Alcohol is the most consumed legal drug in the world, and the most normalized It has been culturally integrated into society for thousands of years, it is part of the way many people understand socialization and life in general.
But alcohol is a drug, and it is the one that causes the most harm to the people who consume it and those around them.
More and more people are realizing that they need to give up alcohol and become teetotal transform your life towards sobriety.
But giving up alcohol is not easy, since we live in a very alcoholic society, in which habitual and extreme alcohol consumption is normalized. People who get drunk and consume alcohol as a way of life (and who probably suffer from dependence or alcoholism) are socially applauded, while people who choose to drink water at a dinner with friends are often penalized, they are looked at as if they were weird bugs.
In this article I am going to give you 7 tips to help you quit alcohol for good and start enjoying life sober
1. Don’t wait until you hit rock bottom
Unfortunately, the world is full of people who don’t change until they are forced to. The majority of people who decide to give up alcohol completely do so because they have already suffered some health problem resulting from habitual (or extreme) consumption of alcohol, or because they have reached the point of alcoholism.
Overcoming alcoholism is possible, but it is difficult, and It is much easier (and wiser) to decide to give up alcohol on our own, before we go to the extreme
Many people make the decision to stop drinking when their doctor diagnoses them with a disease (cirrhosis, colon cancer, heart disease, etc.), when they have a serious accident due to drunk driving, or because their partner gives them an ultimatum and tells them that if they don’t give up alcohol, it will be the end of their relationship.
It is best to stop drinking before we are forced because we have no other option Furthermore, quitting alcohol is much easier when we have not developed an addiction or a strong dependency, so the sooner the better.
2. Make the firm decision to give up alcohol
Reflect on the damage that alcohol has done to you throughout your life The hangovers, making a fool of yourself, the health problems, the risk of accidents, all the money spent, the damage to your relationships, your self-esteem, your anxiety…
And then imagine what your life will be like in 10 years if you stop drinking now, how you will feel, all the vitality and energy, the health, and how you will be glad that you made such a brave decision now (when you still have a choice).
Then make a firm decision that marks a before and after. Start defining yourself as a teetotal person like not drinking alcohol is part of your identity and it’s something you don’t need in your life.
3. Understand why you drink alcohol
People use drugs as escape routes from reality, as ways to cover up unpleasant emotions, discomfort, and forget about problems or situations that are difficult to face.
Alcohol only hides problems temporarily , and it also has a second effect. It makes the person less and less able to cope with the pain and discomfort of everyday life, because they become dependent on alcohol.
If you want to stop drinking forever, it is essential that you understand why you drink, what use you give it on a daily basis, What unpleasant or painful emotions do you run away from on a daily basis? what insecurities you try to cover, the void you try to fill…
Alcohol (like the consumption of any other drug) occupies a place in a person’s life, because most people get used to using alcohol from adolescence, to feel stronger, more secure, to feel like a more interesting person or daring
We need to understand the insecurities that make us crave alcohol. If we understand our relationship with drinking, it will be much easier for us to give up alcohol and make changes in our personal world so we never need alcohol again
4. Stay away from your drinking buddies
Most people who drink heavily have had an environment that has reinforced their drinking behavior. Family members, friends or partners who frequently abuse alcohol as a way of life, whose free time plans revolve around alcohol consumption or being drunk.
Many of the people I have worked with in therapy have told me how they realized that many of their friendships were toxic, in the sense that they only served as an excuse to drink, and that if there was no alcohol involved, they would not They were able to share anything.
Filter your friendships, recognize which ones are not real friendships and which only revolve around alcohol , and put a healthy distance. Otherwise, they will become sources of relapse sooner or later, because those people will continue to reinforce in your mind the message that “alcohol is not that bad and I need it to feel good.”
5. Recover your healthy hobbies
Giving up alcohol is not easy, and alcohol has served some type of function in a person’s life. That’s why, We must fill the void left by alcohol with other alternative activities hobbies and pleasant and satisfying experiences, which are also incompatible with alcohol consumption (that is, they are healthy).
Exercise again, enjoy nature, spend more time with our loved ones or start projects that make us feel excited and want to get up in the morning. When we reinforce our pillars of well-being, it is more difficult for bad habits to make their way
Because they will make us feel good about ourselves, and we will lose the need to use alcohol to deal with our problems.
You may be interested: “How to generate new healthy habits?”
6. Strengthen your social support system
Spend more time with people who love and support you, as well as people whose lives don’t revolve around alcohol Some people find this social support in alcoholism mutual support groups. And it is true that these groups help many people, but they are not for everyone. You can also receive this support from your family, your partner or other friends who do not abuse alcohol or who have also decided to become abstainer.
7. Ask an addiction psychologist for help
Stopping drinking is not easy, because to do so we need to fight against many conditions of our education and the influence of a society that normalizes and idealizes alcohol consumption. Plus, alcohol is an addictive substance, which only makes things more difficult.
If you are having trouble staying abstinent, don’t wait, contact a professional
My name is Luis Miguel Real I am a psychologist specializing in addictions.
I’ve been helping people enjoy life without having to get high for years. If you need it, I can help you quit alcohol and achieve sobriety. Contact me and we will get to work as soon as possible.
