There is no consistent advice on what to do to get a person to stop drinking.Every organism and every situation is unique, which means that the solution will be unique in each individual case.
Awareness of the problem of abstaining from alcohol
The fight against alcohol addiction begins from the moment a person realizes that he is sick.Many alcoholics are confident that they can quit smoking at any time and deny the existence of addiction, but in fact they continue to drink.And it's not even that people lack willpower.They simply cannot adequately assess the damage they are doing to themselves, their health, and their relationships with others.
For such people, the admonitions of loved ones or the arguments of specialists are empty words.Even if they are persuaded to undergo treatment, at best everything ends in a short-term abstinence from alcohol, and then the situation returns to the old course.
So, the basis for successful treatment of alcoholism is the alcoholic's understanding of the problem and his strong desire to change his life.
Find the reason
It is much easier to fight an addiction if you know the cause of it.The analysis will help you understand which aspects you need to pay particular attention to during the treatment process.There are several main factors that cause the development of alcoholism.This is the influence of the environment, numerous stresses, habits and hereditary predisposition.
Most often, after reflection, a person can independently determine the main factor that led to alcohol addiction.A psychotherapist can also help with this.
How did it all start?
It will be useful to remember how the addiction began.This will also help to properly structure further therapy.Maybe it all started with a few bottles of beer in the evening to relax after a hard day at work.Or colleagues at a new workplace celebrate all the holidays marked on the calendar.Or maybe alcohol helped you forget about frequent family quarrels.
Gradually the habit becomes more and more entrenched and alcohol is now consumed more and more frequently, with the dose doubling on weekends.
State of things today
Most often, people come to the conclusion that it is time to stop drinking when the addiction is already quite strong.A person drinks almost every day, the amount of alcohol increases, the body gradually begins to fail, family relationships deteriorate, and problems begin at work.
Any one of these factors, or a combination of them, may play a crucial role in a person's decision to quit alcohol.The decisive factor can be the wife's application for divorce, her dismissal or a severe deterioration in her health.
It is not easy to make such a decision, but it is even more difficult to act in the right direction.Moreover, it practically does not matter what exactly a person refuses.Stopping drinking wine is just as difficult as stopping drinking vodka.
Quitting drinking is not as easy as it seems
Even though many trainers promise it, there is no easy way to stop drinking on your own.Abstaining from alcohol, especially after prolonged abuse, is always a strain on the body and mind.
If physical dependence has already developed, the person initially suffers from poor health.The body therefore needs the usual dose of ethanol, which it has already been able to incorporate into metabolic processes.
In addition, studies have shown that some time after stopping drinking, a person begins to experience mental disorders (increasing anxiety, irritability, a sharp deterioration in mood).Symptoms like these are one of the main reasons many people relapse.The main thing is to be patient and endure the withdrawal period.
How to properly stop drinking?
There are two ways to stop drinking.The first, gentler option suggests giving up alcohol gradually.It consists in gradually reducing the doses of alcohol until they become acceptable or reach zero.The advantages of the method include the low likelihood of withdrawal symptoms.However, the big disadvantage is that the risk of failure is very high.
The second method involves abrupt and complete abstinence from alcohol.The advantage of the method is its high efficiency due to the absence of relaxing factors in the form of an approved dose.The disadvantages include the high likelihood of experiencing withdrawal symptoms.The method is not recommended for people who binge drink.
It is strongly recommended to leave the choice of technique to a narcologist, who will make his decision based on the patient's condition.
Eliminating the causes of alcoholism
Having identified the factors that led to the development of addiction, those who quit drinking need to eliminate them in order to stop drinking alcohol as quickly as possible.If alcoholism is caused by constant stress and anxiety, you should try to find a solution to existing problems and reduce the likelihood of stressful situations to a minimum.
If the main reason for drinking is the company of stubborn friends, consider changing your social circle.The usual evening pastime with a bottle on the sofa in front of the TV can be replaced with a walk or a trip to the gym.
Help from a narcologist, taking medications
One of the most effective ways to stop drinking alcohol is to take special medications.Based on their operating principle, they are divided into three groups:
- elimination of hangover symptoms;
- reducing cravings for alcohol;
- Cause aversion to alcohol.
These tools help quite well in overcoming addiction, especially in the early stages, but there are situations in which coding is essential (especially when the disease is advanced).
