Every person prone to craving for alcohol periodically asks the question "How to stop drinking alcohol on your own? " This is a sign that he is really ready to try and perhaps overcome the craving for the bottle.
How to stop drinking alcohol: first steps
If alcohol addiction has gone too far, the patient can no longer think spatially and be responsible for his actions, and it is impossible to stop drinking on his own. Even in a good clinic, it will be problematic to return him to a full life. But in the first and second stages of alcoholism everything is much simpler and dealing with the problem is quite realistic:
- Drinking episodically. A person rarely drinks alcohol, without any regularity. During a hangover, alcohol causes strong repulsion. But the first phase quickly turns into the second.
- Ritual drunkenness. This phase is distinguished by the fact that a person consumes regularly for various reasons. A holiday or other event and alcoholic beverages become synonymous.
- Habitual consumption is characterized by regular consumption of alcohol two or more times a week. An alcoholic does not necessarily have any reasons for this, but out of habit he may look for and express them. Memory lapses often occur the next morning.
There are only two ways to stop drinking on your own: completely stop drinking alcohol by voluntary decision forever or gradually reduce the dosage. Before that, it is necessary to realize and accept that excessive alcohol consumption is a problem that needs to be solved. Seam coding options in certain medications are not considered here. Anyone can give up this habit on their own, and you just need to understand if you are an obstinate person.
Whose help do you need to stop drinking for good?
People who want to stop drinking alcohol do not always know how to do this and who to contact. If you are planning to start on your own, perhaps support from friends and family will be enough for you. This is one of the pillars of support that helps you stop drinking alcohol.
A narcologist gives advice on how to stop drinking alcohol on your own and helps remove the effects of alcohol from the body. Detox usually takes one day. As for recommendations, to return to a full life, the doctor may prescribe some medications:
- medicines to help deal with a hangover;
- formulations and tablets that reduce the desire for alcohol or cause an aversion to it.
A psychologist can also easily help you stop drinking. Together with him, the addict will be able to discover the reason that leads him to the bottle. This is one of the most important things to understand to move towards an alcohol-free life. The psychologist also helps not to break up and restore relationships with loved ones.
What does a drunk feel when he stops drinking?
The body needs time to establish all processes after the cessation of libations. The poisoning gradually disappears and is accompanied by unpleasant and painful sensations in the head, heart, muscles and gastrointestinal tract. Seizures, hallucinations and hypertension are possible. Tremors, increased anxiety and restlessness, sleep problems, and sudden mood changes may also occur. This may continue for up to a month. If you want to stop drinking with minimal physical discomfort, you will need to undergo a detox procedure. It is carried out in clinics and medical centers. Hangover medications can also help reduce symptoms.
In case of panic attacks, intense tremors and anxiety, it is necessary to call an ambulance, as these conditions are characteristic of the appearance of delirium tremens. Ignoring symptoms can lead to serious health problems. Sometimes delirium tremens leads to death.
Help from private clinics
Those who rely on the help of drug treatment centers have a greater chance of not relapsing and giving up alcohol. In terms of how to stop drinking alcohol for good, private clinics give a head start to state-run drug treatment centers. This is due to many factors, but the main three are: the use of the most modern and powerful coding techniques, a combined narcologist and psychologist to work with patients, and the high cost of services. The first and second increase the effectiveness of the treatment, the third motivates the patient and his family even more. Outpatient treatment of alcoholism, of course, is more effective than the patient's attempts to deal with the problem alone at home.
Before a patient stops drinking alcohol, the clinic must detoxify the body. Then they code using suggestion or medication. The Dovzhenko method and subcutaneous injection of drugs that cause aversion to alcohol consumption have proven to be very effective. After that, the patient is invited to spend several weeks in the clinic's hospital to facilitate the exit from the vicious circle and the experience of physical abstinence under the supervision of the medical team. This approach to stopping drinking is often complemented by work with a psychologist.
How to stop drinking without clinics
It is extremely difficult to get rid of a bad habit on your own, as drinking alcohol improves mood and makes life easier and more enjoyable. However, this is possible if the disease has not gone too far. How to stop drinking alone, step by step:
- Admit there is a problem. This is the most important step.
