How To Give Up Alcohol

If you have asked yourself this question, then you have some issues to work on. If you don’t even drink strong drinks, but you drink every day, you should start thinking about how to get rid of this habit. The decision to give up alcohol is always right. But this is only the first step on the way to stop drinking. You should also know that this path will be very difficult and long. 

Why is it hard to stop drinking alcohol? 

From the point of view of doctors, drinking alcohol is a kind of complex eating disorder. The causes of which often lie in the genetic predisposition. It was found that alcoholism and bulimia are associated with the same genes. This means that both problems are related to behavioral and psychophysiological disorders. In fact, alcoholism is a dangerous brain disorder. 

What to do? 

Alcohol addiction is quite a serious problem, and can interfere with your everyday life. That’s why you should use several methods to fight it. Choose and combine them according to your personal needs.

1. Visit a doctor

You can first visit a therapist (if necessary, he/she will advise you to visit a narcologist). The doctor will determine how serious your problem is. In addition, the doctor will help you determine your goals since they can be different. Perhaps you just want to drink less or maybe you want to completely give up alcohol. Depending on your goals and physical condition, the therapist will offer you an individual alcohol addiction treatment plan.

2. Take a break 

Perhaps you are the lucky one who can easily get rid of alcohol cravings. Give it a try. Andy Ramage, the author of the popular One Year No Beer internet program, helps people quit drinking. He recommends starting with a break of 28 days. If you can stop drinking alcohol during this time, then you can manage your alcohol addiction. Such a break is enough to form a stable habit. 

3. Be ready for withdrawal syndrome

If you can’t take the break described above, in any case, you need to stop drinking alcohol for a shorter period than 28 days. Doctors recommend starting with a few days a week. The meaning of such breaks is to give the body the ability to slowly restore non-alcoholic metabolism.

However, breaks can be painful in serious cases, during which a person will face withdrawal syndrome. This syndrome often includes:

• A tremor in the limbs.
• Hallucinations.
• Cramps and headaches.

4. See a psychotherapist

Psychotherapy is necessary, especially in serious addiction cases. A psychotherapist will help you see your goal more clearly, realize the benefits of giving up alcohol, and also help cope with possible anxiety, irritability, and depression. 

5. Be ready to take some medications for alcoholism treatment

There are no medications that can treat alcohol disorders, but there are medications that can make the drinking process unpleasant. Disulfiram causes nausea and vomiting every time you drink alcohol. Calcium acamprosate significantly reduces alcohol cravings. Naltrexone blocks the production of endorphins during alcohol consumption. But you should remember that these medications often have quite serious side effects and only a doctor can prescribe them.

6. Be patient and persistent

It will take a long time to give up drinking or at least learn to manage alcohol consumption. You should be ready for this and do not be upset if you lose control at some point. Failures are part of the process of getting rid of this addiction.

According to WebMD, five years after the start of fighting alcohol addiction, only one out of seven people still has problems with alcohol. That means that alcohol addiction treatment really works. Don’t give up!