I have prepared this material for those who want to stop drinking on their own or help a loved one. I speak in plain, non-medical language so you understand what to do and where to go.
Millions suffer from alcoholism. This is much more than people who suffer from other diseases. Alcoholism destroys not only families, but also a person's personality. Alcohol dependence is one of the most difficult disorders, and it can also be quite dangerous. Therefore, it is important that we work to prevent and treat alcohol use disorders.
We believe it is possible to stop drinking! And most importantly, we are ready to help you do it yourself or with the help of specialists. Read the article to the end and don't get distracted by thinking about some of the topics below.
Then! What is alcoholism?
Alcoholism is "a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. "Since this state includes physical and psychological desire. And also coercion to use mood-altering alcohol. And recovery from alcohol dependence includes physical, psychological, and emotional healing.
If we speak as a term, then according to the great Soviet encyclopedia, it sounds like this: alcoholism is a chronic mental illness. In other words, it follows from this definition that alcoholism is a disease on a psychological level. Physical dependence comes much later, when the person becomes a being that only needs one thing, to fill up with alcohol. And it does not matter if it is a substitute, tincture or something else.
The psychological level of the disease is quite possible to overcome by yourself. Methods to stop drinking, I will discuss further. But with physical addiction, you need to see a doctor, a narcologist, and already get medically treated for alcohol addiction.
How to understand that there is a problem and it must be solved?
Next, I will analyze some situations that may be familiar or close to you. If you have at least one of the symptoms listed below, you still have alcohol dependence and you may not be an avid alcoholic yet, but there is a problem.
Yes:
- you were invited to a party and immediately noticed that the event will be "dry. "And you refused to go because you have no idea how you can have fun and relax without alcohol;
- more and more often he begins to withdraw with alcohol, no matter how strong it is. But you feel more comfortable drinking beer alone than in company;
- Only by drinking can you cope with feelings of anxiety and anxiety;
- It is very difficult to cope with the urge to drink, do not stop the circumstances that tomorrow to work. Either you have an important exam or you need to pass some kind of analysis;
- condemn those who do not drink anything, definitely something is wrong with this person;
- Getting drunk to such an extent that in the morning it is very difficult to remember what you were doing.
Next, we will see what you can do about it and how to overcome alcohol addiction.
Stop drinking and change your life for the better!
The beginning of addiction and the stages of alcoholism.
Gradually, a person addicted to alcohol begins to abuse it and it becomes very difficult not to drink for several days in a row. You're looking forward to Friday so you can spend the whole weekend drinking. After that, the habit of drinking passes to the days of the week and you no longer save it tomorrow for work. If before you were looking for some reason, the cat's birthday, Bastille day, you bought new socks, then the drink will be for no reason, just because I want to. And the question "why drink" disappears by itself.
Reasons to drink
They are quite different. They drink because:
- difficulties appeared in life: a loved one suffered or died;
- financial problems are not solved: they were fired from work and it is impossible to find a new one; "strangulation" loans or mortgages, and so on. ;
- there is no rest at home: the woman saws, there is no rest from the mother-in-law, the neighbor sharpens a tooth. . ;
- forced by someone;
- does not want to be different from others;
- for some, this is a sign of adulthood;
- someone just relaxes like this;
- removes their shyness.
It's worth noting that alcohol addiction starts out differently for everyone. Someone can start between the ages of 15 and 16. Others start at 25-30 years old.
Also, drinking alcohol becomes a habit, and without it, a person simply cannot feel relaxed. In alcohol, we begin to drown our problems, because a drunkard does not care what is going on around him. And that's itsobriety becomes a disease. . . Because it is bad for a sober person to accept the world and properly perceive the situation. Alcohol becomes a "medicine" that heals only our illusions.
Stages of alcoholism
There are several stages of alcoholism:
- The first stage of alcoholism.: it is difficult to refrain from drinking, a friend came with a bottle, how to refuse? And it does not matter that tomorrow there are very important things. The first stage may well be cured without outside help. Desire and work on oneself is important;
- The second stage of alcoholism.: when a person drinks a lot, but does not get drunk. And without alcohol, it is simply impossible for a person to exist. This is the beginning of physical addiction;
- The third stage of alcoholism.: different from the second. When you drank a glass and you can barely standAnd this condition is permanent. He urgently needs drug treatment.
The most important thingYou need to understand that alcohol dependence does not happen overnight. It involves a complex and progressive process that takes place in an area of the brain known as the "reward center. "In the same place that regulates and enhances the natural needs that are vital to our existence. That is why the addicted brain pursues alcohol and other drugs as if these substances were necessary for our own survival. And that is why people with active addiction put the pursuit of alcohol or other drugs above almost any other priority.
