Photo from Alex Ranaldi
When you want to stop drinking, all sorts of questions probably go through your mind. Where do I start? What should I do? Will it be difficult? Can I really stop? What if I can’t?
All of these questions are quite common to those who want to stop drinking, but rest assured that you can succeed in abstaining from alcohol with a solid strategy and effort.
The following are some key areas to consider as you move forward with the intent of stopping drinking.
Where to start
First, ask yourself why you want to stop drinking. What are your reasons? It’s important to know why you want to stop so that when you’re tempted to pick up a drink, you will remember why you want to stop. Write down the reasons you want to stop. Is it because you realize alcohol is toxic to your body?
Are you drinking more than you’d like? Is it getting you into trouble with your job, relationship, or with the law? When you write down your reasons, keep that list with you at all times, so that when you’re tempted to pick up a drink, you can grab that list and remember your commitment to stop.
Create a recovery strategy
If you want to stop drinking, yet you’ve had trouble doing so in the past, perhaps creating a recovery strategy will help. There are many ways to recovery from alcoholism and even if you’re not quite an alcoholic, yet you want to stop drinking, it will benefit you from having a plan.
Discover your path to sobriety and stick to it. Maybe you would benefit from attending a group like SMART Recovery. Some people opt to attend an alcohol detox or inpatient or outpatient rehab. Getting a good substance abuse counselor works wonders too. Or perhaps you can join an online recovery forum and become part of the community there. You may also benefit from learning about alcoholism by reading books or watching good videos on the topic. Make the effort to do what works for you.
Do something different
There’s a saying that goes something like this: If you keep doing the same things, you’ll get the same results. Essentially, it means that if you want different results, do something different. If you’ve tried quitting before and couldn’t, take a different approach and keep doing this until you find what works for you.
Find a support network
Having support is very helpful when it comes to quitting drinking. Make the effort to surround yourself with people who are supportive of your journey to sobriety. You may have some family members, friends, or acquaintances who will be there for you on this recovery journey.
You may also consider getting a counselor and committing to a season of getting through any issues you may be contending with.
If you want to stop drinking, be encouraged that you certainly can. It may be challenging at times or it may come easy for you, but rest assured knowing that you can do it and you’re not alone.
Millions of people have given up alcohol and are enjoying their lives sober and free, so if you want to do the same, take these tips into consideration and let today be your first day to a new life of sobriety.
Also, please remember to take the How to Give Up Alcohol Course. You can hopefully then start to enjoy life without alcohol.
