There is no single piece of advice on how to get someone to stop drinking.Every organism and every situation is unique, which means the solution for each specific situation is unique.
Understanding of alcohol abstinence issues
The battle with alcohol addiction begins the moment a person realizes they are ill.Many alcoholics believe they can quit at any time and deny the existence of addiction, but in fact they continue to drink.It’s not even that people lack willpower.They simply cannot fully assess the harm they are doing to themselves, their health, and their relationships with others.
For such people, the advice of relatives or the arguments of experts are empty words.Even if you convince them to get treatment, the best they can achieve is a short-term abstinence from drinking, and then things go back to the way they were before.
Therefore, the basis for successful treatment of alcoholism is the alcoholic's awareness of the problem and a strong desire to change his or her life.
looking for reasons
Fighting addiction is much easier if you know why it happens.Analysis will help you understand what areas require special attention during treatment.There are several main factors that lead to alcoholism.It's the influence of environment, numerous stresses, habits, genetic predispositions.
In most cases, upon reflection, a person can determine on their own the main factors that contribute to alcohol addiction.A psychotherapist can also help.
How did it all begin?
It will be helpful to remember how addiction begins.This will also help in properly arranging further treatment.Maybe it all starts in the evening with a few beers to relax after a hard day at work.Or a coworker at a new job celebrates all the holidays marked on the calendar.Or maybe alcohol helps forget frequent family arguments.
Gradually, the habit became more and more ingrained, and now drinking became more frequent, with doses doubling on weekends.
Today's situation
Most of the time, people realize it's time to stop drinking when their alcohol addiction has become quite severe.A person drinks almost every day, the amount of alcohol increases, the body gradually begins to malfunction, family relationships deteriorate, and problems begin to arise at work.
One of these factors or a combination of them can play a dominant role in a person's decision to quit drinking.The decisive factor may be that the wife files for divorce, is fired, or that her health deteriorates dramatically.
Making a decision like this isn't easy, but starting to move in the right direction is even harder.Furthermore, it doesn’t actually matter what exactly one rejects.Stopping drinking is just as hard as stopping drinking vodka.
Quitting alcohol is not as easy as it seems
Despite the promises of many coaches, there is no easy way to stop drinking on your own.Giving up alcohol, especially after a long period of drinking, is always stressful, both physically and mentally.
If physical dependence has developed, then first of all the person's health will be poor.Therefore, the body will require the usual dose of ethanol that it has successfully integrated into its metabolic processes.
Furthermore, studies have proven that mental disorders (anxiety, irritability, sharp worsening of mood) can begin to occur after a person stops drinking for a period of time.Such symptoms are one of the main reasons why many people relapse.The main thing is to be patient and get through the withdrawal period.
How to quit drinking alcohol correctly?
There are two main ways to quit drinking.The first suggestion is gentler and recommends gradually abstaining from alcohol.It involves gradually reducing the dose of alcohol until it is acceptable or reaches zero.Advantages of this method include a lower likelihood of withdrawal symptoms.But the huge disadvantage is that the risk of failure is very high.
The second method is to stop drinking completely and immediately.The advantage of this method can be considered to be the high efficiency due to the absence of relaxation factors in the authorized dosage form.Disadvantages include a high likelihood of withdrawal symptoms.This method is not recommended for alcoholics.
It is strongly recommended to entrust the choice of technique to the anesthesiologist, who will make the decision based on the patient's situation.
Eliminate the causes of alcoholism
After identifying the factors that contribute to addiction, the recovering alcoholic must eliminate these factors in order to stop drinking as quickly as possible.If alcoholism is caused by ongoing stress and anxiety, you should try to find solutions to existing problems and minimize the likelihood of stressful situations.
If the main reason for drinking is the company of persistent friends, then you should change your social circle.The usual evening pastime of drinking a bottle of wine on the couch in front of the TV can be replaced with a walk or a trip to the gym.
Anesthetist's help, taking medication
One of the most effective ways to stop drinking alcohol is to take special medications.According to their working principle, they are divided into three groups:
- Eliminate hangover symptoms;
- Reduce craving for alcohol;
- Causes aversion to alcohol.
These tools are great at helping overcome addiction, especially in its early stages, but there are situations where coding is essential (especially if the disease has progressed to an advanced stage).
