, your brainreducesthe amount of GABA it makes. This means https://ecosoberhouse.com/ that if you quit drinking cold turkey, your brain will not have enough GABA. This can cause your brain to become hyper-excitable and leads to withdrawal symptoms.

Although multiple seizures are not common, AW is one of the most common causes in the United States of status epilepticus—a medical emergency characterized by continuous, unrelenting seizures. In most cases, the longer you take to wean off the effects of alcohol, the less severe your withdrawal symptoms should be. However, it can be challenging to stick with a long-term tapering schedule, so you have to find the right balance for you. The support of an alcohol detox program may help you wean off alcohol more quickly and with fewer unpleasant side effects.

Dangers of Quitting Alcohol Cold Turkey

Even if you fail, there are still plenty of treatment options you can turn to.

However, it’s important to note that people with moderate to severe alcohol addictions may struggle with sticking to a taper schedule and end up relapsing to heavier alcohol use. If you’re unable to reduce how much you drink, you may have a disease called alcoholism that requires professional addiction treatment. Alcohol rehab helps you taper off alcohol, and it treats other side effects and causes of alcoholism. If you’re addicted to alcohol, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to recover without some form of addiction treatment. You may be able to detox at home and recover from alcoholism with the help of support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. However, medically supervised detox and professional rehab are more likely to help you maintain long-term sobriety.

What To Do After You Finish Tapering Off

The main difference between tapering and cold turkey is how fast you quit. Cold turkey is a common slang term for quitting alcohol all at once. 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. Alcoholaddiction can be difficult and sometimesdangerous to handle on your own.

She has diverse experience writing about subjects in the dental and medical fields, with an emphasis on providing readers with clear-cut and fact-based information that is accessible and straightforward. Light to moderate drinkers should plan to taper for a week or more. For those who moderately consume alcohol, tapering off may how to taper off alcohol be a good option. BetterHelp offers affordable mental health care via phone, video, or live-chat. Diazepam and paraldehyde for treatment of severe delirium tremens. If you successfully complete our 90-day treatment program, we guarantee you’ll stay clean and sober, or you can return for a complimentary 30 days of treatment.

Tapering or Weaning Off Alcohol

The kindling effect is an aspect of alcohol withdrawal that makes repeated attempts at withdrawal less safe. If you go through alcohol withdrawal multiple times, akindlingeffect can occur. With kindling, the brain becomes increasingly sensitized to stopping alcohol.

Electrolytes are vital nutrients, including calcium, potassium and sodium. Alcohol intoxication and withdrawal can create electrolyte imbalances, which causes side effects such as muscle spasms, numbness and seizures. A Healthy Diet A healthy diet includes eating foods that contain the proper balance of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats. If a person is malnourished, the body doesn’t have the energy it needs to recover from alcohol dependence. Learn more about the role of nutrition during recovery A Shower Taking a shower doesn’t help you sober up, and it doesn’t help alcohol leave your body more quickly. But it can relieve some symptoms of alcohol withdrawal by helping you relax.