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How to Overcome Alcohol Addiction? Effectively Handle Alcohol Use Disorder
To stop alcohol abuse and alcoholism, you will have first to understand how you are related to alcohol consumption. You need new routines, consistent self-care, and social support from there. Finding these things will help you redirect your mind away from alcohol dependence. Indeed, you will have challenges in achieving sobriety. Nevertheless, after handling these challenges, you can take a closer look at the role played by alcohol problems in your life.
You might be interested to stop drinking. Otherwise, you might be interested in cutting back on substance abuse. Irrespective of the category you belong to in alcohol and drug usage, the tips given in this post will help you stop or control alcohol use for sure:
Examine The Effects of Alcohol
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse, alcohol can affect your health in different ways. You might be drinking moderate alcohol. Even then, you can feel foggy, groggy, or hungover. The more you drink, the more will be alcohol withdrawal symptoms like:
- Increased irritability, depression, and anxiety
- Memory issues
- Digestive problems
- Disrupted sleep
- Conflicts and disagreements with your loved ones
How to Stop Alcohol Addiction?
After you understand that drinking alcohol has created a lot of disturbances in your mental health, physical health, and relationships, you will start thinking about how to stop consuming alcohol.
People with alcohol use disorder often find the road to recovery bumpy and long. At times, you might feel that it is hard to stop alcohol misuse. However, you should not lose hope. It is highly possible. After understanding alcohol use and its effects, you should think about seeking help to stop drug use.
In case, you are ready to stop drinking and seek help, you can get out of it even if you feel you are powerless. You might think that I am not drinking too much alcohol now. But it is better to start your journey towards cessation before it gets too late. You can make a positive change in your life and the lives of your loved ones now.
Most people with excessive alcohol use problems do not decide to make a big change out of the blue or transform their alcohol dependence overnight. Alcohol may have grabbed you a long. However, recovery is generally a graduate process.
Remember that denial is the biggest obstacle initially for someone with an alcohol issue. Indeed, you might accept that the amount of alcohol you take is high. Still, you may make excuses and drag your feet. So, you should acknowledge your ambivalence about relief if you are addicted to alcohol.
In case you are ready for the change and you are struggling with the decision, the National Survey on Drug Use recommends you consider the benefits and costs of using and stopping alcohol use.
Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Alcohol Use Disorder
Costs of Alcoholism
- Heavy alcohol usage gets in the way of my family responsibilities and job performance.
- Substance abuse and mental health go hand in hand. It makes me feel ashamed of myself, anxious and depressed.
- Relationship problems in my life were caused by alcohol.
Costs of Not Having Alcohol Addiction
- I have to face the responsibilities that I have been ignoring, as people with alcohol use disorder do,
- I will lose my drinking buddies.
- I should start looking for other ways to deal with the problems in my life.
Benefits of Alcohol Dependence
- When I do not treat alcohol dependence, I can forget problems in my life
- I have fun with the consumption of alcohol
- I choose alcohol use despite adverse social effects as my way of unwinding and relaxing after a stressful work day.
Benefits of Not Depending on Alcohol
- My relationships would probably improve, unlike individuals with alcohol issues.
- If I stop alcohol drinking, I will feel better both physically and mentally.
- If I stop my alcohol intake, I will have more energy and time for people around me and activities that I care about.
Now, after you evaluate the benefits and costs associated with alcohol usage and cessation, you will naturally get the motivation to look for the right treatment for alcohol usage in excess.
People with Alcohol Use Disorder Should Understand Their Relationship with Alcohol
The Centers for Disease Control states that an important first step to stopping any habit is to spot why you are doing it. The same applies to your condition known as alcohol dependence:
Identify How Much You Drink
You might be thinking that you have a higher tolerance to alcohol. However, you might still wonder whether you are consuming a lot of alcohol. In case you do not have any cravings when you are reducing alcohol consumption. However, a quick drink generally turns into 3 or 4 drinks. When you have a good time, you find it hard to cope, particularly when you are with your friends.
Spot What Triggers
Knowing why you drink is important recommends Abuse and Mental Health Services. Knowing why you consume alcohol can aid you in exploring other ways to address those issues more productively. Common triggers of alcohol include:
- Insomnia
- Trouble working
- Social events
- Relationship stress
Understanding triggers and reasons for drinking can help you plan techniques to manage the urge to drink.
Consider Your Approach To Alcoholism
You might be thinking about giving up alcohol wholly. However, you are not sure about completely quitting. Also, you do not want to hold yourself to that objective. What is most important is to look at your drinking habits. You should find ways to cut back on alcohol content that works for you. You can develop a better relationship with alcohol and make more informed and mindful choices about alcohol intoxication without total sobriety.
Seek Help From Others
Developing alcohol addiction, apart from affecting you, can also affect your family. So, it is better to let others know your decision. Friends and family can offer support and motivation when you stop drinking.
When you open up discussions, you are allowing others in your family to explore their drinking habits. This move will help them with self-diagnosis of alcohol usage in excess. Let us consider that you have a friend or family member who needs help with problematic alcohol use like you. Together, both of you will find it easy to turn down a drink rather than doing it alone. In turn, both can reduce your blood alcohol levels.
FAQs
No, just because you drink in a different environment, you cannot change the effects of alcohol. It will affect your health, both mentally and physically. However, by changing the environment, you can reduce the risk of alcohol dependence. Changing the environment includes removing alcohol from your home and finding a go-to drink in place of alcohol. Alcohol can cause cravings. So, to prevent these cravings, make sure that you keep yourself busy. This will help ease the symptoms you face during your alcohol treatment.
The duration of treatment for alcoholism varies from one person to another. It relies mainly on the level of your addiction. Also, the treatment centers will evaluate whether you have fetal alcohol syndrome or what caused alcohol to enter your life. The Center for Behavioral Health Statistics states that people do not get into alcoholism intentionally. It happens due to different factors like genetics and lifestyle. So, the treatment time will vary based on your symptoms and how much you co-operate with the treatment.
