Deciding to stop drinking alcohol is a big step towards good health and a satisfactory standard of living, especially when this substance has taken over our lives.
Starting to reduce alcohol consumption is not an easy task and for this reason it is necessary to go to professionals and plan this process very well, in addition to the role played by family and friends can be crucial when it comes to being successful in this odyssey.
There are a series of tips to make it easier to take the first steps and be consistent. Let’s see some tips to face the battle against alcohol abuse.
These are several basic recommendations to know how to stop drinking alcohol a complicated process in the event that a true addiction has already developed and that requires the therapeutic intervention of professionals.
1. Go to a psychologist
Many psychologists are specialized in addiction problems and, given how socially accepted alcohol consumption is and how easy it is to obtain legally, there are quite a few cases of alcoholism that these professionals have to deal with, with different degrees of affectation.
The psychologist will study the level of impact of alcohol on the person’s life and, in collaboration with other professionals such as doctors and psychiatrists, A treatment and a psychoeducation and cessation program may be established to deal with addictive behavior
Seeking professional help can be a first step that ensures the potential success of stopping using. Thanks to their professional knowledge and having specialized tools for people who suffer from some type of addiction, psychologists are a fundamental pillar of rehabilitation.
2. Admit that you have a problem
Many people believe that alcoholism is a black and white issue: either you are an alcoholic, understood as the typical stereotype of a person who drinks all the time, or you are not. The truth is that reality is much more complex and many people who consume alcohol daily but in smaller quantities, as long as it causes some type of problem in their daily life, require professional help.
Although the phrase “the first step is to admit that you have a problem” may seem like a cliché, the truth is that This helps enormously in the recovery of the alcoholic person
If you see that you are obsessing about whether you drink too much, you compare yourself to someone you know in this regard, if you consider that alcohol is making it impossible for you to lead the life you would like to have, then you should do something about it, because it is clear that it is a problem for you and surely for those around you.
3. Let your acquaintances know about your intentions
Tell your acquaintances that you have decided to stop drinking alcohol. Informing them that you want to improve your health is something that It can help you be more consistent and commit more to yourself
This will also encourage your family and friends to want to help you and make them aware of the seriousness of the problem. In this way, you can ask them not to offer you wine or beer at the celebrations or suggest doing activities in which there is no alcohol.
4. Write down why you do it
Quitting drinking produces both short- and long-term benefits, however, everyone prefers instant gratification rather than having to wait months for results.
It is difficult to move forward if you are not clear about where you are going or why you are doing it Write down on a piece of paper the reasons why you want to stop or reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages and put it somewhere clearly visible in the kitchen or your room.
Some benefits of stopping drinking alcohol in the short term are being able to enjoy more lucid and interesting conversations, not wasting money on drinks, not wasting time because you are hungover, or having better sleep.
5. No alcohol at home
It may seem like an obvious measure and, at the same time, a bit extreme, but the truth is that it is the best way to avoid consuming at home. Get rid of all alcohol and even, if necessary, get rid of colognes or medications that contain this substance.
It will feel bad to waste all this, but remember that you are doing it for your health and that all the money you just threw away you will end up saving in the long run by avoiding having to go to the doctor for liver problems or paying fines for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Non-alcoholic drinks are not a good alternative. An alcoholic person whose favorite drink is beer, switching to non-alcoholic beer will not help him stop thinking about alcohol, on the contrary, he will feel that he is drinking something without that touch that gives beer its special flavor and You will want to drink even more.
6. Drink Diary
This technique It is very useful to put into perspective how much you drink Ideally, you should write during the first three or four weeks after making the decision to stop drinking alcohol altogether.
In a notebook you write down every day how many glasses you drank, what type of alcohol it was, where and at what time it was done, in addition to writing down how you felt and who you were drinking with.
This will allow you to see in more detail in which situations you drink, if you have really reduced consumption during the last month and who are the people who encourage you to drink.
7. Get rid of those who encourage you to drink
In the same way that people around us can help us in this process, others can contribute to our failure. Whether because they do not understand the seriousness of the matter or because they may also have a problem but do not want to recognize it, there are certain people who will encourage us to continue drinking and will remove iron by drinking excessively.
It is possible that alcohol is the only thing that keeps us united with certain people around us either because they are the friends with whom we go to the bar on the weekends or with whom we had drinks all our lives.
Extreme situations require extreme measures. If these people can turn out to be a big problem for our health, it is necessary to break all relationships. It is true that saying it sounds easier than doing it, but the effort must be made.
8. Identify what has led you to it
The reasons that have led you to depend on alcohol can be many and varied, and figuring them all out may require deep reflection.
It is useful to elaborate a list that notes all the situations, places, people and reasons that have contributed to consuming alcohol
It is very necessary to be aware of how you felt before and after consuming in each of the contexts. Drinking in a bar with friends because you are celebrating is not the same as drinking at home alone after having argued with your partner.
This will allow you to work with the psychologist on strategies to learn how to deal with adverse situations, and avoid drinking.
9. Stay busy
The less you drink, the less hangovers you have. Fewer hangovers mean more hours spent feeling sick, and therefore more time. To avoid falling into boredom, which can lead us to drink again, it is essential to find activities that we find entertaining and satisfying.
Play a sport, join a language school, paint, enjoy time with your family or just go for a walk. Occupies the dead hours. They will keep you distracted from the need to drink and allow you to take advantage of the time you now have while sober.
10. Drink slowly
When you are drinking tea, coffee, juice or any drink, do it slowly, tasting it. This will increase your feeling of satiety and prevent you from wanting to fill your stomach with beer or wine.
It will also help you train patience, which in the long run can become a protective factor when cravings for alcohol occur
11. Learn to say NO
Alcohol consumption is normal in our society, which is why it is difficult to prevent someone from offering us a drink. The situation may arise that someone offers us and insists on having a drink.
In these types of situations it is very important to look straight into the eyes of the person who is offering us the alcohol, and with a determined but kind and polite air say a brief and concise “no, thank you”.
Don’t give unnecessary explanations or a too long answer. If you have a friend nearby who is aware of your problem, ask him or her to help you to face the situation together.
12. Participate in a support group
Support groups are a great tool to make progress in quitting alcohol, being one of the most famous Alcoholics Anonymous
By sharing experiences, feelings, anecdotes and unpleasant events related to drinking, those who frequent these groups give each other support, and allow them to see that there are more people in the same situation and that it is possible to move forward.
In addition to face-to-face groups, there are Internet forums and online chats where you can hear the testimonies of hundreds of people around the globe.
13. Don’t give up
You may fail on more than one occasion. Keep fighting! It is normal not to overcome an addiction the first time but over time they have managed to learn strategies that have ended up leading them to success.
Each attempt will provide you with new knowledge and greater self-reflection. Think of setbacks as bumps in the road, not as restarting the entire process.
14. Reward yourself
It is very important to understand how difficult it is to overcome an addiction, for this reason if you make progress it is very beneficial to reward yourself in some way.
Obviously, among these prizes there cannot be alcoholic beverages, but they do You will be able to buy many things with all the money you have managed to save stopping spending it every week on alcohol.
15. Rehabilitation
Sometimes, even if you are going to a professional, stopping drinking is something that is simply impossible.
Whether because the environment does not allow it, the family also has problems with drinking or we do not have sufficient willpower, our health can deteriorate and give us the feeling that there is no solution.
It is for this reason that there are centers in which It is possible to stay apart from the world without having temptation at hand and under the care of professionals in the area of cessation of addictive substances.
