Is Tapering Off Alcohol The Best Detox Method?

As long as safety precautions are taken, there’s no wrong way to begin a sobriety or moderation journey. This journey is often non-linear, and your goals can change over time. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms how to taper off alcohol at home consistent with DT, call 911. DT can be fatal, and a person going through them should have medical support in a hospital or rehab facility. As such, there is only limited guidance available about the best ways to taper.

Because of their similar effects, benzodiazepines and alcohol are cross-tolerant—in other words, a person who is tolerant to alcohol also is tolerant to benzodiazepines. Heavy drinking causes notable changes in the brain, specifically affecting the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Over an extended period of excessive alcohol consumption, the brain reduces its production of GABA since it’s used to alcohol doing most of the work. Consequently, quitting alcohol suddenly deprives the brain of sufficient GABA levels, leading to a state of hyper-excitability and the emergence of withdrawal symptoms. While tapering off alcohol is not as effective or monitored as medically-assisted detox, it’s a better solution than quitting cold turkey, which can induce serious withdrawal symptoms. If you do not qualify for tapering off alcohol this way, a medical detox program puts you in safe hands.

Find out more about our admissions process

After successfully completing detox, there are additional treatment options at Serenity Lane. There is a residential inpatient treatment program with medical supervision. During rehab, you will have the opportunity to participate in group therapy.

Slowly, to reduce the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms, you will come off the medication with the goal being complete abstinence from alcohol. You will need to follow an alcohol tapering schedule so that you can find the best method for your circumstances. It’s also important to note that there are several ways to taper off alcohol successfully. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ The main methods include reducing the amount of drinks you consume every day, reducing the number of days that you drink, or even swapping your usual drink for one you don’t like. Tapering off alcohol can be compared to how healthcare providers gradually reduce the dosage of certain medications rather than having a client abruptly stop treatment.

How To Wean off Alcohol Safely and Effectively

The support of family, friends, and others in recovery is crucial during this period of adjustment. As the Medical Director, Mark works with the staff to coordinate the appropriate level of care for each individual client. He works directly with the clients on management of medical issues both related to and separate from their addiction, ensuring comprehensive health care plans that ensure our clients’ chances at recovery. What he has found to be most rewarding about working in the addictions treatment field is being able to help suffering addicts and alcoholics to realize their fullest potential. Samantha is a compassionate therapist dedicated to helping individuals navigate their mental health challenges and find healing and recovery. Currently pursuing her advanced degree in psychology, Samantha’s personal journey of overcoming addiction fuels her passion for supporting others on their path to wellness.

Recognition and treatment of withdrawal can represent a first step in the patient’s recovery process. Making a schedule to slowly reduce your alcohol intake is a safe way to taper off the substance. This will ensure that you are not quitting cold turkey which could result in severe and debilitating  withdrawal symptoms or even death.

Get The Care You Need at Orlando Recovery Center

Consequently, the clinician’s initial assessment also serves to exclude other conditions with symptoms similar to those of AW. Examples of such conditions include subdural hematoma (i.e., the collection of blood in the space between the membranes surrounding the CNS), pneumonia, meningitis, and other infections. Similarly, seizures and DT’s may be confused with other conditions that should be excluded during initial assessment. Thus, a diagnosis of DT’s and AW seizures should be made only after other reasonable causes for these complications have been excluded.

Nevertheless, even those patients may benefit from treatment in the long term, because repeated withdrawal episodes may enhance the brain’s susceptibility to the hyperexcitability that occurs during AW. The results of these clinical studies are confounded by differences among the subjects in the severity of dependence, duration of dependence, and quantity of alcohol consumed. The findings are consistent, however, with information obtained using animal research. Thus, prompt appropriate treatment of withdrawal, even in patients with mild symptoms, may conceivably prevent the development of complicated, more severe withdrawal during subsequent episodes. Despite this current understanding of the mechanisms underlying AW syndrome, some controversies still exist regarding the risk, complications, and clinical management of withdrawal. These controversies likely arise from the varied clinical manifestations of the syndrome in alcoholic patients and from the diverse settings in which these patients are encountered.

The purpose of alcohol tapering is to avoid some of the more dangerous symptoms of detox. The length of time for alcohol tapering depends entirely on your baseline of use. Ask loved ones to look out for signs of alcohol relapse to help you stay on track with your recovery process. 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 a person-centered approach to my clients to help empower change within themselves.