When you’re craving alcohol, there’s a tendency to remember the positive effects of drinking and forget the negatives. Remind yourself of the adverse long-term effects of heavy drinking and how it won’t really make you feel better, even in the short term. Are you ready to quit drinking or cut down to healthier levels? These tips can help you get started on the road to recovery. If you’re wondering how to stop drinking alcohol every night and you tend to drink at home, don’t keep alcohol in your house.
Graduate School of Addiction Studies
These are challenging to avoid and work through because they may appear randomly. Avoiding temptations requires being aware of external and internal triggers. Strategies that are easier to implement may be more effective for some people. She enjoys interviewing medical experts and researchers about their work and is passionate about communicating accurate and relevant health information to the public. Food can absorb the alcohol in beverages, so eating before or even while you drink can dampen the effect and may make you want to drink less, says Crews.
Physical symptoms
If you spend an average of $100 a week on alcohol, you’ll save more than $5,000 a year when you give up drinking. One study found that attitude-related barriers were the most common obstacle that people face before entering treatment for an alcohol use disorder. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) suggests that 40% to 60% of people with substance use disorders experience a relapse at some point. Severe symptoms may require benzodiazepines to prevent serious consequences of alcohol withdrawal.
Support Strategies for Quitting
- Check off perhaps two or three to try in the next week or two, then add others as needed.
- Cutting back or quitting drinking isn’t easy, but with the right tools in your arsenal, it’s more than achievable.
- Researchers also suggest that mindfulness-based activities may help people abstain from drinking alcohol, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and meditation.
- You may find it helpful to look for mutual support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and other groups, where you can connect with people who share experiences similar to yours.
- Build a sober social network – If your previous social life revolved around alcohol, you may need to make some new connections.
This article explores different strategies on how to stop drinking alcohol. If you think you might have alcohol use disorder (AUD) and decide to stop drinking completely, don’t go it alone. You don’t have to leave the house to get support from other people who understand and respect what you’re trying to do. If you drink to ease the pain of loneliness, then make a conscious effort to connect with others.
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- You could organise to meet friends at the cinema instead.
- It’s how you keep your cool when you feel overwhelmed and anxious.
- As it breaks down, a by-product called acetaldehyde is produced.
Be patient with yourself, and don’t hesitate to seek professional support when needed. Embracing a life free of alcohol’s influence holds tremendous potential for personal growth and enhanced well-being. After learning how to stop using alcohol, it’s important to focus on maintaining an alcohol-free lifestyle.
Evaluating the costs and benefits of drinking
Consider writing them down and keeping notes on hand, so you have a physical reminder to look at when you need it to help motivate you to stay the course. For some people, it can be helpful to wear something like a bracelet to always have a reminder on hand when you need it. Finding or reaching out to other sober people can also help. Maybe you don’t think you depend on alcohol exactly, but you still wonder whether you might be drinking too much. While the recovery period may be challenging, it’s also filled with milestones that can transform your life into one that’s better than you could have previously imagined.
Coping with alcohol withdrawal symptoms safely
Use the NIAAA’s drink size calculator to determine the amount of alcohol in various drinks. When you consider how to go about giving up alcohol, account for factors like how much you drink and your reasons for drinking. Maybe you feel that you’re drinking too much or too often. Remember to reach out to your friends, family, and other loved ones for support, too. They can help you create an environment that will set you up for success I drink every night am I an alcoholic and remove unnecessary temptations.
What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking Alcohol?
Many types of support are available in the community and on the internet. However, the best strategies are those that people respond to the best. Setting a goal to stop drinking alcohol requires a person to be aware of their reasons for this behavioral change.
Dealing with Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
Quitting alcohol alone is harder for some than others, but there’s no need to go it alone. If you’re having difficulty sticking to your goal or just want some extra guidance, consider reaching out for professional support. But maybe you’re unsure about quitting completely and don’t want to hold yourself to that goal. During this stage, most people focus their energy on coping with cravings and resisting the urge to drink. So far, there’s no consensus on the medical definition of recovery in alcohol treatment literature. Recovery from alcohol addiction generally follows the stages of abstinence, withdrawal, repair, and growth.