Tolerance, dependence, social habits, setting, the biology of the individual and more must all be considered. Moreover, substituting one kind of beverage for another does not help you taper off alcohol if you consume the same number of standard drinks as you usually have. For example, one 12-ounce can of beer contains roughly the same amount of alcohol as a 5-ounce glass of wine or a mixed drink containing 1.5 ounces of alcohol. If you plan to taper your drinking in order to stop, make sure you limit your intake consistently, avoid fluctuations, and adhere to a weekly reduction schedule with a set date to stop.
How Does Alcohol Dependence Work in the Brain?
Some people are facing problems with their health or personal lives which require them to quit immediately. However, for many people with alcohol use disorder, tapering off alcohol is a far better experience than quitting abruptly. If you’ve been drinking for a long time, you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you quit drinking. People who try tapering off alcohol won’t have the guided support of medical professionals that they would at inpatient treatment.
Why Do You Experience Withdrawal Symptoms?
When you are physically dependent on a substance like alcohol, your body adapts accordingly. You should also consider an alcohol withdrawal taper if you’ve ever https://mastermason.info/wedding-planning-advice-for-throwing-the-perfect-wedding/ gone through withdrawal from alcohol, or any other depressant, in the past. Alcohol withdrawal can cause something called kindling to occur in your brain.
- Conversations you have with a medical practitioner are confidential unless you put yourself or others at risk.
- Seizures are another complication of abruptly quitting alcohol that may occur within the first 12 to 48 hours of stopping.
- Typically, quitting cold turkey from a 12-beer-a-day habit is going to be more stressful than tapering off slowly.
- Inpatient treatment may be an expensive option in terms of time and money.
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Your doctor can determine if tapering alcohol is safe for your unique situation and help you create a plan to quit drinking alcohol. If you’re addicted to alcohol, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to recover without some form of addiction treatment. http://electric-alipapa.ru/infusions/shoutbox_panel/shoutbox_archive.php?rowstart=740 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.
If you suddenly quit drinking, your brain can start to make more of an excitatory substance called glutamate. This excessive glutamate level can lead to alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which can be dangerous. Just as what is a useful method for one person may not be for another, what is a safe method for someone may not be for someone else.
Support groups, from Alcoholics Anonymous to SMART Recovery, are one free way to find a community of people on the same journey. There are also a number of anti-craving medications to help you avoid drinking again, or even help with your tapering process. Finally, finding https://www.e-creditcard.info/where-to-start-with-and-more-5/ a therapist or a recovery coach can help you develop new coping mechanisms and move forward in your life. This may work for many people, but in practice each individual will respond best to a different pace, and each doctor will have their own recommendations.