There’s nothing wrong with enjoying your favorite drink after work. However, drinking becomes a problem when you can’t live without it or if the habit ruins your relationships at home or at work. This article is meant to be a guide for people who want to reduce drinking to healthier levels or want to quit permanently. Below are some tips to guide addicts on a road to recovery.
- You must have a plan
Before you start, it is important to research options that work for you. Will you need support and if so then who will you call for this? How will you react when you start craving alcohol? You must work on some coping strategies and be ready to commit to the plan.
Try to learn about your triggers and your drinking patterns. Look for other distractions when alcohol appears and avoid an environment that is full of alcohol. When things get rough, you’ll be stronger and better prepared if you understand your strengths and weaknesses.
Write down the long-term goals that you’d like to achieve. For instance, you might want to be healthier, improve in your job or even be a better parent. Giving up alcohol might be difficult at first but you’ll be motivated when you start seeing positive changes like an improving family life, a healthier body and so on.
- Start by Cutting Back or Moderating
If you want to quit completely, it is advisable to start by reducing your drinking. Research has shown that this method works effectively for most people who want to quit drinking because it’s more practical than total abstinence. Generally, you’re advised to pursue the option that works for you.
You will suffer from less severe withdrawal symptoms if you start cutting back beforehand. Naltrexone is one of the medications that can also help in reducing alcohol dependency.
Most people have reported that moderation is the best strategy to overcome alcohol addiction on a long-term basis.
- Build a Strong Support Team
It’s easy to quit alcohol when you have the support of other people like relatives, coaches or friends. Many alcoholics have benefitted from entering groups like SMART recovery and Alcoholics Anonymous. Recovery coaches are good at offering trustworthy advice, ensuring you remain on track as well as holding you accountable.
You are encouraged to ask for support from your inner circle. You will come across fewer drinking triggers because people will try to help by putting alcohol away from you. These people can also provide a shoulder to lean on if things get rough.
- Communicate with Your Doctor
When you’re a severe abuser of alcohol, you risk your health or even fatality if you abruptly withdraw from drinking. This might not be an issue for you, but it’s still important to seek medical guidance to keep yourself safe. Medical counseling can help you discover useful resources to use in your fight against alcoholism even if your withdrawal symptoms are not severe. - Medication is an option
Usage of certain drugs has been established as a successful way to stop drinking. Alcoholism can be treated using FDA-approved drugs such as disulfiram, acamprosate and naltrexone. Naltrexone is especially useful in reducing alcohol cravings.
Topiramate, baclofen and gabapentin are off-label drugs that are prescribed for this problem. These drugs don’t work in a similar manner but they are all useful in beating physical addiction. You’re also likely to have an easier psychological battle when you’re using the above drugs.
- Replace Alcohol with new activities
Instead of drinking your favorite beer, how about you hit the gym in the evening? Engage yourself in social groups that enjoy hobbies like hiking, arts, sports and music. You can also access online communities and apps that expose you to sober people with the same interests as you.
These new activities will serve as a short term distraction away from alcohol. Eventually, these activities will bring you fulfillment that will lead you towards an alcohol-free personal life.
- Don’t Give Up
It is common to experience setbacks during the process of recovering from addiction. It is therefore important to remain positive when challenges arise. Many recovering addicts succeed after falling back to drinking numerous times. Keep going and don’t be discouraged. All you have to do is identify the best methods, systems and programs for giving up alcohol; this will be dependent on your specific needs.
When you feel like giving up, just remember that it takes time to achieve big changes. Remind yourself that your health life is bound to change for the better. Start by listing the reasons why you want to cut back or quit. Perhaps you want to be a better parent, you want to feel healthier, or you want to be better at your job.
OCT. 2021
