Morgan Baumann's Blog: Alcoholic Drinks: Why Did You Stop Drinking?

There may be a number of reasons why you have thought of stopping alcoholic beverage drinking. A lot of people wanted to do the same mainly because they have already developed some sort of alcohol-related medical condition that forbids them to continue using it.

The developed conditions are all related to the use of alcohol, which often times include liver diseases. There are also those who have to stop alcohol intake as they have to start a medication that can react badly with subsequent alcohol use. Then again others do it for religious reasons, while a handful does it for a healthier lifestyle.

If you have any of the above reasons to remove alcohol completely from your entire life, you need to know that there are many struggling with alcohol use; you are definitely not alone. First off, you should be thinking about your drinking habits becoming a serious problem. If you are experiencing symptoms from your alcohol dependence, you have to consult a doctor or a medical professional as soon as you can. There are also numerous national alcohol support services where you can go to if you need some advice.

Totally giving up on alcohol could be very difficult especially if you were once a heavy drinker. However, these tips and techniques could make the symptoms easier to overcome.

You can take a Drinking Self-Assessment and also make sure your intentions are known to your family as well as to your friends.

You have to be able to explain your decision to ultimately quit drinking alcohol and your reasons for doing so. This way, you can share your success with your loved ones. They can help you, support you, and understand why you are suddenly turning down offers to drink or go to the pub.

You have to frequently remind yourself as well as those close to you why you decided to stop drinking. They can also help you keep yourself on track. Also, they might encourage another person to give up drinking and may even stop drinking just like you.

You should avoid temptation as much as possible in the early stages of quitting alcohol.

It means that you need to stop going out to your favorite pub. If you have a tendency to drink when you are eating out, opt to eat out at restaurants where alcohol is not being sold. You could also volunteer to drive so that you have to make sure that you will not get intoxicated. You should also identify when you are most likely to grab a drink and fill that gap with a different activity to keep your mind off alcohol.

For instance, if you are used to going to the pub on Friday evening after work, you can head off to the cinema instead. Alternately, if you are giving up on alcohol to have a healthier lifestyle, you can fill the gap with a fitness regimen like an exercise class or swim in your local pool.

You should also identify your triggers.

These are the times or situations where you are most likely tempted to have a drink. This is particularly crucial if you have struggled with quitting alcohol in the past. You can identify the reasons for your previous attempts at quitting and why you failed then. For instance:

Did you continue to visit the pub?
Did you tell your partner why you chose to stop drinking?
Did you still have access to alcohol at home?
Did you gradually give up your drinking?

If you really want to quit on alcohol to move to a healthier lifestyle, you need to cut down the amount of alcohol you consume gradually as opposed to completely giving up on alcohol.

It can help you a lot and it will also be much easier to adhere to. If you choose to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink, you can effectively and completely quit alcohol in the future. The process of cutting down on alcohol intake need not be complicated. For instance, if you are used to drinking each night, you can begin by taking a couple of days off the substance making them alcohol-free days. In time, this can turn into a habit.