Alcohol addiction can easily occur if you are not vigilant. If your social life revolves around going to bars or attending beer parties every weekend, it will be difficult for you to control the situation. Changing habits and making serious plans to reduce alcohol consumption is a good start. But if you think you've crossed the line with drinking in social settings and are becoming an alcoholic, it's time to seek help from someone else. Follow these few simple steps to learn how to control your drinking before you fall into alcohol addiction.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Reduce Drinking Portions
Step 1. Keep alcoholic beverages out of your home
Alcoholic beverages can become an unconscious daily habit if you keep them within your reach. If your drink cupboard is always full, you will be very easily tempted to drink. If there's a half bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer in the fridge, it's hard to avoid drinking. The first step to avoiding alcoholism is to keep alcoholic beverages out of the house, unless they are soon to be served on a social occasion. If you don't want to stop drinking altogether, but just want to reduce it to a reasonable and healthy level, getting rid of alcoholic beverages from your surroundings is a great start.
- Equip your kitchen with plenty of other drinks that can replace alcoholic drinks when you need a delicious drink. Tea, sparkling water, lemonade, root beer and various fizzy drinks are better than alcoholic drinks.
- If you're having a party and there's a lot of alcohol left over, give it to your friends. If no one will accept it, just throw it down the drain. Don't think you have to spend it so it doesn't go to waste.
Step 2. Don't drink when you have negative feelings
Drinking alcohol when you feel bored, lonely, depressed, sad or feeling other negative emotions can lead to alcoholism. Because it is a depressant, alcohol will actually make you feel even worse. Try to drink only in social situations, when you are hanging out and having fun with a lot of people and something is being celebrated.
Don't get caught up in the habit of celebrating things every day. Make sure that you drink only on special occasions, when there is something worth celebrating
Step 3. Slow down the way you drink
If you tend to chug straight away, you'll be drinking too much at every turn. Slow yourself down by sipping your drink slowly, slowing down before finishing each drink. You can also order non-alcoholic drinks so that the sweetness of the mixture doesn't disguise the taste of the alcohol and makes you feel less alcoholic. You should also drink a glass of water or fizzy drink for every glass of alcohol you consume.
- Drinking water will help you feel full while keeping your body from becoming dehydrated. You will be less compelled to drink another drink if you are adequately hydrated and fuller.
- Do not enter beer competitions or similar activities that involve drinking excessive amounts of alcohol in a short period of time.
Step 4. Reduce going to the bar
The goal of every bar is to sell alcoholic beverages, so you will automatically feel compelled to buy a drink there. The dim light, the smell of alcohol mixed with perfume and cologne, and the sexy aura that everyone gave off created an atmosphere that was very difficult for anyone to resist. Since the whole atmosphere does encourage drinking, it's best to avoid going to bars altogether if you're trying to cut down on drinking.
- If you're invited to a specific event that takes place at a bar, such as drinking with your boss and coworkers, try ordering sparkling water or other non-alcoholic drinks. If this place also serves food, order one, so you can still feel like you're part of the fun.
- If you stick to bars, choose a bar that provides a wide selection of activities and not just drinks. For example, go to a bar with a pool table or a game of bocce, so you don't focus solely on how much alcohol you can safely consume. You will find it easier to drink less when other things distract you.
Step 5. Do activities that don't involve alcohol
Many people waste time at bars when they could be doing other, more active things. Give your friends another activity idea the next time you all get together. You may spontaneously play sports, walk or bike, watch movies, theatre, concerts, or performing arts. Choose an event/place that does not provide alcoholic beverages or activities that do not encourage drinking.
Not only will this succeed in making you drink less, but you will also be healthier overall, because you are now more active
Step 6. Hang out with people who don't drink
Some people sometimes insist on drinking, even if you invite them to do activities outside the bar. They'll tuck drinks in paper bags while watching a movie at the cinema or preparing a bottle to take on a hike up the mountain. If you are serious about avoiding alcohol, make plans with people who are serious about it. That way, you won't be dealing with alcoholic drinks every time you want to have fun.
This may mean that you need to stay away from certain people if they are causing problems. If you really like that person who drinks all the time, learn to say no when you're with them. You don't have to go along with drinking just because he's drinking. Maybe he'll be motivated to try to drink less and make the same effort as you
Step 7. Exercise
Exercising is an excellent way to help kick your drinking habit. Alcoholic beverages make many people feel sluggish and lazy, as well as causing belly fat and weight gain. If you have a goal of attaining a healthy physical condition, you will quickly realize the detrimental effects alcohol can have on your progress towards achieving your goals.
- Try signing up for a 5km marathon or joining a soccer or basketball team. You will feel like you don't want alcoholic drinks because the next morning you need to be in perfect physical condition.
