How to stop drinking alcohol: 15 useful tips

Tips and recommendations on how to stop drinking alcohol while going to therapy.

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. 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 turn to professionals and plan this process very well, in addition to the role played by family and friends can be crucial to succeed in this odyssey.

There are a number 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.

How to stop drinking alcohol?

These are several basic recommendations to know how to stop drinking alcoholThis is a complicated process if a real addiction has already developed and requires the therapeutic intervention of professionals.

1. See a psychologist

Many psychologists specialize in addiction problems and, given the social acceptance of alcohol consumption and the ease with which it can be obtained legally, there are many cases of alcoholism that these professionals have to deal with, with different degrees of affectation.

The psychologist will study the level of affectation of alcohol in the person's life and, in collaboration with other professionals such as doctors and psychiatrists, a treatment and psychoeducation and detoxification program can be established to deal with the addictive behavior..

Seeking professional help can be a first step to ensure the potential success of quitting. Thanks to their professional knowledge and the availability of specialized tools for people suffering from some type of addiction, psychologists are a fundamental pillar of rehabilitation.

2. Admit 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 the reality is much more complex and many people who consume alcohol on a daily basis but in smaller quantities, as long as it causes them some kind of problem in their daily lives, need professional help.

Although the phrase "the first step is to admit you have a problem" may sound like a cliché, the truth is that this helps enormously in recovery. greatly assists in the alcoholic's recovery..

If you find that you are obsessing about whether you drink too much, comparing yourself to an acquaintance in this regard, if you feel that alcohol is making it impossible for you to lead the life you would like to have, then you must do something about it, because it is clear that it is a problem for you and certainly 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 can help you to be more can help you to be more consistent and more committed 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 celebrations or propose activities where 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's hard to keep going if you're not clear about where you're going and why you're doing it.. Write down on a piece of paper the reasons why you want to stop or reduce your drinking and put it somewhere visible in the kitchen or your bedroom.

Some benefits of giving up 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 a better sleep.

5. No alcohol at home

It may seem an obvious measure and, at the same time, a bit extreme, but the truth is that it is the best way to avoid drinking at home. Get rid of all alcohol and even, if necessary, get rid of colognes or medicines containing this substance.

You will feel bad about wasting all this, but think that you are doing it for your health, and that all the money you just threw away will end up saving you in the long run.You will end up saving all the money you have just thrown away by avoiding having to go to the doctor for liver problems or paying fines for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Soft drinks are not a good alternative. An alcoholic whose favorite drink is beer switching to non-alcoholic beer will not help them stop thinking about alcohol, on the contrary, they will feel like they are drinking something without that special taste that gives beer its special flavor and will feel even more like drinking.

6. Drink Journal

This technique is very useful to put into perspective how much you drink.. The ideal is to write down everything you drink during the first three or four weeks since you made the decision to stop drinking alcohol.

In a notebook you write down every day how many glasses you drank, what type of alcohol it was, where and at what time you drank, as well as how you felt and with whom you were drinking.

This will allow you to see in more detail in what situations you drink, if you have really reduced your consumption during the last month and who are those 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. Either because they do not understand the seriousness of the issue or because they may also have a problem but do not want to admit it, there are certain people who will encourage us to continue drinking and take the heat off abusive drinking.

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 weekends or with whom we used to go binge drinking all our lives.Whether it is because they are the friends we go to the bar with on weekends or the ones with whom we used to go binge drinking 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. True, it sounds easier said than done, 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 draw up a list of all the situations, places, people and motives that have contributed to your alcohol consumption.

It is very necessary to be aware of how you felt before and after drinking 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 an argument with your partner.

This will allow you to work with the psychologist on strategies to learn how to cope with adverse situations and avoid drinking.

9. Keep busy

The less you drink the less hangovers you have. Fewer hangovers means more hours unwell 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 entertaining. that we find entertaining and satisfying.

Take up a sport, join a language school, paint, spend time with the family or simply go for a walk. Occupy the idle hours. They will keep you distracted from the need to drink and allow you to take advantage of the time you now have sober.

10. Drink slowly

When you are drinking tea, coffee, juice or any beverage, 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 your patience, which can eventually become a protective factor when cravings occur. a protective factor when cravings for alcohol occur..

11. Learn to say NO

Alcohol consumption is normal in our society, so it is difficult to avoid someone offering us a drink. It may happen that someone offers us and insists on having a drink.

In this type of situation it is very important to look the person who is offering us alcohol straight in the eye, and with a determined but friendly and polite air say a brief and concise "no, thank you".

Do not give unnecessary explanations or a long-winded answer. If you have a friend nearby who is aware of your problem, ask him or her to help you. to address the situation jointly.

12. Participate in a support group

Support groups are a great tool for making progress in quitting alcohol, one of the most famous of which is Alcoholics Anonymous..

By sharing experiences, feelings, anecdotes and unpleasant events related to drinking, those who attend these groups give each other mutual support, and make it possible to see that there are other 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 world.

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 led them to success.

Each attempt will provide you with new knowledge and self-reflection. Think of setbacks as roadblocks, not as the restart of the whole 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 rewards there cannot be alcoholic beverages, but you will be able to afford to buy many things with all the alcoholic beverages. you will be able to afford to buy many things with all the money you have managed to save by not spending it every week. money you have managed to save by not spending it every week on alcohol.

15. Rehabilitation

Sometimes, even if you are going to a professional, quitting drinking is simply not possible.

Whether it is because the environment does not make it possible, the family also has problems with drinking or there is not enough willpower, our health can deteriorate and give us the feeling that there is no solution.

For this reason, there are centers in which it is possible to stay away from the world without having temptation at hand, and under the care of substance abuse professionals.and under the care of professionals in the field of addictive substance abuse.

Bibliographical references:

• Swift R., M., Aston E., R. (2015) Pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder: current and emerging therapies. Harvard Review of Psychiatry. 23(2,:122-133.
• O'Connor P., G. (2016). Alcohol use disorders. Philadelphia, USA: Elsevier Saunders.