Tapering off opioids: When and how

Alcohol withdrawal refers to symptoms that may occur when a person who has been drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis suddenly stops drinking alcohol. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is the group of symptoms How to Choose a Sober House: Tips to Focus on that can develop when someone with alcohol use disorder suddenly stops drinking. Specifically, excessive drinking can cause an imbalance in the important brain neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

• On the second day drink one beer every hour and a half for a total of ten beers.
• Likewise if your average consumption is 6 standard drinks per day you can set a taper schedule of 4, 2, 0.
• Support groups, from Alcoholics Anonymous to SMART Recovery, are one free way to find a community of people on the same journey.

Seizures are another complication of abruptly quitting alcohol that may occur within the first 12 to 48 hours of stopping. If you struggle with drinking, the safest way to quit is under a doctor’s care. 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.

When To Seek Medical Attention

A taper can be especially helpful for those who find they cannot stop drinking without experiencing negative symptoms. However, certain food groups also have benefits https://www.healthworkscollective.com/how-choose-sober-house-tips-to-focus-on/ when it comes to helping with the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms and detoxification. You should only attempt an alcohol taper while under a doctor’s care.

Another strategy for a successful taper is to drink just enough to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay. If you find it is difficult to prevent yourself from drinking too much and getting drunk, locking your alcohol up in a cabinet and giving your friend or family member the key can help. Although with this method, it is important that the friend or family member is accessible when symptoms of withdrawals such as tremors return. Also, learn to cope with and avoid situations that might cause you to want to drink more. Further, the severity of withdrawal symptoms can cause a person to resort back to drinking alcohol to relieve any symptoms. However, doing so without the guidance of a physician, can complicate tapering and ultimately delay when, if ever, sobriety is reached.

Medications Used When Tapering Off Alcohol

However, it can be challenging to stick with a long-term tapering schedule, so you have to find the right balance for you. Only people who are tapering down from very large quantities of alcohol such as a liter of vodka per day will need to start drinking in the morning in order to taper. If you are tapering from smaller quantities and feel no withdrawal symptoms until afternoon or evening then you can wait until then to consume your taper beers.

If you go through alcohol withdrawal multiple times, a kindling effect can occur. With kindling, the brain becomes increasingly sensitized to stopping alcohol. In turn, you can suffer from increasingly severe withdrawal symptoms every time you try to stop drinking. Along with withdrawal symptoms, it may be even more difficult to cut back or taper your alcohol use if you suffer from an alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Free Support Group: Beginning a sobriety or moderation journey

In 2015, Corey was given the opportunity to join Amethyst Recovery Center’s Business Development team. In 2018, Corey had the opportunity to partner with Amethyst and USR to open The Freedom Center in his to hometown of Gaithersburg, MD. Throughout his tenure at The Freedom Center, he has strategically built relationship with referring providers, hospitals and local government leaders. Corey has continued to grow The Freedom Center brand, educate his local community on Substance Use Disorder and become a pillar of the local recovery community. 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.