Has your alcohol intake reached alarming levels? If you have started drinking too often or too much, then it is a concern, and you should check with your doctor. Follow his advice on whether he asks you to cut down or abstain. If you are suffering from other physical or mental ailments or dependent on alcohol, then you need to stop drinking immediately.
Alcohol addiction does not happen in a day or two. It is a mental disease that takes the person in its grip over time. Regular intake of a large amount of alcohol leads to chemical changes in our brain. The road to recovery is going to be slow but definitely yield results if you are determined.
Here’s what you suggest you follow:
Inform your near and dear ones
Making your intentions known to people around you is a good idea. Share it with your friends and family that you are attempting to stop drinking alcohol. Also, elaborate on the reasons that brought you to this idea. It has a psychological effect on you. At a later stage, you can also share your success with them.
Alongside, keep reminding yourself and your family and friends about your resolution, and it will keep you on track.
Avoid everything that causes temptation
As you progress down the road to recovery along with your resolution, you have to be cautious about one thing. Avoid people, places, and situations that may tempt you to drink again. If it means that you need to cut down on your socializing activities, then you should. Overall you need to change the pattern. For instance, engage yourself in a hobby or some exciting activity. Pursue this hobby, especially at the times of the day when you would usually drink. Joining a gym or engaging yourself in movies or social media can be a good option here. Start surrounding yourself with people that are sober and practice healthy habits. It will also influence you positively.
Therefore, you have to avoid all the triggers; it is crucial. If you have tried to quit drinking in the past and failed, then take time to analyze a bit. This time around, you need to avoid all the reasons that caused the failure.
This strategy will see you through the initial phase.
The dilemma: give up or gradually reduce
Your decision to quit alcohol is your step towards health, joy, and happiness. While many may decide to cut down their alcohol intake, but giving up alcohol altogether is a healthier choice with numerous benefits. Giving up drinking entirely is relatively more natural than to the decision to reduce the intake. The reason is that one may get influenced by requests to grab another drink when you had already taken your share of drinks. Sometimes its friends; at other times, it is the occasion that makes it hard for you to stick to our resolution of reduced intake.
However, if you feel that you will gradually reduce before putting a full stop, then it is also fine. If you have been drinking daily, then you can designate a few days as alcohol- free days. On the remaining days, try to drink less than what you used to earlier. It will tough initially, but later on, it will become a habit.
Whichever way you start, it is a welcome move. Be determined and do not consider the abstinence from alcohol as a self-imposed punishment. Instead, it is a wise and healthy choice that you have made.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
There is a probability that your body may undergo withdrawal symptoms, especially if you had been drinking heavily before. These psychological, as well as physical symptoms, are common and short term.
The symptoms may include irritability, poor concentration, insomnia, trembling hands, sweating, nausea, headaches, loss of appetite, and others. Nothing to worry, it is just a signal that you had been drinking at worrying levels.
It will be advisable to visit the doctor once and share your specific withdrawal symptoms. His prescribed medications may ease things for you.
Addiction Treatment Options
Now there will be some who will be quit drinking entirely on their own. Then there will be others who may seek medical supervision and rehab facilities to withdraw from alcohol safely and comfortably. Which of these will be the best depends entirely on you and your drinking habits.
The alcohol treatment programs are:
Residential: Here, you live in a treatment facility over a period of treatment.
Partial: In this treatment plan, you need to stay at the facility, for instance, 3-5 days a week or say 4-6 hours a day.
Outpatient: This program can be scheduled to fit in with your work and related commitments.
Apart from these, therapies are known to produce wonderful results when it comes to the treatment of alcohol addiction. These also add to your social skills, repair relationships, and happiness.