If you take prescription medication, continue to take it as directed. However, for many, the right combination of stress and environmental factors can set this chain reaction in motion. Taking a break for a month can give you some perspective on how much you drink, and what it feels like when you don’t. For some people, this can be a motivating step Top 5 Advantages of Staying in a Sober Living House towards sobriety or moderation. For others, it can be a chance to start pursuing long-term abstinence at a time when fewer people around them are drinking. All in all, the best way to quit varies from individual to individual, depending on their drinking habits, genetics, reasons for drinking, personal history, personality, and many other factors.
- A typical tapering plan might involve reducing your alcohol intake by two drinks each day until you reach zero drinks, especially for individuals who drink fewer than 20 standard drinks a day.
- Dietary guidelines recommend that if you drink, men limit daily drinking to two drinks or less per day and women limit their drinking to one drink or less per day.
- It also reduces cost—even if you pay out of pocket it’s usually much cheaper than regular rehab.
Tapering vs Cold Turkey
- One of the primary challenges is managing withdrawal symptoms, which can range from mild discomfort to severe health risks.
- For this reason, it’s generally best to avoid quitting abruptly, or at bare minimum speak with a doctor first and have someone looking out for you.
- Seeking the help of professionals trained in addiction treatment can help identify the best treatment approach for each individual.
- There is also the matter of the specific type of alcohol in question.
- What you can do is speak to them about your concerns, with a sense of empathy and open-ness.
The original medication for alcoholism is disulfiram, also known as Antabuse. This prescription drug causes you to feel ill when you drink any amount of alcohol, and is now considered a fairly harsh way of quitting. One option, if you feel you have a milder drinking habit, is to quit drinking by yourself. While this can be difficult, it can be a workable solution for some people. That said, you need to make sure you are safe, and that you have a plan you can stick to.
Advice for you
They’ll be able to help you create a tapering schedule that won’t only raise your chance of success but also avoid severe symptoms. If you’ve been drinking heavily for a long time and think you might experience withdrawal symptoms, it’s best to talk with a medical professional before you begin a taper. They can help you decide if tapering is the safest option for you. Just as what is a useful method for one person may not be for another, what is https://thefloridadigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ a safe method for someone may not be for someone else. This is why it is essential to determine your method of tapering and your tapering schedule with the supervision of a medical professional experienced in an alcohol addiction recovery treatment. At Monument, you can join a free community of over 60,000 members also working to change their relationship with alcohol, and explore treatment options like therapy and medication to stop drinking.
How To Quit Drinking Safely
From there, you may need social support, consistent self-care, and new routines that can help redirect your mind. Dependence is often accompanied by tolerance, which is when it takes more and more alcohol for you to achieve the same effects that you experienced when you first started. Another sign that you might need to taper is morning alcohol cravings.