Has your overindulgence in alcohol created embarrassment for you and your family in both your personal and professional relationships? If so, then getting a grip on your drinking is the first step to quitting. It is difficult to quit drinking even at the best of times. Often, people seek out qualified help or the assistance of a program like Alcoholics Anonymous when they can't do it on their own. This isn't always necessary, however. With some fundamental behavior training, many people can find the will to quit drinking on their own. Here are some basic tips to help you get away from alcohol:
When coming home from work, you may feel inclined to stop along the way be it at the grocery store or a bar for a quick drink. By going straight home, you will avoid the temptation of purchasing alcohol at the store and the bar. Once home, you probably will feel less inclined to go back out again. When you do go to the store for groceries, make a habit of purchasing them all at once so you don't have to run out multiple times thus lessening the urge to buy alcohol. Make a habit of going to places that don't serve alcohol like a movie theater or ice skating rink. If you apply just some of these tips, your chances of avoiding drinking alcohol will lessen.
Make a habit of chewing gum or eating candy so you can keep your mind on something else. Eating a lot of fruit and foods that contain fructose will also keep you too busy to think about drinking alcohol; turn these into a sort of pastime so that you are giving up one habit (drinking) and taking on another.Working out is another way to keep your brain busy so that it doesn't turn to the urge to take a drink. If you can't go to the gym right after work, go home instead, put on your favorite music and away you go! Keep away from people that drink when and if you are in a social setting. Make sure you don't frequent pubs or clubs with friends that insist on drinking. Your true friends will stand by you and support whatever decisions you make so don't worry about losing them.
There are lots of places you can go besides a bar; coffee shops are popular as is Internet dating. Stay away from bars for at least a year and try these other alternatives. You will only end up in trouble if you start to go back to the familiar places where you once drank. Stay out of relationships (if not already in one) so that you can spend time on yourself. A relationship can take the focus away from you and distract you from your goal of staying sober. If you are already in a relationship that is destructive do everything you can to end it. These types of relationships carry a great deal of emotional baggage that can only serve to remind you to take a drink when times get tough.
If you have stopped drinking altogether, there are new drugs on the market that can assist with the cravings you may feel or the adverse reactions you will have if you start drinking again. Antabuse is a drug designed to make you suffer physically is you choose to drink alcohol. Naltrexone is made to block that drugged out feeling you get when you drink alcohol and Acamprostate will make you feel better as it tones down the physical effects you get from alcohol withdrawal.
Keep a diary of why you think you need to drink. Figure out why you feel the need to always turn to alcohol when things get tough in your life (and even when they do not). When you find out what the triggers are, you can then do everything possible to avoid them. Get rid of your guilt by forgiving yourself for all that you have done. The less guilt you have the less likely you will want to turn to alcohol. Take it another step further and seek out those you have harmed or offended and offer them your sincerest apologies.
Take it one step at a time: one day at a time, one week at a time. Don't say you'll never drink again- just realize that you have made a choice to be sober because of all the destruction in your life. Take vitamins and other health supplements to replenish your ravaged body. Vitamin B in particular, will help you avoid stress. If your life really depends on it, you can quit drinking if you set your mind to it! You, your friends and family will all be the better for it and in the end all those around you can help in making you feel fantastic for the first time in a long time. Do it today.
When coming home from work, you may feel inclined to stop along the way be it at the grocery store or a bar for a quick drink. By going straight home, you will avoid the temptation of purchasing alcohol at the store and the bar. Once home, you probably will feel less inclined to go back out again. When you do go to the store for groceries, make a habit of purchasing them all at once so you don't have to run out multiple times thus lessening the urge to buy alcohol. Make a habit of going to places that don't serve alcohol like a movie theater or ice skating rink. If you apply just some of these tips, your chances of avoiding drinking alcohol will lessen.
Make a habit of chewing gum or eating candy so you can keep your mind on something else. Eating a lot of fruit and foods that contain fructose will also keep you too busy to think about drinking alcohol; turn these into a sort of pastime so that you are giving up one habit (drinking) and taking on another.Working out is another way to keep your brain busy so that it doesn't turn to the urge to take a drink. If you can't go to the gym right after work, go home instead, put on your favorite music and away you go! Keep away from people that drink when and if you are in a social setting. Make sure you don't frequent pubs or clubs with friends that insist on drinking. Your true friends will stand by you and support whatever decisions you make so don't worry about losing them.
There are lots of places you can go besides a bar; coffee shops are popular as is Internet dating. Stay away from bars for at least a year and try these other alternatives. You will only end up in trouble if you start to go back to the familiar places where you once drank. Stay out of relationships (if not already in one) so that you can spend time on yourself. A relationship can take the focus away from you and distract you from your goal of staying sober. If you are already in a relationship that is destructive do everything you can to end it. These types of relationships carry a great deal of emotional baggage that can only serve to remind you to take a drink when times get tough.
If you have stopped drinking altogether, there are new drugs on the market that can assist with the cravings you may feel or the adverse reactions you will have if you start drinking again. Antabuse is a drug designed to make you suffer physically is you choose to drink alcohol. Naltrexone is made to block that drugged out feeling you get when you drink alcohol and Acamprostate will make you feel better as it tones down the physical effects you get from alcohol withdrawal.
Keep a diary of why you think you need to drink. Figure out why you feel the need to always turn to alcohol when things get tough in your life (and even when they do not). When you find out what the triggers are, you can then do everything possible to avoid them. Get rid of your guilt by forgiving yourself for all that you have done. The less guilt you have the less likely you will want to turn to alcohol. Take it another step further and seek out those you have harmed or offended and offer them your sincerest apologies.
Take it one step at a time: one day at a time, one week at a time. Don't say you'll never drink again- just realize that you have made a choice to be sober because of all the destruction in your life. Take vitamins and other health supplements to replenish your ravaged body. Vitamin B in particular, will help you avoid stress. If your life really depends on it, you can quit drinking if you set your mind to it! You, your friends and family will all be the better for it and in the end all those around you can help in making you feel fantastic for the first time in a long time. Do it today.
About the Author:
Find out how to quit Drinking Alcohol Written by Ed Philips and Quit Alcohol Today.
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