- In addition to exercising, make sure that you have a good diet and sleep pattern, and generally take care of your body, so that the tendency to drink alcohol is reduced.
Step 8. Recognize the symptoms of addiction
If you reduce your alcohol intake significantly, you may experience symptoms of addiction. These symptoms can appear physically or mentally. This addiction phase is characterized by shaking hands, irritability, fatigue and restlessness, difficulty sleeping, weak concentration, and nightmares.
If you were previously a heavy drinker, you may experience additional symptoms such as sweating, nausea, headaches, loss of appetite, vomiting, and an abnormal heart rate
Part 2 of 3: Making a Serious Plan to Quit Drinking
Step 1. Determine how much is considered excessive
Avoiding alcohol addiction is harder for some people than it is for others. Some people can indeed drink every day without feeling any negative effects. But for many people, drinking every day will increase the tolerance limit for the portion of alcohol that can be consumed, so that drinking one glass is not enough and this leads to a lot of drinking behavior that eventually leads to alcoholism. You should also try to stay within a reasonable range of daily drinking portions.
- According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture / US Department of Agriculture), a reasonable portion of alcoholic beverages is 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men. If you frequently exceed this limit, especially if it is done continuously for some time, you will have a higher risk of becoming addicted to alcohol.
- Keep in mind that more than 7 servings of drinks per day for women and more than 14 servings of drinks per day for men can be considered as drinking too much. Try to stay well below this limit.
- Having a family history of alcoholism, mixing alcohol with drugs, and being depressed are even higher risk factors for yourself when it comes to alcoholism.
Step 2. Write down your commitments
If you've decided that your limit is at most three drinks a week, write: "I won't drink more than three drinks a week." Make a commitment to yourself to stick to what you have written. Tape a piece of paper with this writing on your mirror or put it in your purse, so you have a daily reminder that you have decided to cut back or stop drinking.
- You can also write down the reasons you want to reduce or stop drinking, for example: “I want to be healthier” or “I want to get back to hanging out with my friends and family.”
- It's not easy, but making a written commitment will help.
Step 3. Keep a diary of how much you drink
One of the best ways to understand your portion sizes is to record them each time you drink. You can bring a drinking log card to record every alcoholic drink you consume in a week. If you drink frequently when you go out, use a notebook or app on your phone to keep track of how much you drink. Review these notes every week. You may be surprised to see it recorded on paper.
- Taking responsibility for each drink you consume can help you become more aware of how much you drink and help you reduce it.
- If you find that you are drinking a lot more than you thought, you can keep a special diary and mark it every time you drink. You will also need to write down why you drink, as well as what feelings you experienced before you started drinking and after drinking. This will help you understand the emotional pattern behind it.
- Write down any triggers and situations that make it very difficult for you to avoid drinking. As the weeks pass, you will begin to understand the things you need to avoid.
Step 4. Every now and then, take a break from alcoholic beverages
Determine to stop drinking alcohol for a week or two. This will give your system a break and free you from drinking for a while. You can also drink smaller portions and determine at least two days a week not to drink alcohol.
- For example, if you have a habit of drinking a glass of wine every night, taking a break from it will create a change so that you will no longer feel the need for that drink every day.
- If you are a heavy drinker, this can cause addiction symptoms to appear. Pay close attention to how you feel and how your body reacts to these changes. If you experience a very serious reaction at this stage, see your doctor immediately.
Step 5. Monitor your progress
During the process of cutting back on drinking, keep track of your progress week by week. Observe whether you feel you can control your drinking habits, whether you have succeeded in reducing the portion of alcohol consumption to the limit of your commitment, and whether you are able to overcome the urges and addictions that occur. If you feel like you're still not in control of your own drinking, maybe it's time to seek help from someone else.
If you are unable to limit your alcohol consumption without experiencing symptoms of addiction, are unable to refuse alcohol, pass out while drinking, or experience other signs of addiction, you should seek help immediately
Part 3 of 3: Seeking Help from Others
Step 1. Realize that you need support
You need to seek help immediately if you think your drinking is out of control. If you experience certain problems because, this means you have abused alcohol, so your situation is at greater risk of developing alcoholism. You are at high risk if you are unable to drink alcohol without continuing to drink and drink alcohol while driving or operating machinery, even though you know that doing so is illegal and very dangerous.
- If you experience a very strong urge to drink in the morning and evening, become increasingly irritable, experience an unstable mood, drink in silence, drink without stopping, feel depressed, and your body is shaking, you should seek help immediately.
- You should also seek help immediately if you neglect your responsibilities due to the influence of drinking. This can take the form of neglect because you are too busy drinking or because you are drunk so you can't go to work or school.
