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Is it safe to stop drinking by myself?

  • Is it safe to stop drinking by myself?

For 3 to 4 weeks, write down every time you have a drink and how much you drink. Reviewing the results, you may be surprised at your weekly drinking habits. Distance yourself from people who don’t support your efforts to stop drinking or respect the limits you’ve set. This may mean giving up certain friends and social connections. After three months, I will cut back my weekend drinking even more to a maximum of two drinks per day and three drinks per weekend. I will stop drinking on weekdays, starting as of __________. Once you’ve made the decision to change, the next step is establishing clear drinking goals.

Talk with a healthcare professional if you’re concerned you may experience detox symptoms when quitting drinking or cutting back. Together, you can come up with a plan to get through it. If you like drinking, you may have felt the want to continue pouring after a hard day. And even moderate drinking is related to greater injury risks from violence, falls, and automobile accidents.

Alcohol and Pregnancy: Tips on Why and How to Stop Drinking Alcohol

At Ria, we offer weekly meetings with certified counselors to help members stay on track and build skills for long-term change. Ria Health offers several FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder.

how to stop drinking alcohol

Finally, continuing to meet with a recovery coach or therapist can give you strategies for navigating tough challenges, and a supportive ally to keep you moving forward. Each person will need to consider their specific goals, and find a combination of the above methods that works well for them—ideally after consulting a doctor. The biggest issue with cold turkey is that withdrawal symptoms can be severe enough to threaten a person’s safety. In the case of alcohol, they can even be life-threatening. Telemedicine is a growing industry, and is making medical assistance easier to access than it was before. People can now talk to a doctor through video chat and get help for many common ailments. Alcohol abuse turns out to be no exception, and resources like medical counseling, recovery coaching, and even prescriptions are now available through telemedicine programs.

Recognizing you Have a Drinking Problem

Goals can help you stay on track, but sometimes one big goal feels too out of reach. Consider setting smaller goals for yourself — and celebrate them as you go.

  • An EAP can help employees with personal issues such as alcohol use.
  • This can lead to withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, tremors, sweating, and nausea.
  • Whether it’s regular meditation, yoga, tai chi, or even a smartphone app, research shows that finding a mindfulness practice can help people stick with sobriety long-term.
  • Depending on where you live, you might be able to visit a sober bar and socialize without alcohol.
  • This will help you become more aware of when and how you experience urges, what triggers them, and ways to avoid or control them.

Many things can interfere with meeting your goal to cut down on or stop drinking. If your current life revolves around alcohol use, you might need to choose new friends or a new lifestyle. To stay focused on your goal and succeed, think through ideas to help you stop using alcohol on your own. For example, make a list of people and places in your life that have nothing to do with alcohol use. In your plan, identify when you will evaluate your progress. Try a plan for 30 days so that the new behavior becomes a habit. If you drank after successfully stopping , it does not mean that you have failed.

Learn to say no

“Sober-curious” or “mindful drinking” are now familiar phrases; Sober October and Dry January How to Stop Drinking are popular trends. But it still requires a willingness to go against the grain.

Do I have to be sober forever?

Wondering if you have to stay sober forever is a common debate after leaving rehab. Thinking about forever can be overwhelming. But, in reality, you can stay sober for the rest of your life, but some people might find it easier to focus on it one day at a time. After all, recovery is all about taking the first step.

Keep this list so that you can renew your commitment from time to time. Prevent or reduce health problems that are made worse by alcohol use, such as liver damage. Learn about the medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral, and voluntary benefits your employer may offer. Families may not know exactly what is going on, but they begin to mention changes they are noticing.

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