How To Stop Drinking Alcohol Cleveland Clinic

It focuses on reducing alcohol use and the potential harms that come with it, with an emphasis on finding the best approach for your situation, not anyone else’s. Drinking is largely accepted as a social activity and a way to cope with stress. Loosid is best if you are worried about losing the social aspect that you connect with alcohol. The Loosid app is free for anyone to download and use. The program operates under the framework of a 12-step program that is rooted in spirituality. Elizabeth Brownfield is a freelance writer, editor, and researcher who specializes in food, travel, home, and lifestyle content.

As with any part of this process, go in with a plan. If you’ll be out with close friends or family you’re comfortable with, let them know ahead of time that you’re not drinking. It’s easier to blend in with a glass in your hand, even if it’s just a Coke.

take back your life from alcohol

Ria Health offers several FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder. When combined with counseling, this approach is proven highly effective. Knowing all the negative effects alcohol has on your physical and mental health can make it easier to understand why you’re better off without it. The first thing you have to do is take a step back and evaluate your habits. That means looking at your relationship with alcohol so you can understand why you drink, when you drink and how much you drink.

Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. If loneliness triggers the desire to drink, you might look into ways to connect with distant friends or explore ways to build new friendships. When you want to drink to avoid relationship conflict or stress, you might vent to a loved one or practice better communication skills to reconnect with your partner. Once you identify some of the main reasons why you drink, you can begin finding new methods of addressing those triggers.

Examine Alcohol Health Effects

When you finish the 30 tips to quit drinkings, you can make the decision to continue not drinking or to moderate your use. The most important thing is to change your perception of fun. If something seems fun only when you are a bit drunk, then it’s not really fun at all and you should stop doing it. For me, that included days at the horse racing, stag weekends in Prague and visits to Winter Wonderland.

Involve your support system and make sure the interventions you choose make sense for your medical conditions, the severity of your alcohol cravings, and your current lifestyle. While getting sober is an important first step, it is only the beginning of your recovery from alcohol addiction or heavy drinking. There is no shame in telling yourself that “I need help to stop drinking.” The more involvement you have in your treatment to stop drinking alcohol, the better. Outside of friends and familial support, involving your doctor in your decision to quit may be beneficial. A trained medical health professional can advise you on how to stop drinking alcohol and develop an alcoholism addiction treatment plan.

The Negative Impacts of Alcohol Abuse

A drinking relapse doesn’t mean you’re a failure or that you’ll never be able to reach your goal. Each drinking relapse is an opportunity to learn and recommit to sobriety, so you’ll be less likely to relapse in the future. Make meetings a priority – Join a recovery support group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous , and attend meetings regularly. Spending time with people who understand exactly what you’re going through can be very healing. You can also benefit from the shared experiences of the group members and learn what others have done to stay sober. Treatment should address more than just your alcohol abuse.

By following these https://ecosoberhouse.com/ and staying committed to quitting drinking, you can take the first step toward improving your health, relationships, and productivity in 2023. With time and effort, you can achieve sobriety and live a life free from the effects of alcohol. Depending on what your alcohol habit was like, you may experience fewer or more withdrawal symptoms as you cut back. Fortunately, these withdrawal symptoms shouldn’t last very long — about a week — but listen to your body in case something feels abnormal during this time. Try to stay focused on your end goal, and don’t be afraid to call your doctor if something doesn’t feel right.