Recently, in addition to medications, nutritional supplements that reduce alcohol cravings and help quit drinking have become increasingly popular.
Help from a psychotherapist
If you want to stop drinking without coding, you should see a psychotherapist as soon as possible.Many techniques have been developed to free a person from addiction.Some are based on hypnotic influence, others use the principle of emotional stress therapy.
However, you should not hope that a session with a specialist will guarantee a cure.Most likely, you will need a fairly long course and, of course, the desire and active work of the patient himself.
Group therapy
Communication with those who find themselves in a similar situation and are trying to get rid of addiction will be very useful.It is much easier to force yourself not to drink alcohol when you know that you are not alone and that you can always get support from people who understand you like no one else.
Such communication can be found in Alcoholics Anonymous clubs or on special websites on the Internet.There, people exchange useful techniques and opinions and share their successes and mistakes.
Physical activity
Physical activity promotes the production of endorphins – happiness hormones.For a person quitting drinking, physical activity not only helps to improve their mood, but also to get in shape, improve their health and tone their muscles.
The main thing is to act step by step and not to overload the already weakened body.A good place to start is swimming, running, inline skating, skating or cycling.You can go to the gym or do yoga.
Healthy lifestyle
The best way to start a new life is to give up both alcohol and other bad habits.Smoking, gambling, gluttony - all these addictions often go hand in hand with alcoholism.
Alcohol and nicotine addiction are particularly common.It is difficult to give up smoking after drinking alcohol, and smoking triggers habitual cravings for alcohol in many.Therefore, in order to prevent a person from drinking, it is necessary to remove all provoking factors, including cigarettes.
Additional help with folk remedies
It is very difficult to stop drinking forever using only folk remedies, but they are an excellent addition to other methods of getting rid of addiction.
The following herbs are considered the most effective in treating alcoholism:
- hoofwort;
- lovage;
- Mugwort;
- centaury;
- Thyme;
- St. John's wort.
Decoctions and infusions of these herbs cause an aversion to alcoholic beverages.Some of the listed plants have quite a strong effect, so they must be used with caution and in compliance with the specified recipe and dosage.It is best not to self-medicate but to see a doctor.
What are the benefits of quitting alcohol?
Recovery from alcoholism helps to restore lost health, normalize the functioning of internal organs and improve the condition of the nervous system.In addition, a person who decides to quit alcohol reduces stress levels, improves relationships with people, and restores damaged social connections.
Health
After you stop drinking alcohol completely, it takes a certain amount of time until all toxic substances are completely eliminated from the body.Next begins the recovery process, which will take quite a long time, but the first results will be visible quite quickly.
After quitting alcohol:
- immunity becomes stronger, a person falls ill with diseases less often and more easily;
- the functioning of internal organs (liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys) is improved;
- the condition of blood vessels improves;
- brain functions are restored;
- Appearance improves (condition of skin, hair, teeth, nails), the person looks younger and healthier.
Personal life
Avoiding alcohol also has an extremely positive effect on your private life.The opportunity arises:
- restore family and friendships;
- gain peace of mind and self-confidence;
- engage in self-realization;
- find new goals in life.
Company
After giving up alcohol consumption, a person's social life also changes and they gradually return to society.This can be expressed as follows:
- the appearance of new acquaintances;
- the opportunity to get a new promising job or a new promotion;
- gradually emerging topics for communication with people that have nothing to do with alcohol;
- the person feels like a full, respected member of society again.
How to refuse drinking in company?
Anyone who quits drinking sooner or later faces the question of how to stop drinking socially.It is important to understand that your own health comes first and there is nothing strange or shameful about saying no when asked to drink.This must be done politely but confidently so that the applicant understands and accepts the answer.If someone continues to insist despite the expressed rejection, you should exclude communication with these people.
You can justify your decision and avoid unnecessary questions under the pretext of taking antibiotics, a quick test, or the need to drive.
You have to learn to firmly refuse alcohol, and over time such offers will become less and less frequent.In addition, the holidays are most often spent in the company of relatives and friends, and these people usually know that someone has stopped drinking and do not offer him alcohol.
Conclusion
A person makes the decision to quit alcoholism alone;no one can do it for him.But this decision is the first and perhaps most important step on the path to healing.All further difficulties can be overcome if you consistently pursue your goal.The most important thing to remember is that there is definitely a safe way to get rid of addiction.