Anyone has the ability to stop drinking as soon as today. The first step is up to you. You can consult your doctor, contact a support group, or even just set a date as a goal to be the day that you set aside the bottle for good. Make sure though that while many can stop drinking on their own, if you feel you are unable to do this, seek medical help that can at least help you manage your physical symptoms of withdrawal.
If you believe you have an addiction to alcohol, consult your doctor on if you need to detoxify from alcohol while under medical supervision. Your doctor can prescribe medications to help you overcome the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Other medicines are available later on to help you stay sober. With help form a physician, withdrawal from alcohol becomes safer.
Quitting alcohol use can: Avert or decrease health problems that are compounded by alcohol use, such as liver damage. Prevent harm to your unborn baby if you are pregnant. Reduce associated family concerns or relationship troubles. Boost your capability to be productive at work, school, and home. Lessen legal problems that you might have as a result of abuse of alcohol.
Education and emotional support are key when quitting alcohol, particularly if you misuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. Here are only a few of the resources available to you to help end the alcohol cycle:
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) - Alcoholics Anonymous holds meetings all over the world to support those who have made a commitment to overcome drinking. The groups consist of people who have had alcohol use problems, and you can choose to remain anonymous.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a well known and established program relying on a 12 step program toward sobriety for life. Each day is dealt with ‘one day at a time’ and has experienced excellent results since its beginning. Most communities have an AA organization and it is a great resource offered at no cost.
Many walks of life have made use of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) program. Most people find its supportive nature combined with instilling a sense of self responsibility to be what they need to help them through. Knowing that you are not the only one affected by alcohol can make a lot of difference.
In addition to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), if you want to stop drinking, you can seek help with any of the following: your family doctor or counselor, a local hospital or alcohol treatment facility, or a local or national alcohol treatment hotline, which you can find information in your local phone directory.
Quitting alcohol use can improve your overall health and quality of life. It can also increase the quality of life of the people you live with and those who care about you. You reduce your odds of developing severe health problems linked with alcohol abuse or dependence. You decrease your chances of injuring yourself or others in alcohol-related accidents. You might also improve relationships with your parents, children, and spouse or other close loved ones. Not drinking also is a good way for you to model responsible behavior for younger people, particularly children and teens.
You can take steps today to stop drinking. Your first step might be to contact a support group, see your doctor, or set a date in the near future to stop. While some people can stop drinking on their own, others need medical help to manage the physical process of withdrawal.
Do know that you do not have to do this alone. Should you still be concerned about if you have the ability to go through withdrawal, again, talk to your doctor about whether you need to withdraw from alcohol under medical supervision. Remember that there are medications that will help you safely withdraw from alcohol and others to help you stay sober once you reach that point.
Continuing to drink alcohol, even if you do not frequently do so, can lead to problems with your relationships, job performance, and health and to possible legal consequences (such as being arrested for drinking and driving). If alcohol has interfered with your ability to perform daily tasks or with daily function, even if you only drink occasionally, you might need to stop drinking.
Continuing to drink when alcohol use has caused even minor problems in your relationships or job performance or has caused legal problems (such as being arrested for drinking and driving) usually leads to additional and possibly more severe problems in your life. By quitting drinking altogether, you should considerably improve the quality of your life and the lives of those who care about you.
Know your reasons for quitting. Make a list of these reasons and keep them close to remind you why this decision is so important to you. Include reasons held by your loved ones, because sometimes it is easier to reminded through their hopes for your than your own. Reading over this list can serve as an affirmation that you have made the right choice.
Make a plan and stick to it. Set a goal to stop drinking and when you are going to reach it. Post it in a place where you can see it often, like your refrigerator door or bathroom mirror. You might even want to put it in more than one place to help you stay on track throughout the day. Put it on a card and keep it in your purse or wallet where you will be reminded frequently.
Share your plan with others. Discuss your plan with your family members and trusted friends. Let them know how they can help you to be successful.
Track your progress. Your plan should identify when you will evaluate your progress in reaching goals. Stick to a plan for 30 days so that the new behavior becomes a habit. Remind yourself the reasons for stopping alcohol use. Write down the benefits that you are noticing in your life. If you drank after successfully stopping (relapse), it does not mean that you have failed. Relapse is not uncommon. Begin again, using your experience to help you learn how to stick with your plan this time.
Continue your new behaviors. After trying this plan for 30 days, try it for another 30 days. Like anything else in life, it is not easy to change behavior, even when it might be in your best interest. But the more you practice new behaviors, the more likely it is that they will become habits. If you try this plan but are not successful, talk with your doctor about other ways to stop drinking alcohol.
Avoid stumbling blocks. Many things can interfere with meeting your goal to cut down on or stop drinking. You might need to choose new friends or a new lifestyle if your current life revolves around alcohol use. To stay focused on your goal and succeed, see ideas to help you stop using alcohol on your own.
Attend a self-help group. Some people attend self-help groups to help them stick to their plan to cut down on or stop drinking. If you are not sure whether a self-help group is for you but would like to try, go to a group at least 3 times before you make your decision. There are different types of groups (such as men or women only, discussion, and speaker). Go to another group if the first one does not fit your needs.
Reward yourself. Use the money you once spent on drinking to do something fun with your family or friends. Go out to eat, see a movie, or play sports or a game.
Identifying your reasons for stopping is the first step. You might want to improve your health, relationships, or job performance. You might want to stop because you have risk factors for alcohol abuse or dependency. All answers are correct.
Making a plan is the second step in stopping. Decide when you are going to stop drinking. Set a time to evaluate your plan to see whether it is working and whether you are able to stop drinking on your own. Help from organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or individual therapy is often needed to help you reach your goal. All answers are correct.
It is very important to schedule a time period to evaluate your plan. At frequent intervals, evaluate how well your plan is working and whether your goals need adjusting. Participating in structured group counseling or individual therapy often helps you reach your goal of stopping drinking. All answers are correct.
If you have questions about this information, take it with you when you visit your doctor or other health professional. You might want to mark areas or make notes where you have questions.
If you are not successful using any of these steps against alcohol addiction, talk with your doctor about other ways to get help.