Start with a clinician, not a challenge.

Why stopping can need a doctor first

Alcohol slows the nervous system. After weeks or years of regular heavy drinking, the nervous system adapts by turning itself up to compensate. If alcohol is taken away suddenly, the adaptation has nothing to push against and the body can overshoot. That is withdrawal.

For many people who drink a few times a week, a month off is safe and unremarkable. For people who drink heavily most days, stopping suddenly can cause anything from an unpleasant few days to a medical emergency. A clinician can tell which is likely, and there is effective medical care for it.

This is why the fit check asks first. Asking for medical help is the correct first step for a person in your position.

What withdrawal can look like

This is general education, not a way to diagnose yourself. The timing varies from person to person.

• Minor withdrawal often starts 6 to 12 hours after the last drink: shaking, sweating, nausea, anxiety, trouble sleeping, a fast heart rate.
• Withdrawal seizures tend to happen between about 6 and 48 hours after the last drink, often around 24 hours, and can come more than once.
• Delirium tremens usually starts 48 to 96 hours after the last drink: confusion, agitation, hallucinations, sweating, fever and unstable vital signs. It is a medical emergency.

Call emergency services for a seizure, confusion, hallucinations, chest pain, fainting or vomiting blood. Do not wait to see if it passes.

Who is at higher risk

The American Society of Addiction Medicine guideline lists these as raising the risk of complicated withdrawal: a history of withdrawal seizures or delirium, many earlier withdrawal episodes, age over 65, a long stretch of heavy regular drinking, and significant medical or surgical illness. Withdrawal can also get worse with repeated episodes, so having got through it once is not a safety clearance.

What this program will not do

It will not tell anyone what to take, how much, or how to taper. Medicines used for withdrawal are chosen and dosed by a clinician. We do not recommend drinking to ease symptoms, and we do not offer a schedule for cutting down. If you are told to stop at home, follow your clinician's plan and nothing from this site.

How to talk to a clinician

Say it plainly. They hear this every day. Primary care, urgent care and telehealth can all start the conversation, and the SAMHSA helpline can point you to care if you are not sure where to go.

How to tell someone

Pick one person and say what you are doing and what you need, in two sentences. The first days of a supported stop go better when you are not alone.

Planning the first alcohol-free evening, once a supported stop is arranged

This is for after a clinician has told you how the stop will happen. It is not a plan to start tonight.

• Follow your clinician's instructions on medicines, timing and who to call.
• Have a person with you, or a person you have agreed to call. Do not drive.
• Eat something, drink water, and keep your phone charged with the clinician's number and the helplines visible.
• Plan for sleep to be strange for a few nights.
• Do not replace alcohol with other sedatives or someone else's medicine.

If your fit check said to talk to a clinician first

1. Why a month. A dated, 30-day experiment still makes sense, with Days 1 to 3 as setup you can do now while you arrange a medical conversation.
2. What to tell a doctor. The one-page brief above has most of it.
3. How not to stop tonight. Do not stop suddenly on your own. Call a clinician today or tomorrow and follow their instructions about what to do in the meantime.