Recently, in addition to medications, dietary supplements that reduce the desire to drink and aid in alcohol withdrawal have become increasingly popular.
Psychotherapist help
Those who want to stop drinking without coding should consult a psychotherapist as soon as possible.Many techniques have been developed to help people overcome drug addiction.Some are based on hypnotic influences, while others use the principles of emotional stress therapy.
But you shouldn’t expect a single expert treatment to guarantee a cure.Most likely, you will need a fairly long course of treatment and, of course, the desire and active work of the patient himself.
group therapy
It will be very helpful to communicate with others who have found themselves in similar situations and are struggling to overcome their addiction.It's much easier to force yourself not to drink when you know you're not alone and you always have support from the people who know you best.
Such communications can be found in Alcoholics Anonymous clubs or on special sites on the Internet.There people exchange useful techniques, ideas, and share their achievements and mistakes.
physical activity
Physical activity promotes the production of endorphins (happiness hormones).For those recovering from alcoholism, physical activity not only helps improve mood, but can also get in shape, improve health, and tighten muscles.
The main thing is to take it step by step and not to overtax an already weak body.Swimming, running, rollerblading, ice skating, or biking are a great place to start.You can go to the gym or go to yoga.
healthy lifestyle
The best way to start a new life is to quit alcohol and other bad habits on your own.Smoking, gambling, overeating—all of these addictive behaviors are often accompanied by alcoholism.
Alcohol and nicotine addiction are especially common.It is difficult to stop smoking after drinking, and smoking makes many people develop the habit of drinking.Therefore, to prevent a person from drinking, all triggers must be eliminated, including cigarettes.
Extra help from folk remedies
It's difficult to quit drinking forever using folk remedies alone, but they will be an excellent complement to other addiction recovery methods.
The following herbs are considered the most effective in treating alcoholism:
- Horseshoe grass;
- Lovage;
- sagebrush;
- Centaur;
- Thyme;
- St. John's Wort.
Decoctions and infusions of these herbs can induce an aversion to alcoholic beverages.Some of the plants listed have quite potent effects and must be used with caution and following the directed formulation and dosage.It is best not to self-medicate but to consult a doctor.
What are the benefits of quitting drinking?
Recovery from alcoholism helps restore lost health, normalizes the function of internal organs, and improves the condition of the nervous system.Additionally, people who decide to quit drinking can reduce stress, improve relationships with people, and restore damaged social relationships.
healthy
After a person completely stops drinking alcohol, it takes some time to completely eliminate all toxic substances from the body.Next, the recovery process will begin, which will take quite some time, but the first results will be visible soon.
After quitting drinking:
- As your immunity becomes stronger, you will be less likely to get sick and become sick more easily;
- Improved function of internal organs (liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys);
- Improved vascular condition;
- Restoration of brain function;
- Appearance improves (condition of skin, hair, teeth, nails), making the person look younger and healthier.
personal life
Giving up drinking can also have an extremely positive impact on your personal life.Opportunities arise:
- Restore family and friendships;
- Gain inner peace and confidence;
- Committed to self-actualization;
- Find a new purpose in life.
society
After quitting drinking, a person's social life also changes and he gradually returns to society.This can be expressed as:
- the appearance of new friends;
- Opportunities for promising new jobs or promotions;
- The topic of communicating with people that has nothing to do with alcohol gradually comes up;
- The person once again feels like a mature, respected member of society.
How to say no to drinking at work?
Every recovering alcoholic sooner or later faces the question of how to stop drinking in company.It's important to understand that your own health comes first, and there's nothing weird or shameful about saying no when asked to drink.This must be done politely and confidently so that the proposer understands and accepts the answer.If someone persists despite their clear refusal, you should exclude communication with such people.
You can motivate your decision and avoid asking unnecessary questions with the excuse of taking antibiotics, getting tested quickly, or needing to drive.
It is necessary to learn to firmly refuse to drink alcohol, and as time goes by, such offers will become less and less frequent.Moreover, most of the time holidays are spent in the company of relatives and friends, who usually know that a person is recovering from alcoholism and will not give him alcohol.
in conclusion
A person makes the decision to quit drinking alone; no one can do it for him.But this decision is the first and perhaps most important step on the road to healing.If you pursue your goals with determination, all difficulties can be overcome.The most important thing to remember is that there is definitely a way to escape drug addiction.