How To Stop Drinking - www.hangover.org

How to stop drinking

Drinking isn’t a scary thing until it becomes a problem. It gets especially scary when you find yourself drinking even when you don’t want to. It can seem impossible to overcome your drinking but there are actually steps you can to stop drinking. As long as you haven’t reached the point of no return you can do what you need to rewind and stop your problem drinking in its tracks.

How to stop drinking: acknowledge why you do it

Why do you engage in your drinking? You have to be able to answer that question in order to stop drinking. Is it to help you with anxiety and stress? It may be hard to admit why you have you are drinking but you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge exists. Admit why you engage in the problem drinking to yourself and you are on your to stopping drinking.

How to stop drinking: Think rational thoughts instead of sitting in denial

You probably understand at a conscious and intellectual level that your drinking is unhealthy yet you keep on using or drinking and this baffles you. If you are in denial about your drinking this is probably why. If you can’t get through the day without a shot of vodka, you may be self-medicating and if you have reached the point of knowing its bad and can’t stop you may need outside help from something like a drug rehab to stop drinking. Realizing this is a rational thought.

How to stop drinking: Using coping skills

People never break bad habits they merely replace them with new ones. Recognize that you get a reward of some sort from smoking, using drugs, and drinking. Find something else to give you that reward and you have found new coping skills and have stopped the drinking. If you have reached the point of no return and need to attend rehab it is still a very good idea to find new coping skills for life for when you are out of rehab. Finding new coping skills can stop drinking in its tracks. And if you can stop drinking then you can begin to live a healthy life again. You have the ability to quiet yourself without drugs and alcohol; without your alcohol. You also have the ability to reduce stress without drugs and alcohol. Find new things to use to stop drinking instead of drugs and alcohol which fuel it.

How to stop drinking: Have a support system and become accountable

If you truly want to stop drinking and get clean then you are going to need help from people and you are going to need to be accountable to those people. Accountability means showing up when you say you are going to and no longer engaging in alcoholic drinking behaviors like being flaky. The support system you have is meant to help you stop drinking by telling you the truth about yourself when you want to go into denial about your drinking. Your support system will also help you to find new ways to be healthier and do those things with you. Support and accountability can also come in the form of rehab to stop drinking.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Ok, so if you don’t have a problem with alcohol, the good news is you can just stop drinking. Don’t drink anymore. Problem solved. However, you probably wouldn’t be looking at this article if it were that simple. Chances are, you’re probably already experiencing some negative consequences as a result of your drinking. You may have even tried to stop drinking before and it didn’t work. Or maybe you’ve just noticed that the number of drinks you have every week has slowly started to creep upward.

How to stop drinking: Assess the problem

Ok, so it’s time to get honest about the problem, even if it’s just to yourself. How much do you drink, and how often? How long has it been going on? If you’ve been a daily drinker for some time, odds are that you will experience some withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop drinking.

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can begin as early as two hours after taking your last drink. They can range from moderate (mild anxiety, shakiness) to severe (seizures, delirium tremens) depending on how long you have been drinking. The severe complications can lead to death in some cases, so if you have been drinking daily for a while, you shouldn’t try to get off alcohol on your own, which brings me to my next point….

How to stop drinking: Consult a doctor

Don’t feel like you need to quit alone. Even if you haven’t been drinking long enough to have withdrawal symptoms, it is much easier to quit with some help. A doctor can help you assess your drinking and give you counsel on resources that can help you to stop drinking. They may even be able to prescribe medication to help with withdrawal or point you towards a medical detox facility. Also, your doctor can give you information regarding mental health professionals, support groups and drug and alcohol treatment centers in your area.

How to stop drinking: Get rid of all your alcohol

In the beginning, it’s much easier to stop drinking if you first clear out all of the alcohol in your home. Ask family and friends if they can refrain from bringing alcohol to your house when they come over and try to avoid situations where there will be a lot of drinking. If you have been drinking for a long time, it may be difficult at first to find activities that do not involve alcohol. It is important to keep busy when you try to stop drinking and find some things you enjoy doing without having to be drunk.

How to stop drinking: Take care of yourself

It is much easier to stop drinking when your body is getting good food and enough rest. Exercise can also be a great way to release endorphins, manage stress, and cut cravings. Take extra good care of yourself when you try to stop drinking, especially in the beginning. Try to reduce outside stress as much as possible, and try new, healthy ways to deal with anxiety and stress.