How to stop drinking alcohol: 15 useful tips

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.

Starting to reduce alcohol consumption is not an easy task and for that reason it is necessary to go to professionals and plan very this process well, in addition to the fact that the role played by family and friends can be crucial when it comes to being successful in this Odyssey.

There are a number of tips to make it easier to take the first steps and be consistent. Let's take a look at some tips to deal with the battle against alcohol abuse.

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How to stop drinking alcohol?

These are several basic tips to know how to stop drinking alcohol, a complicated process in the case that a true addiction has already developed and that requires the therapeutic intervention of professionals.

1. Go to a psychologist

Many psychologists specialize in addiction problems and, given how socially accepted alcohol consumption is and how easy it is to 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 life of the person and, in collaboration with other professionals such as doctors and psychiatrists, a treatment and a psychoeducation and cessation program may be established to deal with the addictive behavior.

Seeking professional help can be a first step toward ensuring potential success in quitting. Thanks to their professional knowledge and the availability of specialized tools for people who suffer 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 matter of black and white: 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 fewer, as long as it poses some kind of problem in daily life, they need professional help.

Although the phrase "the first step is to admit that you have a problem" may seem like a cliché, the truth is that this greatly helps in the recovery of the alcoholic person.

If you see that you are obsessing over whether you drink too much, you compare yourself with an acquaintance in this regard, if you consider that alcohol is making you impossible lead the life that you would like to have, then you must do something about it, because it is clear that it is a problem for you and surely for those of your around.

3. Let your acquaintances know about your intentions

Tell people you know that you have decided to stop drinking alcohol. Informing them that you want to improve your health is something that can help you 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 the celebrations or propose to carry out activities in which there is no alcohol.

4. Write down why you do it

Giving up drinking has both short and long-term benefits, yet everyone prefers instant gratification to waiting months for results.

It is difficult to move forward if you are not sure where you are going or why you are doing it. Write down on a piece of paper the reasons why you want to stop or reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages and put it in a well visible place in the kitchen or your room.

Some benefits of quitting alcohol in the short term include being able to enjoy more lucid conversations and interesting, do not waste money on drinks, do not waste time because you are hungover or have a better dream.

5. No alcohol at home

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

You are going to feel bad wasting all this, but think that you are doing it for your health, and that all the money you have just thrown away you will end up saving in the long run 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 person whose favorite drink is beer switching to non-alcoholic beer will not help them stop thinking about it. alcohol, on the contrary, you will feel that you are drinking something without that touch that gives the beer its special flavor and you will have even more desire to to drink.

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6. Beverage diary

This technique it is very useful to put in perspective how much you drink. Ideally, write within the first three to four weeks after you made the decision to stop drinking all you drink.

In a notebook every day, how many glasses have been drunk, what type of alcohol it was, where and at what time it was made, in addition to writing down how he felt and with whom he was drinking.

This will allow you to see in more detail in which situations you drink, if you have really reduced 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 matter or because they too may have a problem but not want to recognize, there are certain people who will encourage us to continue drinking and will take away iron when drinking abusively.

It is possible that alcohol is the only thing that holds us together with certain people around us, either because they are the friends with whom he goes to the bar on weekends or with whom we used to drink bottles 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 relationship. It is true that said sounds easier than doing it, 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 finding out all of them may require deep thought.

It is useful to elaborate a list that includes all the situations, places, people and reasons that have contributed to the consumption of alcohol.

It is very necessary to be aware of how you felt before and after using in each of the contexts. It is not the same to drink in a bar with friends because you are celebrating than to do it at home only after having argued with your partner.

This will allow working with the psychologist strategies to learn how to deal 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 satisfying.

Play a sport, join a language school, paint, enjoy time with the family, or just go for a walk. It occupies the idle hours. They will keep you distracted from the urge to drink and allow you to take advantage of the time you now have while sober.

10. Drink slowly

When you are having a tea, a coffee, a juice or any drink, do it slowly, tasting it. This will increase your feeling of fullness and prevent you from wanting to fill your stomach with beer or wine.

It will also help you train patience, which can eventually turn into a protective factor when the urge to consume alcohol occurs.

11. Learn to say NO

Alcohol consumption is normal in our society, so it is difficult to prevent someone from offering us to drink. There may be a situation that someone offers us and insists on having a drink.

Faced with this type of situation, it is very important to stare into the eyes of the person who is offering us alcohol, and with a determined but kind and polite air to say a brief and concise "no, thank you."

Do not give unnecessary explanations or an answer that is too long. If you have a close friend who is aware of your problem, ask them to help you to face the situation together.

12. Join a support group

Support groups are a great tool to move forward in quitting alcohol, being one of the most famous Alcoholics Anonymous.

Sharing experiences, feelings, anecdotes and unpleasant events related to drinking, who frequent These groups give mutual support, and allow us to see that there are more people in the same situation and that it is possible to continue go ahead.

In addition to face-to-face groups, there are forums on the Internet and online chats where you can hear the testimonies of hundreds of people around the globe.

13. Do not give up

You may fail more than once. Keep fighting! It's normal not to get over an addiction the first time, but with the passage of time they have managed to learn strategies that have ended up leading them to success.

Each attempt will provide you with new knowledge and greater self-reflection. Think of setbacks as roadblocks, not rebooting 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 that you reward yourself in some way.

Obviously, these prizes cannot include alcoholic beverages, but you will you can afford to buy many things with all the money you have managed to save Stop spending it every week on alcohol

15. Rehabilitation

Sometimes, even if you are going to a professional, stopping drinking is simply impossible.

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

It is for this reason that there are centers where it is possible to stay away from the world without having temptation at hand, and under the care of professionals in the matter of addiction to addiction.

Bibliographic 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.