- You are at high risk if you get into trouble with the law as a result of drinking, such as being arrested for drunkenness in a public area, fighting while drunk, or driving under the influence of alcohol.
- You need to be vigilant if you continue to drink even though the people around you have expressed concern. When drinking becomes so problematic that other people find out, you should seek help immediately.
- You should not drink as a coping mechanism. It's very unhealthy to use alcohol as a way to escape stress, depression, and other problems. If you tend to do this, you should seek help.
Step 2. Find a special community for people who need help getting out of alcohol addiction (in the US it's called “Alcoholics Anonymous”/“AA”)
Undergoing a 12-step therapy program, as is common in this kind of community, has helped many people who abuse alcohol find ways to cope. Even if you don't think you're a severe alcoholic, joining a program like this can help keep your problem from getting worse. You will attend a meeting and find a coach you can turn to when you have symptoms of addiction or are unable to resist the temptation to drink.
- You may find that drinking alcohol is not a safe thing to do, so it's important that you have a support network ready to help you face reality and eliminate the influence of alcohol and other negative influences in your life.
- You can search for these kinds of communities online, to find the one closest to your location.
- Sometimes, these communities are based on certain religious principles, so you need to be aware of this and only join them if you don't mind. Such communities often use scriptures or religious words to help guide participants in the recovery process, and implement a system of mentoring and group meetings to support the material being taught.
Step 3. Try following other types of recovery communities (e.g. in the US, “SMART Recovery”)
If you are not interested in a community like "AA", you can try another type of recovery community. For example, communities like “SMART Recovery” are programs that use cognitive and behavioral approaches to identify the emotional and environmental factors that drive addiction problems, and help you deal with them in new and productive ways. This kind of community focuses on recovering from addiction without treating addiction as a disease.
- This is a community of total abstinence, which means teaching you to abstain from alcohol altogether in your life. However, this kind of community is open to those who are still unsure about the decision to stop consuming alcoholic beverages.
- This program is perfect for those who don't need an overly rigid structure and are able to develop an inner urge to stop drinking. The cognitive behavioral approach relies on the principle of self-actualization, not a mentor figure that accompanies as in communities such as "AA". This community program relies heavily on your own motivation and participation.
Step 4. Join a non-religious recovery program
If you are not interested in a faith-based community with a 12-step therapy program like “AA”, there are other alternatives you can try. Recovery programs such as “Secular Organizations for Sobriety” (“SOS”) in the US are unstructured programs that have sober guidelines, which focus on taking responsibility for your own drinking habits, and ensuring that their members drink no alcohol at all.. Just like “AA” and “SMART Recovery”, this program emphasizes total abstinence from alcohol.
- There are also programs such as “LifeRing Secular Recovery” (“LSR”), which is a secular organization that adheres to three values: sober, secular, and independent. This community of organizations believes that self-encouragement is the best way to stay clean of alcohol and they hold group meetings to encourage and help each other when members need additional external motivation. This is the same as the group meeting session on “AA”, but not based on religious principles.
- For more information about the community that's right for you, check with your local doctor or addiction therapist. They can help recommend the right community or program based on your gender, religion, type of addiction, and age. They may also have data on these recovery communities and know which ones provide face-to-face meetings, online meetings, focus on mentoring by friends and family, or implement a 12-step therapy program.
Step 5. Start seeing a therapist
Getting special help from a therapist is also a good solution when you're struggling with alcohol-related problems. Your drinking may stem from other, deeper problems that must be addressed before you can stop drinking. If you drink because of trauma, excessive stress, a mental disorder, or some other reason a therapist can manage, getting this kind of personal help is critical to your recovery.
A therapist can also help if you're concerned about social pressure to drink, don't know how to avoid trigger factors, or feel guilty about falling back into drinking. A therapist can help you overcome your struggles in these situations and support you to become stronger in the recovery process
Step 6. Ask for support from loved ones and friends
Quitting alcoholic beverages is very difficult to do alone. Tell loved ones and friends that you need help quitting drinking, and ask them to support you by not taking you to bars or giving you alcohol. This can help you become more responsible with your decisions, because now there are more people watching over you.
Ask these people if you can do activities with them without drinking
Tips
- Drink more water every day. This will not only help your body stay hydrated, it will also allow you to reduce your alcohol intake, since you are now experiencing the feeling of having enough water.
- Alcohol suppresses shyness and shyness tendencies, so be careful that while under the influence of alcohol you may do things you would not normally do under normal circumstances.
- Alcohol is a poison, and drinking alcoholic beverages is neither a necessity nor a necessity. Don't drink at all, or just try the various non-alcoholic drink alternatives available in the market. However, stay alert, because many drinks still contain low levels of alcohol.
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- How to Stop Drinking Alcoholic Drinks