Scientists have also identified many social, psychological, genetic, and other factors that make some people more vulnerable than others to the development of alcoholism. In all cases, it is important to understand that no one chooses to develop alcoholism. Two people can start drinking alcohol, one person becomes addicted to alcohol, and the other has no symptoms.
Also keep in mind that people who become addicted can never use alcohol or other addictive drugs without endangering their health. Your brain chemistry has changed in such a way that it can be rebalanced through rehabilitation, but this balance will always be vulnerable to renewed use.
Ways and methods to stop drinking.
Effective ways you can use to combat alcohol. Don't put it off until tomorrow. Start now.
Then follow all the methods outlined below and you can stop drinking once and for all!
First way to stop drinking: "Get scared"
Although they say that it is useless to read articles about the dangers of alcohol, it does not help, but after all, nobody reads them carefully. If you feel like you want to drink more and more often, don't be lazy and read our article again. You better keep it to yourself. And also read about how harmful alcohol is. Take 15 minutes of time every day to read small articles. So let's say, get intimidated and always remember the dangers of alcohol. Think of your liver, your youth, your beauty. And also about how difficult it is to combat alcoholism. Especially if you do it yourself.
The second way to stop drinking: "Become the actor in your movie"
Another very interesting way to think about quitting alcohol is to film yourself drunk. Just put up a camera or ask someone. Often times, not everyone will be able to watch your drunken adventures even halfway through the shoot. And the feeling of shame is the mark that distinguishes a person from an animal. You will also understand how difficult it is for your loved ones.
The third way to stop drinking: "Find a green substitute"
It is very important to find a way to relax, to replace alcohol with something else. Sports, dancing, singing, find your talent. Make sure it is important to you to stop drinking. We wanted to have a drink in the evening, but instead went for a jog outside. Or went to the gym.
The main thing is that this is an environmentally friendly solution, in no case replace alcohol, for example, with pills. We all have willpower, you just need to find it in yourself and replace alcohol not with another substance that clouds the mind, but with something that delights you.
The fourth way to stop drinking: "Clear your friends list and update your social circle. "
If there are people in your social circle who drink and pressure you all the time, ditch the communication with those friends. Understand that these are not friends and remember the words of the song "A friend will not tell you, drink to the bottom. "The alcoholic social circle is a black hole, from which it is very difficult to get out on your own with every bottle you drink. And with every bottle you drink, you take a step to be alone.
In addition, today there are many opportunities to renew your social circle: parks, gyms, hobby clubs. . .
The fifth way to stop drinking: "Become your own personal accountant"
Keep a diary in which you record your alcohol consumption. And write down how much you didn't spend today on this useless junk.
Go to the store and buy yourself a gift with this money, for example, high-quality clothes, a new phone. Reward yourself for quitting! Better yet, save. See how much you will have in a month and what you can buy instead of alcohol.
The sixth way to stop beating: "Memory won't let you get drunk"
Over time, you will learn to control yourself, and a symbolic glass of champagne for the new year will not involve drinking a liter of vodka. You will already know your limit: after how many sips you want to drink more and more, or which glass is not worth drinking.
Make sure you remember how she called "gin out of the toilet" the next morning after drinking, and how she thought her head would now explode with pain and that would be the ideal option for you. By the way, if you have a hangover after binge drinking, this is a very loud bell, already calling you an alcoholic.
The seventh way to give up alcohol for good: "A friend of alcohol is a cigarette"
We decided to stop drinking, so I should stop smoking. If this habit is on your harmful list. After all, a cigarette calls for a glass, after a glass for another, a puff seems more "tasty". But this is an illusion. And so much has already been said about the dangers of smoking that it's not worth mentioning here.
Eighth way: "Analysis of your actions"
Do not blame yourself in any way for loving this green snake. And feel free to talk about not drinking. Sometimes you just need to analyze everything that happened to you in life. When he drank, when he had a hangover, when he wanted to drink.
You can even divide a sheet of paper into two halves and write, in one column, what the good alcohol gave me, in the other, what problems it caused me. I bet the column with good points is unlikely to fill up. But to analyze the impact of alcohol on your life, the data is enough.
Near and dear ones make us full-fledged people!
The ninth way: "Relatives are near"
It is very important to admit to yourself that you are addicted. It is not necessary to shout at every corner and introduce yourself: "Hello, my name is Vasya and I am an alcoholic" No! Just admit it to yourself. Then, if you want, you can initiate your loved ones, your wife, parents, children, those with whom you live or communicate often, so that they know your intentions to stop drinking.