- Find the cause of alcoholism. Most often it is a desire to simplify life or a habit due to a drinking environment. If it's too easy to break up with friends or colleagues, all you need to do is move to another city or reduce communication to a minimum, but the first reason is more difficult. You will have to seriously try to eradicate the habit of hiding from problems behind a bottle.
- Choose a goal. It must be achievable. If you have a weak will, it is better to give up alcohol gradually, reducing the dosage so that after six months you completely stop drinking alcohol.
- Find the reason. This is close to setting a goal, but otherwise there can be several reasons. For example, improving relationships with family and relatives, maintaining a job, improving material well-being and health.
- Choose the right moment. This is an important part of how to stop drinking for good.
- Find the right methods to stop drinking. Usually, desire or willpower alone are not enough. To help patients, many medications have been developed that can be used at home. But the doctor still needs to select them, based on the individual characteristics of the body and the course of the disease, therefore it is simply necessary to go to the narcologist at least once. He will tell you how to stop drinking without programming, if you want to start without programming.
- Ask someone to control you. It is much easier to stop if there is a support group and an important person who helps you avoid temptations and monitors the implementation of the plan developed to return to normal life.
- Find new hobbies, replace alcohol with other drinks. Sometimes you have to change your environment and give up some old hobbies.
- Follow a diet. Some foods make you want to drink. In these cases, you should replace your usual alcohol consumption with some other drink. For example, kvass, compote, tea.
The right time to stop drinking
People who have managed to return to sobriety talk about the importance of timing. It's easier to stop drinking after a heavy binge or even a prolonged binge. Then you won't be haunted by the realization that you "never got drunk" in the end.
There is no easy way to stop drinking on your own. This is a fight that a person has to fight with themselves.
A method to stop drinking quickly
The highest percentage of success in getting rid of a bad habit is among those people who are coded by sewing special substances under the skin. They make it impossible to drink alcohol: immediately after a small amount of alcohol enters the patient's body, a person begins to feel strong unpleasant sensations. This method is great if the patient does not want to publicize their problem. Perhaps the easiest way to stop drinking quickly at home.
15 recommendations on how to stop drinking alcohol
There are some tricks and recommendations from narcologists, psychologists and people who have already overcome addiction:
- Avoid companies where frequent alcohol consumption is encouraged. If these people are among your friends, you should communicate with them less often.
- Remove all alcohol from the house. You can serve it yourself or give it to one of your friends who drinks moderately.
- Don't celebrate holidays with alcohol and don't look for reasons or excuses to have a little "day off" of relaxation.
- Don't feel sorry for yourself. You have a worthy goal, not a punishment. Quitting drinking on weekends and in general will help you accomplish many things in life.
- Working helps to take my mind off the drinking.
- Try to find new hobbies and interests.
- Find out how your acquaintances or friends stopped drinking on weekends or stopped drinking alcohol. Communicate with them frequently for moral support and helpful advice.
- Try to remember what it's like to have fun and have an interesting time without alcohol intoxication. You can find out how people have fun without alcohol with those who don't drink for religious reasons, because of their own beliefs, profession or sport.
- It is advisable to change your daily routine, get enough sleep and establish an adequate diet. You should not eat foods that make you want to drink: spicy and salty foods, fish, sweets, coffee. It is necessary to drink as much water as possible - this starts metabolic processes in the body and promotes the elimination of alcohol.
- Every morning should start pleasantly: with a delicious healthy breakfast, an invigorating shower or positive music that you love.
- Add sports to your life. Even a brief exercise will help you feel more alive and improve your well-being.
- Try to plan your day. How can this help you stop drinking at home? It's simple - you will be busy with business or communicating with friends and relatives who do not drink. This will help you avoid temptation.
- Celebrate completed tasks and praise yourself for them to improve your mood and prove to yourself that you can do so much more without alcohol. Additionally, you can reward yourself with various pleasures: food, shopping, communicating with pleasant people.
- Meet new people and communicate more about interesting topics. Try to fill your leisure time as much as possible with pleasant and interesting things: religion, art, sports, films.
- How to stop drinking effectively at home? You can also post posters and notes around the house with motivational phrases. They must be updated and changed location periodically.