Whether you want to take a break from drinking or you’re quitting alcohol for keeps, bring in some pros to help. If you don’t have a regular doctor, see a primary care provider or visit a free health clinic near you. The NIAAA also offers pointers about resources for low- and no-cost treatment and support options, like getting in touch with your state’s agency for substance abuse help. If you feel like your relationship with alcohol needs an overhaul, you’ve got plenty of company.

• But while you can’t do the hard work of overcoming addiction for your loved one, your love and support can play a crucial part in their long-term recovery.
• The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved or otherwise endorsed by our advertisers.
• Even moderate amounts of alcohol can significantly impair driving performance and your ability to operate other machinery, whether or not you feel the effects of alcohol.

You can also try roleplay activities if they need to practice being assertive. Assume the role of someone trying to pressure them into drinking, and see how your loved one handles the situation. Instead, commend yourself for the attempt and acknowledge that stopping or cutting back on drinking isn’t easy.

Make a plan.

Together, you can come up with a plan to get through it. No matter how tightly connected your alcohol use is with your social life, it is possible to give up or cut back on your drinking while staying social. The following tips can help you talk to others about your new drinking habits, set healthy boundaries, and address potential triggers that could derail your good intentions. As you define how to quit drinking safely for yourself, it’s crucial to establish clear and realistic goals.

• The symptoms listed above may be a sign of a severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens, or DTs.
• If you think you may have a drinking problem, you’re definitely not alone.
• One of the 12 steps involves recognizing people who have been hurt by your addiction and formulating a plan to make amends.
• 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.
• They see the pain and struggles and reality of addiction that you may feel others can’t begin to comprehend.

So please read our world-famous tips but you must remember that drinking is like being trapped in a maze. Relapses happen during rehabilitation, but what’s important is how you move forward from it. You may want to talk with a loved one or therapist about why it happened and what you can do differently next time.

Compare the Best Programs to Quit Drinking

Quitting early not only improves your chances of success—it can also reduce the need for higher levels of care. Avoiding external and internal temptations may require an individual temporarily distancing themself from certain people or events and deep reflections on urges that arise from within. Doctors, nutritionists, and counselors https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/tips-to-get-started-on-the-road-to-recovery/ can also help support people to stop drinking alcohol. A person can improve their success rate by designing a plan to stop drinking and using the resources that work for them. Many types of support are available in the community and on the internet. However, the best strategies are those that people respond to the best.

• The entire treatment model is based on evidence-based addiction treatment and the delivery of high-quality care.
• What’s most important is looking at your drinking habits and finding a way to cut back that works for you.
• Heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause brain damage and other serious problems in the baby.
• Recovering from alcohol addiction or abuse is much easier when you have people you can lean on for encouragement, comfort, and guidance.
• The best program to quit drinking is the one that delivers results for your unique situation, and it varies from person to person.
• Drinking alcohol and socializing go together in so many ways that trying to decouple the two activities can be a very tricky task.

You might feel concerned about what the alcohol is doing to your health or begin to question your own self-control and willpower. Do you tend to beat yourself up if you make a social faux pas? Or maybe you have a habit of anticipating rejection or feelings of embarrassment when you’re socializing. Question whether you’re being too hard on yourself and turning a minor problem into a catastrophe.

How to Stop Drinking for Good

Let friends, family members, and co-workers know that you’re trying to stop or cut back on drinking. If they drink, ask them to support your recovery by not doing so in front of you. Try hobbies and self-care activities that make you feel relaxed, proud of yourself, included, and mentally and physically healthy.

It goes without saying, but drinking alcohol can significantly impact an individual’s life, both physically and mentally. Not only this, tips to quit drinking but drinking can also impact the people and things around an individual. This impact has consequences—and many of them are negative.