Whether you want to quit drinking altogether or cut down to healthier levels, these guidelines can help you get started on the road to recovery today. However, one of the most important things to consider and evaluate before starting a sobriety journey is personal drinking habits. This can help determine how challenging it may be to quit drinking and the severity of withdrawal symptoms that one can expect.
Take some time to explore your relationship with alcohol
This guide has lots of practical tips on how you can stop drinking and the benefits you can expect. You can also find out about the withdrawal symptoms you could experience if you move from drinking heavily to not drinking at all, and advice on where to get support. If you’re worried about your drinking and want to make some positive changes, we’re here to help.
How To Quit Drinking If You’re Dependent On Alcohol
You smell a pot of chili simmering on the stove and then suddenly feel ravenously hungry. You feel your phone vibrate and then anxiously reach to see who texted. Even dogs do tips to quit drinking it — you say “walk” and they high-tail it to get their leash.
What are some of the benefits of quitting drinking?
There is no shame in admitting this — the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 28.9 million Americans suffered from alcohol use disorder in 2023 alone. Developing the discipline to pace yourself is one of the best ways to cut down on drinking alcohol. This is no small task, as it is easy to keep drinking once you’ve started. For many people, the idea of a hangover is not a fun way to spend a day – or waste a day.
Know what triggers you to drink
- Others find it more effective to quit drinking “cold turkey” and cut off all alcohol at once—especially in the face of withdrawal symptoms.
- By opening up about your relationship with alcohol, you might also encourage others to explore their own drinking habits.
- Switch to having tea at night if you used to wind down with a glass of wine or try the many types of alcohol-free beer and wine that are becoming widely available.
- Pick a number of drinks per week as part of your plan to cut back on drinking, and be sure to keep track of this data.
If you have tried quitting alcohol but experienced these uncomfortable symptoms, you may have had more alcohol to ease the discomfort. That can be a common reaction for someone drinking too much. Most importantly, don’t berate yourself if you slip up and have a drink. Remember that if mistakes are made, we can learn from the experience and start fresh the next day.
- In January 2020, more than 6 million people reportedly participated in Dry January, a campaign to reduce alcohol consumption organized by Alcohol Change UK.
- With the popularity of alcohol alternatives like Lucky Saint and Days Brewing beers in recent years, many pubs, bars, and restaurants offer low and no-alcohol drinks as standard.
- Implementing these new habits takes time, but reducing or eliminating your alcohol consumption is worth it.
- If you notice that drinking alcohol is harming your health, it’s important to try to drink less or stop completely.
- Just as decreasing your plate size can help you monitor your portions, having your drinks from a smaller glass may help you to drink less.
- Each drinking relapse is an opportunity to learn and recommit to sobriety, so you’ll be less likely to relapse in the future.
- It may also mean you decide on what you will do when triggers arise.
If you answer “yes” to two to three questions, your symptoms align with mild AUD. If you answer “yes” to four to five questions, your symptoms align with moderate AUD. If you answer “yes” to six or more questions, your symptoms align with severe AUD. Consult with a licensed mental health professional to further explore AUD. Maybe you feel that you’re drinking too much or too often.
- Whether you have a diagnosed mental health disorder or not, therapy is a positive tool for long-term recovery.
- However, if you tell your friends and family that you’re not drinking in advance, it will be easier.
- In the early stages, it’s a good idea to avoid situations where you may be tempted to drink.
If you are drinking alcohol every day and notice unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when you are not drinking, please do not stop drinking suddenly. It’s important you make contact with your local treatment service to arrange a safe, medically supervised detox. Most people with alcohol problems do not decide to make a big change out of the blue or transform their drinking habits overnight. Even after admitting you have a drinking problem, you may make excuses and drag your feet.
This didn’t motivate me to quit, but I was afraid of how bad things could get if I drank too much. Going from a life of drinking to a life in recovery from https://ecosoberhouse.com/ alcoholism can be challenging. The best relapse prevention is staying busy, staying away from old drinking environments, and making sober friends.
Exploring, in writing, what you find difficult and when you most drug addiction treatment want to drink can help you notice patterns that offer more insight into your alcohol use. Say you don’t have any cravings when you go without drinking. All the same, “a quick drink” often turns into three or four drinks. When you’re having a good time, you find it hard to stop, especially in the company of friends having the same amount. There’s a reason you’ve reached the decision to quit or cut back. Whether it’s improved relationships, better health, or weight loss, keeping the “why” in sight can help boost your motivation.
