When people reach the point at which they’re ready to set off on their taper journey, they find it helpful to make sure they’ve taken all of the important planning measures for their taper. This includes:
- Maximizing the likelihood of the smoothest, most successful taper through responsible preparation. (See Part 1 of ICI’s Companion Guide – Prepare.)
- Choosing a cautious starting taper rate and determining the amount of drug to cut for the first month (See Step 13), and being ready to adjust the rate as appropriate in response to the body’s messages.
- Choosing a taper schedule, and deciding on the number of cuts to make the first month. (See Step 14.)
- Choosing a taper method (See Step 15), and ensuring that the drug is safe to use for tapering with the chosen taper method (see Steps 10 and 11).
- Making all of the necessary preparatory decisions and taking any actions relevant to the chosen taper method, including gathering any necessary gear and researching and learning relevant safety precautions. (See Step 17 and 16.)
- Learning the skills that are essential for implementing the chosen taper method. (See Step 18.)
- Making all of the necessary calculations to determine the amounts and cuts for the initial day(s) or weeks of the taper (See Step 18), and being ready to adjust and make new calculations in response to the body’s messages.
- Starting a taper journal and beginning to record all of the relevant calculations and amounts (See Step 19). Also, beginning making notes about symptoms and experiences.
Continue reading through the sample implementation of the specific taper method(s) of interest to you.