Whether you’re cutting alcohol out of your life completely or cutting down gradually, you may notice a number of improvements to the way you look and feel. Among other things, you might find you have more energy, that you’re sleeping better, or that it’s easier to maintain a healthy weight. This could mean opting out of the weekly pub quiz for a while, or if you tend to drink when eating out, try going to restaurants that don’t sell alcohol or simply volunteering to drive.

• If you drink every night at home in front of the TV, start by designating a couple of days a week as alcohol-free days.
• But in some alcoholics, withdrawal is not just unpleasant—it can be life threatening.
• Whether it’s stress, social pressure, or a particular environment, understanding your triggers allows you to create strategies to avoid or cope with them without alcohol.

You don’t need willpower to quit drinking

• Alcohol cravings are an inevitable part of detoxing and getting sober.
• A therapist or addiction specialist can provide guidance, support, and evidence-based treatment options.
• If your body is used to a certain amount of alcohol, you may feel certain effects when you stop.
• Your liver can start to heal, your risks of heart disease and cancer go down, and you may begin to sleep better.
• It’s important to have sober friends who will support your recovery.

In the early stages, it’s a good idea to avoid situations where you may be tempted to drink. This could mean opting out of the weekly pub quiz for a while, or if you tend to drink when eating out, try going to restaurants that don’t sell alcohol or simply volunteer to drive. If you have researched all the advantages and decided you want to stay off alcohol or change your drinking habits, you might be wondering what is the best way to stop drinking for good. Our next section outlines advice on how to abstain from alcohol. Here are 8 benefits I’ve observed from 9 years of sobriety.

Expert Tips For Reducing Your Alcohol Consumption

The symptoms listed above may be a sign of a severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens, or DTs. This rare, emergency condition causes dangerous changes in the way your brain regulates your circulation and breathing, so it’s important to get to the hospital right away. Excessive alcohol use often coincides with other mental health disorders.

How to Stop Drinking: Tips for Quitting Alcohol?

Instead, these are groups of people who have alcohol use disorder. Examples include Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and other programs. Your peers can offer understanding and advice and help keep you accountable. Make meetings a priority – Join a recovery support group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and attend meetings regularly. Spending time with people who understand exactly what you’re going through can be very healing.

If you choose to try it on your own and at any point feel you need more help, then seek support (see Help Links). Belinda Gordon-Battle is a licensed clinical therapist and life consultant based in Miami while providing therapeutic services across the globe. BGB, as her clients and colleagues call her, is an advocate of “removing the stigma” and normalizing the therapeutic process. She incorporates cultural relevance and non-traditional interventions and strategies to strengthen her clients’ steps towards goals of behavioral, emotional, social and mental wellness. Framing sobriety as a temporary challenge versus a permanent lifestyle change can make it easier to stay sober for the long haul. Dr. Streem suggests starting with the World Health Organization’s Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).

How Do I Ignore Alcohol Cravings?

If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, don’t wait to seek help. Contact Crestview Recovery today to take the first step toward a healthier, alcohol-free life. Tell your close friends, family, or a marijuana addiction support group about your decision to stop drinking. Surrounding yourself with people who encourage your sobriety can make a huge difference.

You need to find new hobbies to take the place of things you used to do while drinking. You need to find new activities and people to socialize with if all of your previous social activities revolve around boredom. You also need a reason that will help keep you from having relapses, dealing with withdrawal, and staying committed to your goal of sobriety. In a large-scale study of alcohol treatment methods, researchers found that https://ecosoberhouse.com/ a combination of medication, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and social support was most effective.

By cutting alcohol out of your life completely, you may notice a number of improvements to the way you look and feel. Among other things, you might find you have more energy, that you’re sleeping better, or that you’ve lost a fair amount of weight. An easy way to keep track of how you’re doing and keep your motivation up is to give yourself short-term goals. Perhaps you could aim firstly for an alcohol-free week, then an alcohol-free month, for example. Whatever your reason, the good news is that anyone can stop drinking.

How to Quit Drinking (or at Least Cut Back)

Not only does pacing yourself help cut back on alcohol consumption, but it also gives you confidence and self-discipline. They may also give you other medicines to ease headaches or nausea. Another reason a person who’s been drinking alcohol may fall asleep quickly and then be awake during the wee hours may be the alcohol’s negative effect on the GABA neurotransmitter. GABA is a chemical naturally produced by the body that helps your mind relax and fall asleep. Finally, alcohol ingestion can negatively impact the action of dopamine—a neurotransmitter and hormone that also affects your sleep.

It might also be worth checking out a 12-step program in your area, like Alcoholics Anonymous or How to Stop Drinking SMART Recovery, to see if it feels like something that might be useful for you.