How to Quit Alcohol

A free article on Disease and Illness

By: Ed Philips

You can take steps today to stop drinking. Your first step might be to see your doctor, contact a support group, or set a date in the near future to stop. While some people can stop drinking on their own, others need medical help to manage the physical process of withdrawal.

If you think you have an addiction to alcohol, talk to your doctor about whether you need to withdraw from alcohol under medical supervision. Your doctor can give you medicine that will help you safely withdraw from alcohol. Other medicines might be prescribed later to help you stay sober. With a doctor's help, withdrawal from alcohol is safer.

Stopping alcohol use can: Prevent or reduce health problems that are made worse by alcohol use, such as liver damage. Prevent harm to your unborn baby if you are pregnant. Reduce related family concerns or relationship problems. Increase your ability to be productive at work, school, and home. Reduce legal problems that you might have as a result of misuse of alcohol.

You need education and emotional support when you stop drinking, especially if you abuse alcohol or are alcohol-dependent. Some resources that can help you stop drinking include:

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) - Alcoholics Anonymous holds meetings all over the world to support those who have made a commitment to overcome drinking. The groups consist of people who have had alcohol use problems, and you can choose to remain anonymous.

If you want to stop drinking, you can seek help with any of the following: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), your family doctor or counselor, a local hospital or alcohol treatment facility, or a local or national alcohol treatment hotline, which you can find in your local phone directory.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) organizes meetings all over the world to help those who have a desire to stop drinking. You can also receive education, information, and support to help you stop drinking by asking your doctor, calling an alcohol treatment hotline, or asking your local hospital or alcohol treatment facility.

If you desire to quit drinking, you can enlist the help of any of the following: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), your family doctor or counselor, a local hospital or alcohol treatment facility, or a local or national alcohol treatment hotline, the number will be available in your local phone book.

Stopping alcohol use can improve your overall health and quality of life. It can also raise the quality of life of those you live with and people who care about you. You lessen your chances of experiencing serious health problems associated with alcohol abuse or dependence for years to come. Your chances of injuring yourself or others in alcohol-related accidents are also reduced. You might also improve relationships with your parents, children, and spouse or other close loved ones. Choosing not to drink shows responsible behavior serving as a guide for younger people, particularly children and teens.

You have the power within yourself to beat this destructive habit. Again, contact your doctor, a support group and surround yourself with hose people who are going to help you in your decision to overcome alcohol addiction. The help of both the mental and physical issues that come with withdrawal are there for you.

If you think you have an addiction to alcohol, talk to your doctor about whether you need to withdraw from alcohol under medical supervision. Your doctor can give you medicine that will help you safely withdraw from alcohol. Other medicines might be prescribed later to help you stay sober. With a doctor's help, withdrawal from alcohol is safer.

Continuing to drink alcohol, even if you cut back the amounts, can still leave problems with your relationships, lead to decreased job performance, health conditions and possibly legal consequences (such as being charged with drinking and driving). Any time alcohol interferes with your capability to carry out daily tasks or with daily functions, you might need to stop drinking in any amounts.

Continuing to drink when alcohol use has caused even minor problems in your relationships or job performance or has caused legal problems (such as being arrested for drinking and driving) usually leads to additional and possibly more severe problems in your life. By stopping drinking altogether, you should significantly improve the quality of your life and the lives of those who care about you.

Know your reasons. Create a list of the reasons you want to stop drinking alcohol. You might want to ask a trusted friend or family member to help you make the list complete. Keep this list so that you can renew your commitment from time to time.

Make a plan. Set a date to stop drinking. Complete a plan to stop drinking alcohol. Post it in a place where you can see it often, such as on your refrigerator door or bathroom mirror. You might want to put it in more than one place. You also might want to put it on a card and keep it in your purse or wallet.

Share your plan with others. Discuss your plan with your family members and trusted friends. Let them know how they can help you to be successful.

Track your progress. Your plan should identify when you will evaluate your progress in reaching goals. Stick to a plan for 30 days so that the new behavior becomes a habit. Remind yourself the reasons for stopping alcohol use. Write down the benefits that you are noticing in your life. If you drank after successfully stopping (relapse), it does not mean that you have failed. Relapse is not uncommon. Begin again, using your experience to help you learn how to stick with your plan this time.

Continue your new behaviors. After trying this plan for 30 days, try it for another 30 days. Like anything else in life, it is not easy to change behavior, even when it might be in your best interest. But the more you practice new behaviors, the more likely it is that they will become habits. If you try this plan but are not successful, talk with your doctor about other ways to stop drinking alcohol.

Avoid stumbling blocks. Many things can interfere with meeting your goal to cut down on or stop drinking. You might need to choose new friends or a new lifestyle if your current life revolves around alcohol use. To stay focused on your goal and succeed, see ideas to help you stop using alcohol on your own.

Attend a self-help group. Some people attend self-help groups to help them stick to their plan to cut down on or stop drinking. If you are not sure whether a self-help group is for you but would like to try, go to a group at least 3 times before you make your decision. There are different types of groups (such as men or women only, discussion, and speaker). Go to another group if the first one does not suit your needs.

Reward yourself. Use the money you once spent on drinking to do something enjoyable with your family or friends. Go out to eat, catch a movie, or play sports or a game.

Identifying your reasons for stopping is the first step. You might want to improve your health, relationships, or job performance. You might want to stop because you have risk factors for alcohol abuse or dependency. All answers are correct.

Making a plan is the second step in stopping. Decide when you are going to stop drinking. Set a time to evaluate your plan to see whether it is working and whether you are able to stop drinking on your own. Help from organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or individual therapy is often needed to help you reach your goal. All answers are correct.

It is very important to schedule a time period to evaluate your plan. At frequent intervals, evaluate how well your plan is working and whether your goals need adjusting. Participating in structured group counseling or individual therapy often helps you reach your goal of stopping drinking. All answers are correct.

If you have questions about this information, take it with you when you visit your doctor or other health professional. You might want to mark areas or make notes where you have questions.

If you are not successful using any of these steps against alcohol addiction, talk with your doctor about other ways to get help.