Why Quitting Alcohol Cold Turkey is Not Recommended

Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States, and it's easy to become a victim of its consumption. The most shocking aspect of this socially accepted and widespread substance is that it is also the most dangerous for quitting smoking. Withdrawal symptoms can be so severe that they can end your life, which is why it's never recommended to quit drinking all at once. If you're going to try, it's imperative that you contact a medical professional before you quit smoking so that they can discuss the risks with you. Footprints to Recovery offers medical detoxification for alcohol abuse supervised by doctors, nurses and detoxification specialists.

If you don't learn healthy coping skills or address the reasons why you're abusing alcohol, relapse is almost inevitable. Research indicates that approximately half of people with an alcohol use disorder, who stop drinking suddenly or dramatically reduce their alcohol consumption, experience a series of symptoms known as alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The safest and most effective way to quit alcohol is gradually and under the medical supervision of professionals who specialize in addiction. Quitting drinking (safely) can improve or reverse some of the negative effects of alcohol on physical health, such as improving or reversing cognitive damage, lowering blood pressure, reversing some forms of alcohol-related liver damage, and reducing the risk of certain types of cancer every year you're sober. Switching to another form of alcohol won't improve withdrawal outcomes if the amount consumed doesn't decrease. In fact, it's much safer to gradually reduce the level of alcohol a person drinks rather than to stop suddenly.

Heavy drinkers may experience withdrawal symptoms even with a slight reduction in their alcohol consumption. When you suddenly stop drinking, your system is flooded with abnormally high levels of these chemicals. Because of the risk of severe symptoms and complications from alcohol withdrawal, such as seizures, many people benefit from the stable environment and professional help provided by medical detoxification, which can provide pharmaceutical tools and medications to help eliminate or reduce the specific symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Sophia Streeby
Sophia Streeby

Addiction recovery expert from experience and training - I want to help others Quit drinking alcohol and find freedom from addiction daily.