There are many reasons that a person will choose to stop drinking. You may have a drinking problem or a health condition that has led your doctor to advise you to stop. These tips will help you being your journey and learn how to stop.
Write down your Reasons for Stopping your Drinking
This will help you set your goals. Why do you want to stop drinking? Do you want to improve your health or sleep better? If you have issues with addiction, you my want to have better relationships with friends and loved ones. Or perhaps you are just tired of the after effects of the partying lifestyle like the headaches, blackouts, hangovers and the consequences of having a drinking problem such as being late for work or missing work completely.
Set your Goals
Decide on a limit for how much you will drink. If you are stopping drinking completely, you may choose to taper off gradually. If your goal is to cut down drinking, Collegedrinkingprevention.gov suggests these limits:
Women - No more than one drink a day
Men - No more than two drinks a day
A Drink is:
A 12 ounce bottle of beer
A 5 ounce glass of wine
A 1 ½ ounce shot of liquor
These limits are just suggestions. For certain people who have certain medical problems, who are older or who have a lower tolerance, these limits may be too high.
Write your goal on a piece of paper and post it in an area where you will see it often like your computer screen, mirror or refrigerator.
Keep a "Drinking Diary"
If you have set a goal to stop drinking or to cut back on drinking, you should track what you do and how much your consume. This is a vital key to learning how to stop drinking. Log your drinks each day. Have a column for the number of drinks you drank that day, the types and where you consumed them. This can be a real eye opener for you to see just how much you really do drink so be honest with yourself.
Employ the 7 Keys
1. Be careful at home - when you are sitting at home it can be easy for drinking to get away from you. Reduce the temptation by keeping very little alcohol or no alcohol at home.
2. Slow down - When you are drinking, sip as opposed to gulping. Break for at least one hour between each alcoholic drink and choose soda, water or juice instead. Also make sure that you eat food, never drink on an empty stomach.
3. Take a break - Choose one or two days a week that you do not consume any alcoholic beverages. Next, try to go a full week without drinking. Record in your diary how you feel both physically and emotionally on the days that you don't drink. The more successful that you are, the better you will tend to feel.
4. Just say NO - When others around you are drinking, there is not rule that says that you must drink as well. Don't be afraid to say no and don't feel obligated to drink just because someone gave you an alcoholic beverage. If certain people give you a tough time for not drinking, stay away from them.
5. Stay active - Find other things to do that do not involve drinking. Take the money that you would normally spend on drinking and use it on other activities. Do something with your family or friends. You may be surprised to find that you can have fun without the drink in your hand.
6. Construct a support system - It can be tough sometimes to stop drinking. For those difficult times, develop a support system to help you through. Ask your family and friends to help you. You may even want to check out Alcoholics Anonymous for additional help and support.
7. Keep an eye out for temptation - Be alert for circumstances, people, times and places that you are more prone to drinking. Make a plan for combating those temptations when you encounter them.
The number one tip for how to stop drinking is to never give up. It probably won't happen overnight, but you can do it. Hang in there and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
Dr.Eswararamanan is the author of this article. Learn resources and tips on how to stop drinking alcohol at the website http://www.usfreeads.com/1044478-cls.html This article is available for reprint on your website. But the links in this article should be complete and active including this message.
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