If you are serious about mindful drinking, ask your friends, family, or other trusted member of your community to help you cut back. You can plan fun events that don’t center around alcohol, and they can assist in keeping you accountable to your goals. To lower your alcohol consumption, try to stick to only one alcoholic drink per hour. In between drinks, you can have soda, water, or even a non-alcoholic beer or mocktail. Not only does pacing yourself help cut back on alcohol consumption, but it also gives you confidence and self-discipline. Developing the discipline to pace yourself is one of the best ways to cut down on drinking alcohol.
- If you’re unable to reduce how much you drink, you may have a disease called alcoholism that requires professional addiction treatment.
- Stopping alcohol use is the first step of the recovery journey, but staying sober for longer and longer periods is the goal.
- Sober living homes provide a comfortable, safe place for you to focus on your healing.
- Getting professional treatment and long-term support are two of the most valuable strategies for avoiding relapse.
Recovery Programs
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, or a substance that reduces arousal and stimulation. Alcohol, or ethanol (the type of alcohol in beverages), is an intoxicating or strong ingredient found in beer, wine, and liquor. Alcohol is produced by the fermentation, or the breakdown, of yeast, sugars, and starches. Stopping alcohol can be rewarding, but it’s not without challenges.
Decreased Risk of AUD
I’d encourage you to read them all, but at the very least, please read the sections on withdrawal symptoms and the schedule itself. Quitting alcohol can be extremely hard, especially without medical support. Further, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression are extremely common in those who struggle with drinking, and these disorders can make it even harder to stay sober. Cutting down your alcohol intake may not be as easy as it sounds. People who want to reduce their alcohol consumption often do not realize how much of their social and daily routines alcohol has become.
You may find a renewed interest in music during your detox and should pursue the distraction it offers from cravings or withdrawal symptoms. Like deep breathing, meditation can help you stay balanced and relaxed during your withdrawal. At times, it’s easy to forget why you entered recovery in the first place.
- If you’re making mixed drinks, only use half a shot instead of a full shot, and turn it into two drinks (still count both as one combined).
- For people who moderately consume alcohol, tapering off may be a good option.
- It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.
- You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with our licensed Reframe coaches for more personalized guidance.
- Pull the letter out and read it to yourself when you feel tempted.
- Within 5 minutes, you’ll receive an email with these details – free of charge.
We are ready to cheer you on as you continue down the road of recovery toward a healthier, happier you. Are you or your loved one actively struggling with alcohol use? Is alcohol beginning to take up more and more of your time, budget, and life?
Medical Disclaimer
Adding some variety can help not only decrease your weekly drink count, but also expose you to new hobbies. That expense comes out to $2.08 per drink consumed by Oregonians. Delamere describes the different stages that you go through while detoxing from alcohol6.
Step Taper
When coming off drugs or alcohol tapering is the best way to prevent severe withdrawal symptoms. Tapering is the act of gradually reducing alcohol use until completely abstinent. By Living in a Sober House: Fundamental Rules creating a schedule to monitor your alcohol use you can see just how much of the substance you are drinking.
What Is Stilpane Syrup? Uses, Side Effects, & More
The first night I barely slept because of auditory hallucinations and the second night I had tunnel vision and felt like a stroke victim. I took a few shots and luckily nothing bad happened, but something easily could have happened. If you are underweight, a woman, FtM, or at risk of complications due to high blood pressure, consider tapering slower than this. If you have a history of seizures, or have had seizures while detoxing in the past, do not, under any circumstances, attempt a self taper. If you are already at risk of heart attacks or strokes because of conditions such as obesity or preexisting high blood pressure, monitor your blood pressure carefully.
A therapist will work with you to create a personalized plan for cutting back and provide ongoing guidance and accountability. Whatever method you use to taper down, your plan should also be approved and monitored by a healthcare profession to ensure your safety. Working with a physician on the Monument platform can help determine what timeline will work for you based on your past drinking habits and risk of withdrawal. Whatever schedule is chosen, it’s important to commit so you can build upon your progress and avoid withdrawal symptoms as much as possible.
The numbers may be less for women, individuals with smaller bodies, and people who are underweight. https://appsychology.com/living-in-a-sober-house/ If you can get through a day with no physical withdrawal symptoms, you probably won’t need to taper. If you get moderate tremors or start hallucinating six hours after your last drink, you probably need to taper. Everyone is different, so it’s ultimately up to you to decide if you want to taper or not. The rest of this guide addresses pre-planning, withdrawal symptoms, planning, creating a taper schedule, and the next steps after a taper.
Once alcohol is stopped, your brain continues to be hyperactive until it readjusts to the absence of alcohol. This process is often referred to as detox and often causes withdrawal symptoms. This can include symptoms like sweating, tremors, or nausea. Over the long term, many health benefits occur throughout your body. Your risk of certain diseases decreases, you will begin sleeping better, and your overall health can significantly benefit.
After several days of 5 glasses of wine, you can reduce that down to 4. Eventually, after a period of time, you will have tapered down to zero drinks. If you’re interested in medication-assisted treatment, medication to curb cravings can be a helpful tool for reducing your consumption. Many people with addictions convince themselves that they are alone and are the only ones going through their experiences.