And the natives will definitely not tell you that you are stupid or crazy. They are around to help and, most importantly, to understand. The support of loved ones is essential at the beginning of the journey to get rid of the habit of drinking. Don't be afraid to say it, it is more dangerous to withdraw and not give up.
The 10th way to combat alcoholism: "Provocation is a failure"
There is an unbreakable rule that if a person has made the decision not to drink, there is no need to provoke himself. For example, don't go to a store that has liquor, well, or at least avoid departments with cozy bottles.
Try it at first, until you have developed the habit of not drinking, of not attending events where there is alcohol. Skip a friend's birthday or a nephew's christening. You can skip this important event, then you will catch up with your sober attention to them.
The path to liberation will require sacrifices, but they will be insignificant compared to the sacrifices that can be made if you continue to drink.
Eleventh way: "Dine yourself. . . "
A very important aspect in the fight against alcoholism is being full. Yes Yes. After all, most of the time you want to drink on an empty stomach, so try to have a large dinner in the evening when you get home from work, and thoughts about drinking will definitely fade into the background. .
Road:"Stress is a reason to drink"
Try to avoid stressful situations, this is certainly difficult to do in our time, but it is possible. Now on the Internet you can find many methods of getting rid of depressive situations, for example, meditation. Not everyone gets them, but they are worth a try. Remember a truth for yourself, alcohol does not solve problems, alcohol adds new problems!
When a person rejects alcohol, it is as if he is missing something. Emptiness and discomfort appear. It is necessary in these moments to find something to do for yourself, so to speak, to fill the void. For example, instead of an evening date with a bottle and a glass, go to the movies for an evening show. Buy a ticket to a rock concert and shout out willingly. By the way, the way to shout is effective, they came home angry, there is no strength to drink, because life is complete "shit", lock yourself in the bathroom or in the room and scream, loud, you can even interrupt your voice, but go ahead. And life will no longer seem so unfair. And it is quite possible that during the screaming you will find the right solution to a problem.
If you wish, you can consult a psychologist or consult a narcologist. The help of a specialist is usually very important at these launch moments. A good doctor can even find the cause of your addiction, extract exactly what it all started from, and this is an important fact on the road to getting rid of alcohol.
Today there is much literature on the topics "How to stop drinking, " "The road to sobriety, " or "The easy way to stop drinking. "Read them. They may not have the expected effect, but they certainly will not cause harm. And it's better to get busy at night reading these advice books than to fill your troubles with dubious liquid.
Road:"Look at yourself like in a mirror"
Try to put yourself in the shoes of those people who suffer your antics when you are drunk. Imagine, for example, your wife or husband instead. Your partner gets drunk and misbehaves. If it's at a party, you should at least be ashamed of your partner. Or if at home, having drunk, he made a fuss? Does it interfere with sleep? Are you satisfied with this?
Now imagine that your children see you in this state. As a child, would you like to see your mom or dad dressed up as a Neanderthal? Almost no one will answer yes. Now imagine that he is sitting at his workplace and that his colleague at the next table smells like smoke, or worse yet, "fresh. "Or you came to the doctor and he sits with a headache after the party yesterday and he has no idea how to cure you. Or is a drunken teacher teaching his son a lesson?
Imagine how you can the situations in which alcohol is unpleasant for you, the people who consume it, the consequences of it.
Popular ways to combat alcohol: consume them or is it better to be afraid of them?
But in any case, do not resort to methods that can harm your health. Many, to stop drinking, go to their grandmothers, so that they "whisper" and "speak" from the habit of drinking. It is good if grandmother whispers to you, and if she gives you herbs or tinctures. . . And you can go from an alcoholic patient to a poisoned patient. If you really feel that you cannot cope alone, contact a narcologist who will prescribe the correct treatment and will not harm your health.
Make sure to analyze your life when you were drinking and this week when you are not drinking. Or this year without alcohol. Believe me, the time we spend without alcohol is much more colorful, interesting and happy than with it. At least try to put this theory into practice. If you don't like living without alcoholic products, you can always go back to hangovers, blackouts, failures, debts. . . Alas, alcohol is available for sale here.
The main question is: is it realistic to stop drinking?
Millions of people around the world are proof that recovery is stronger than alcohol dependence. And they are proof that treatments are working, families are getting better, and life is getting better.
As with other chronic diseases, addiction to alcohol or other drugs can be treated successfully. This will allow you to live a full and fulfilling life.
If you find it difficult to manage on your own, contact a drug treatment center. Most people who attend treatment programs not only stop using alcohol or other drugs, but also improve their professional, social and psychological well-being.