Author: Alex Thompson

Best Programs to Quit Drinking of 2023

As you prepare your plan to quit drinking, make a list of the barriers that might be standing in your way and brainstorm ways to deal with these problems. Potential solutions might include looking for low-cost treatment options, joining a support group, and talking to a mental health professional. Common alcohol withdrawal symptoms can include nausea, shaking, and sweating—which can be unpleasant or even dangerous. In order to quit drinking, you may need proper medical support to detox safely. The entire treatment model is based on evidence-based addiction treatment and the delivery of high-quality care.

It’s common to have a difficult time when making big changes, but good self-care practices can help you manage overwhelming feelings and take care of your mind and body. That said, you don’t need to say anything more than “No, thanks.” Practicing your refusal ahead of time can help you feel more comfortable and confident when you find yourself in a situation that involves alcohol. By Kendra Cherry, MSEdKendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the “Everything Psychology Book.” If you experience symptoms of DT, such as confusion, disorientation, hallucinations, or delusions, seek medical attention immediately.

The groups that operate within the framework welcome anyone looking to find a path to sobriety, including those who are religious. WFS offers both in-person and online support groups (although in-person offerings can be sparse outside urban areas). The program operates under the framework of a 12-step program that is rooted in spirituality. Principles include the belief that individuals are not able to solve their addiction on their own and need the help of a power greater than themselves.

Benefits of stopping drinking

A fee-based program, The Recovery Village provides access to addiction experts, social workers, registered nurses, and licensed mental health therapists. The Loosid approach is based on celebrating sobriety as a preferred lifestyle. The app offers access to resources and relationships that build a community around an alcohol-free life. If you turn to alcohol to ease anxiety, try exercise as a healthy alternative. Whatever your reason to quit drinking, know that you’re doing yourself a favor. Alcohol impacts our sleep, relationships, weight, risk for serious chronic conditions and more.

Keep in mind the reasons you chose to cut back on or quit alcohol. What’s most important is looking at your drinking habits and finding a way to cut back that works for you. Knowing why you drink is essential, says Cyndi Turner, LCSW, LSATP, MAC, a Virginia therapist specializing in addiction treatment and alcohol moderation. Maybe you don’t think you depend on alcohol exactly, but you still wonder whether you might be drinking too much. However, deep reflection may help uncover where internal triggers arise.

Psychological symptoms can include irritability, anxiety and restlessness. Talk therapy is an important part of treatment for alcohol use disorder, but Dr. Streem says just about anyone who is making a life change, like quitting drinking, can benefit from therapy. Dr. Streem suggests starting with the World Health Organization’s Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).

What does drinking alcohol do to your body?

Self Recovery has the aim that everyone can achieve deep and lasting change in their choices and beliefs. Through its holistic and scientific approach, Dr. Hochman aims to translate addiction recovery from the one-on-one treatment sphere into an easily accessible self-help program. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a well-known organization dedicated to helping individuals struggling with addiction achieve sobriety. Its groups run worldwide and are open to anyone looking to beat a drinking problem. The SMART program is based on the idea that substance use is a way to cope with life stressors that begins as a coping strategy but becomes a problem. The program makes use of research on addiction to help participants achieve abstinence from alcohol and drugs.

1. Be prepared to have these things on hand for when a craving strikes so you can nip it in the bud.
2. The first thing you have to do is take a step back and evaluate your habits.
3. If you experience symptoms of DT, such as confusion, disorientation, hallucinations, or delusions, seek medical attention immediately.
4. If you’re having trouble doing the same things you used to do, try new hobbies to fill your time.
5. This means that when sobriety is achieved, the credit for this achievement also rests with the individual.
6. The Loosid approach is based on celebrating sobriety as a preferred lifestyle.

The network accepts and respects any path that is chosen toward sobriety and is not opposed to or in competition with programs offered through other networks (such as Alcoholics Anonymous). Rather, any path to sobriety that the individual chooses is respected in this model. Women for Sobriety is a nonprofit organization founded in 1975 to help women overcome substance abuse. WFS was founded by a sociologist who wanted to treat addiction by examining how identity loss, guilt, and depression could play a role in substance use. Support groups are run by facilitators who lead members through a structured program that delves into mental health and addiction with a focus on the present instead of the past.

Want to Quit Drinking? Use These 8 Strategies to Make It a Reality

This is also a good opportunity to find alternatives to some of your favorite drinks. Be prepared to have these things on hand for when a craving strikes so you can nip it in the bud. Use the NIAAA’s drink size calculator to determine the amount of alcohol in various drinks.

Structured self-affirmation exercises that take up less time, such as answering a series of yes or no questions, can also be effective in helping people reduce or stop drinking alcohol. Self-affirmation is a powerful strategy to help motivate people to change their habits and behaviors. Self-affirmation exercises, such as recognizing self-worth, can allow an individual to focus on their important values. According to researchers, self-affirmation can help a person stay on track even in a threatening environment.

One 12-ounce can of beer contains about 5% alcohol, and a standard glass of sherry is 3 to 4 ounces and contains about 17% alcohol, according to the NIAAA. If you identify with any of the scenarios above, try the expert tips below for reducing your alcohol consumption (or even eliminating it altogether). “You may learn things about yourself and about your relationship to this substance that you never even thought about,” he adds. Consider writing them down and keeping notes on hand, so you have a physical reminder to look at when you need it to help motivate you to stay the course.

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. The first thing you have to do is take a step back and evaluate your habits.

They are designed to help you learn ways to change your approach to life so that you don’t need addictive behaviors to cope. In other words, once you become happier and more content with your daily life, substance use won’t need to be a part of it. Information provided on Forbes Health is for educational purposes only. Your health and wellness is unique to you, and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment plans.