You can also set a few days of the week as alcohol-free days. Just make sure to set your own schedule based on your own consumption the general formula for alcohol is habits and goals. However, this approach is not going to work for everyone, he said, like those with alcohol-use disorder.

Avoid loneliness.

If you feel comfortable doing so, discuss your challenges with your primary healthcare professional. Finding a therapist can also be a great starting point if you’re uncomfortable opening up to your healthcare professional. Turner notes the importance of bringing along a trusted support person when attending events https://sober-home.org/cocaine-withdrawal-symptoms-timeline-and-recovery/ that involve alcohol. It’s often easier to turn down a drink when you don’t have to do it alone. It’s possible to develop a better relationship with alcohol and make more mindful, informed choices about drinking without total sobriety. Many people seem unclear about what problem drinking is and downplay it.

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Removing triggers helps support the goal of stopping drinking. Once urges and cravings are well-managed, a person may consider reconnecting with certain individuals. Framing sobriety as a temporary challenge versus a permanent lifestyle change can make it easier to stay sober for the long haul. You feel like your friends and family won’t understand or support your decision to stop drinking. There are withdrawal symptoms, environmental temptations, and outright stress. If you put down the bottle for 30 days, but you slip up and have a drink on day 31, this doesn’t undo the 30 days before.

Online Alcohol Treatment through Ria Health

Understanding your habits and your motivations to quit drinking can help you understand the change you’re making in your life and reinforce why it’s important. Dr. Streem suggests starting with the World Health Organization’s Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). It can be a particularly helpful way to help you get a clearer understanding of your drinking habits and your relationship with alcohol. It’s a 10-question screening test that gives you research-backed, personalized advice for quitting or reducing your intake of alcohol. Where are you on the spectrum from moderate and occasional drinking to heavy drinking? Have an open dialogue with your GP or a mental health professional specialising in this area and receive an assessment.

Have a Plan

Tell trusted family and friends about your plan to quit or cut back on alcohol. When those around you are in the know, it can help them know not to offer you drinks. It may even help if you spend time with other nondrinkers for a while so you can support each other. You have places, people, and events that are tied to drinking. Being around them could make it harder to stick to your plan.

1. So, giving up alcohol may help you to improve your relationships with friends and family.
2. If not at the extreme end of the spectrum, when more specialised treatment is necessary, cutting back has significant benefits.
3. Support can come via therapy, support programs, family, and friends.
4. Finally, consider finding a therapist or a recovery coach.

Benefits of stopping drinking

According to the WHO, there is no safe level for drinking alcohol. The HSE refers to weekly low-risk alcohol intake as being less than 11 standard drinks for women and 17 for men. It recommends avoiding binge drinking (more than 6 standard drinks in one period) and having 2-3 alcohol-free days per week.

Alcohol can make it hard to think clearly, cause strokes or high blood pressure, lead to cirrhosis and weaken your immune system. It may also mess with your sleep, and poor sleep hygiene can lead to further health concerns, like obesity and diabetes. Knowing all the negative effects alcohol has on your physical and mental health can make it easier to understand why you’re better off without it. If you think you might have an alcohol use disorder, there are evidence-based treatment options that can help you to quit drinking. Learning about your options can help you decide what might work best for you.

All the same, “a quick drink” often turns into three or four drinks. When you’re having a good time, you find it hard to stop, especially in the company of friends having the same amount. What could you be doing instead for those wine or alcohol hours? This could include more time with family, taking a course, engaging in interests and activities or more exercise. Once the initial symptoms of withdrawal have subsided, you may find that you have more energy than you did before you stopped drinking. This is because alcohol is a depressant, so when it’s no longer in your system, your body has more energy to work with.

There are lots of tools to help curb cravings, including medication to stop drinking. Seeking out sobriety tools can help you get through urges without relying solely on willpower. Ria Health offers treatment for alcohol addiction via telemedicine. Our program includes medication for alcohol cravings, recovery coaching, online support groups, medical consultation, and digital tools to track your progress. The whole process is flexible, and can be conducted from the comfort of home. If you’re ready to change your relationship with alcohol, get in touch with us today, or learn more about how it works.

Talk to your doctor or a drug treatment specialist about what to expect as you experience alcohol withdrawal. Ask your doctor whether any medications may help in the process. Identify a family member or friend who you can call on to provide emotional support.

Experienced professionals can help you work through your drinking triggers and develop new coping strategies. These symptoms may start a few hours or a few days after your last drink of alcohol. Sometimes, symptoms may be severe enough to require medical treatment at a hospital or rehabilitation facility. But some people choose to manage alcohol withdrawal themselves. Here are suggestions for how to get through alcohol withdrawal at home.

Maybe you’ve picked up a new workout routine, daily journaling practice, or started a new podcast. Having activities to look forward to is a big step in recovery. Around day 10, you might experience your first full night of quality sleep. You might realize https://sober-house.org/when-good-tv-goes-bad-why-house-s-self-medication/ you’re having more dreams than you did before, and waking up feeling more rested and energized. If this doesn’t happen for you at this time – don’t worry. Setting a limit on the number of drinks you can have per day may help curb your drinking.

Reducing or stopping drinking alcohol after drinking heavily for a period can also cause mental and physical effects like nausea, insomnia, and anxiety, according to WebMD. Sometime between days 5 and 7, moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms typically lessen. Whether you’re a daily drinker or simply sober curious, figuring out how to stop drinking alcohol can be a challenge. Alcohol has woven itself into so many aspects of our culture, and many more people experience some level of alcohol use disorder (AUD) than one might expect.