Author: Alex Thompson

How to stop drinking: Support and more

Remind yourself of why you want to cut back, talk to a friend about it and distract yourself with a hobby or exercise, the NIAAA suggests. If you turn to alcohol to ease anxiety, try exercise as a healthy alternative. “Try doing a ‘dry’ month like Dry January, Go Dry for July or Sober October,” says Moore. In January 2020, more than 6 million people reportedly participated in Dry January, a campaign to reduce alcohol consumption organized by Alcohol Change UK. Follow-up research suggested that most tended to drink in healthier amounts afterward. Medical experts now use the term “alcohol use disorder” rather than “alcohol abuse” to address the concern of excessive drinking.

When you consider how to go about giving up alcohol, account for factors like how much you drink and your reasons for drinking. You might run into obstacles along the way that tempt you to drink. Keep in mind the reasons you chose to cut back on or quit alcohol. It’s possible to develop a better relationship with alcohol and make more mindful, informed choices about drinking without total sobriety.

1. Another essential element of your plan to quit drinking is to identify the barriers or obstacles that might make achieving your goals more difficult.
2. In addition, local or virtual support groups can help by providing an environment to safely discuss tips and challenges.
3. However, when alcohol makes up part of your typical routine, drinking can become something of an automatic response, especially when you feel stressed or overwhelmed.

There’s a reason you’ve reached the decision to quit or cut back. Whether it’s improved relationships, better health, or weight loss, keeping the “why” in sight can help boost your motivation. Give yourself credit where credit is due as you start to hit your alcohol-free milestones. Celebration helps keep you motivated, so make sure you’re rewarding yourself for goals achieved. Consider setting up a reward chart with things you really want — maybe it’s a dinner out at a new restaurant or a pair of shoes you’ve been eyeing. You could even go all-out and reward yourself with something big with a major milestone like a year alcohol-free — a vacation sounds lovely, for example.

It can mean more time for your other interests, and even new interests. More time to meet new people, catch up with old friends and try new things. Or maybe it’s a pregnancy that made you realize it’s time to stop drinking. Or maybe you’re just looking to improve your health, wake up hangover-free and give your liver (and your heart and brain) a break.

Recognize the signs of alcohol use disorder

American Addiction Centers recommend no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men, so keep that in mind as you’re setting a goal to cut back. 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. To prevent symptoms of alcohol withdrawal from worsening, people need to stay in a controlled and calm environment.

Feeling at your best physically can boost resilience and emotional strength, equipping you to weather challenges that trigger the desire to drink. What’s most important is looking at your drinking habits and finding a way to cut back that works for you. By Kendra Cherry, MSEdKendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the “Everything Psychology Book.” Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the “Everything Psychology Book.”

Establishing a pattern can then help you identify why you’re drinking so much, and figure out if you’re drinking due to a certain trigger. Koob says he’ll often make himself the designated driver so he won’t be questioned about drinking. If you’re struggling with the social dynamics of cutting back, Koob recommends having a good excuse on hand. A person may require intravenous (IV) rehydration fluids to correct any electrolyte imbalances. Some people may also need supplements such as folate, multivitamin, thiamine, and dextrose. These are challenging to avoid and work through because they may appear randomly.

Examine alcohol health effects

There’s no one right way to go about quitting drinking; it’s all about figuring out what works for you and your lifestyle, starting with a plan. Here are a few things you should consider and actionable steps you can take. 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. For personal advice, please consult with a medical professional.

For example, keeping the home alcohol-free may prevent people from drinking. Avoiding social events that involve alcohol may also help someone overcome the urge to drink. Avoidance can be temporary, and people can return to social activities when they can better manage their urges.

In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. If you’re having difficulty sticking to your goal or just want some extra guidance, consider reaching out for professional support. At the end of the day, one of the most important tools you have at your disposal is self-compassion.

Special Health Reports

Fortunately, these withdrawal symptoms shouldn’t last very long — about a week — but listen to your body in case something feels abnormal during this time. Try to stay focused on your end goal, and call your doctor if something doesn’t feel right. Dr. Streem says that if your goal is to stop drinking altogether, you’re more likely to have success quitting all at once, rather than weaning off alcohol. But that advice changes if you’re living with alcohol use disorder.

Drink a cup of soothing tea or a tall glass of water before you imbibe—once your thirst is quenched, you may not feel the need for as much—or any—alcohol. If you identify with any of the scenarios above, try the expert tips below for reducing your alcohol consumption (or even eliminating it altogether). To determine whether—and where—you fall in the alcohol use disorder (AUD) spectrum, answer the following questions. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Health. You can become conditioned to reach for a drink when your environment offers up certain cues. In order to change your drinking habits, your first step is to take a close look at your current behaviors and find patterns.

Understand Detox

Creating a plan is an essential part of knowing how to quit drinking. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism suggests that having a plan can help solidify your goals and give you a roadmap for how to achieve them. There are many healthy habits you can replace drinking alcohol with, whether it’s drinking a healthier option, such as sparkling water, or doing something different altogether. Fiellin says keeping a journal of your drinking habits can help to reinforce how you stick to your limits. You can write down the limits that you set for yourself daily or weekly, as well as the number of drinks that you actually consume. While some people may be able to enjoy a glass of wine on occasion, others with moderate to severe alcohol-use disorder struggle to cut back or quit despite the consequences they experience.

If you’re really committed to cutting back, one of the best things you can do is get the booze out of your house. 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. Prepare yourself for those times when someone is going to offer you a drink. You might also hold onto a nonalcoholic drink instead, ask a friend to support you in difficult situations or simply exit early if temptation gets too strong, the NIAAA suggests.

Talk with a healthcare professional if you’re concerned you may experience detox symptoms when quitting drinking or cutting back. Delirium tremens (DT), also known as alcohol withdrawal syndrome, is a severe form of withdrawal that can happen when a person gives up alcohol. It affects between three and five percent of people who are quitting drinking and can be fatal. There may be many reasons why a person plans to stop drinking alcohol.