Alcohol is a deadly substance that impacts millions of Americans annually. More concerningly, alcohol is widely accepted by families, friends, and society in general. As one of the most difficult substances to quit, alcohol consumption can carry many adverse effects ranging from cancer to heart disease. To make matters worse, alcohol is also one of the hardest substances to quit once abuse becomes a pattern. Quitting alcohol can even prove fatal for heavy drinkers if not done with medical supervision. Many who are facing the realities of alcohol addiction may wonder, is tapering off alcohol safe as a method for quitting? Let’s explore more below. 

Tapering off alcohol is one of the most common methods for quitting drinking, as it can reduce the likelihood of suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms — or at least spreading these out over a larger period of time.

However, in order to safely taper off alcohol use, medical supervision is highly encouraged. It’s not advised to taper off alcohol, as an at-home detox can make relapse more likely. Instead, those who suffer from alcohol use disorders should seek professional treatment to help address both addiction as well as underlying mental health issues. Tailored programs can help individuals achieve long-term sobriety. 

Is tapering off alcohol safe? Find out whether this is the best method for you, as well as how to do this safely. Contact AspenRidge Recovery for direct support in alcohol addiction treatment and recovery for co-occurring mental health issues at 855-281-5588. 

What Is Alcohol Use Disorder?

Alcohol Use Disorder, or AUD, is when someone has started to drink lots of alcohol. They will often have become heavy drinkers, and feel dependent on the drug to get through the day. This can affect every aspect of their lives, from losing their job to affecting their personal relationships.

It can be very hard to quit drinking, and isn’t something that should be done alone. If someone were to attempt to stop drinking alcohol without tapering off their use, this will then display symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. This can be a very dangerous thing to do if not done by following medical advice. For heavy drinkers, they will need to follow a specific medical detox which is also monitored to ensure this is done safely.

Knowing how to treat alcohol withdrawal can be a tricky thing to tackle. To avoid severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it will always be best to examine your treatment options and find the best program for you and your particular circumstances.

Impacts Of Alcohol Abuse

In order to better understand alcohol addiction and why it’s important to take this seriously, we will need to better understand the impacts of alcohol abuse. The effects of heavy drinking or drinking to excess can include:

• Liver disease
• Heartburn and acid reflux
• Damage to your salivary glands
• Ulcers along your esophagus
• Internal bleeding
• Tooth decay and gum disease
• Hemorrhoids

When someone has developed an alcohol substance use disorder, this will require effective treatment in order to quit drinking. It isn’t advised to try and do this cold turkey, and those who have developed an alcohol dependence through heavy alcohol consumption will require medical treatment in order to ensure that they are able to enter recovery.

How To Recover From Alcohol Effectively

One of the best ways to stop drinking and get on the road to recovery is to taper off your alcohol consumption. It is worth noting that the effectiveness will differ from person to person, so this is why it will be important to get professional treatment advice.

For the majority of people, this will need to be gradually increased over a period of time. It’s important to note that it won’t work for everyone, and is best done under medical attention or with the proper supervision so that it can be completed successfully.

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. 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.

To avoid severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it is advised to taper off alcohol via medical assistance or by using an alcohol treatment program such as those found at AspenRidge.

Pros of Tapering Alcohol Use

• Effective way of reducing your alcohol intake
• Can lessen the likelihood of a relapse
• Suits the majority of light to moderate drinkers
• Lessens the likelihood of alcohol withdrawal syndrome
• Lessens the symptoms of withdrawal
• Allows you to gradually reduce the alcohol content you consume over a longer period of time

Cons of Tapering Alcohol Use

• Requires professional help to achieve successfully
• Isn’t recommended to try and do on your own
• Heavy drinkers will require a medical detox

Alcohol Recovery On Your Own Vs Professional Help

Is tapering off alcohol safe? Even though tapering off your alcohol consumption is one of the best ways to stop drinking, it’s important to note that this will need to be done with professional help. This can ensure that you are more likely to succeed with getting on the road to recovery, and that you are less likely to relapse.

For those who try to follow their own alcohol tapering schedule at home, they are more likely to increase the level of their drinking to their original levels. This can become dangerous, as your tolerance to alcohol will reduce over time as you taper off the alcoholic beverages. The absence of alcohol will mean that if you were to return to your former levels of alcohol consumption, you could potentially put yourself in fatal circumstances.

By receiving professional help, you can tailor the decrease in alcohol consumption to a method that will be safe for you and your circumstances. This will be a better way to tackle an addiction to alcohol, and can reduce the likelihood of suffering from symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Effects Of Quitting Cold Turkey

For those who are determined to stop drinking, it may be tempting to go “cold turkey”. This is when you stop drinking alcohol altogether. However, quitting alcohol cold turkey isn’t recommended for moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers. You will be at serious risk of withdrawal symptoms, which can even prove deadly for some who suffer from alcohol addiction.

The symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol consumption can include:

• Loss of appetite
• Anxiety
• Tremors and shaking
• Vomiting and nausea
• Clammy, sweaty skin and sweating
• Fatigue and insomnia
• Depression
• Loss of short term memory
• Hallucination
• Irritability and hostility towards others
• Weak muscles
• Delirium Tremens (DT)

Is Tapering Off Alcohol Safe?

If you or someone you know suffers from alcohol addiction and would like some help to stop drinking alcohol, it’s important to note that you aren’t alone. Here at AspenRidge, we have a range of alcohol addiction treatment programs to get you on the road to recovery. We have a range of programs to give you the professional help that you need. Find an alcohol addiction treatment program that suits you by giving AspenRidge a call on 855-281-5588.