Learn to To Stop Drinking Alcohol: Quitting alcohol is not an easy task. For many people, it is a struggle that they go through throughout their lives. However, there are a number of things that you can do to make stopping your alcohol consumption a little easier. We agree, overcoming alcoholism is a major challenge, but it is more important to get your life back under control and start a new journey where you are healthier and happier than you have ever been.
What you must first understand is that excessive drinking causes a wide range of health problems, including heart problems, digestive issues, liver disease, diabetes complications, bone loss, eye problems, weakened immune system, neurological complications, sexual issues and increased risk of cancer. Alcoholism is also associated with injury from accidents, property damage, ruined relationships, assault, suicide and increase in crime.
Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism
When it comes to determining if you or a loved one has a drinking problem, it can be quite difficult to be objective. Emotions often run high, denials and rationalizations cause confusion and it can seem extremely hard to draw the line between what is going too far and what is acceptable.
However, there are certain signs and symptoms that indicate alcoholism or problem drinking.
- Hiding or Lying about Drinking: When people have a drinking problem, denial is common. This is why alcohol drinkers may lie about how much they drink or keep their drinking habit a secret. This is all to make their drinking less of an issue than it actually is. Due to its very nature, this symptom may be difficult for anyone but the individual to spot, but keep in mind that it is a very significant sign of a more serious issue.
- Drinking to Feel Better or Relax: Almost every person who struggles with addiction, abuse drugs or alcohol due to emotional reasons. Whether it is depression, anxiety, stress or any other reasons, trying to ease negative feelings with alcohol is a highly risky habit – it provides only temporary relief and in the long run, usually makes things worse. If you need to drink to feel really relaxed or drink more when you have had a stressful day, it is a major sign that you use alcohol as an emotional crutch.
- Regular Blackouts: Another red flag for an alcohol problem is drinking to the point of having no memory of what occurred. Simply put, it means that you drank more than you should. If you notice this happening to someone or find it happening to you, you need to ask what the reason for your excessive drinking is. You do not need to black out to have a good time, so what is the reason you drink so much?
- Being Unable to Stop: If you drink all the beer in your house after having the first bottle or always finish a bottle of wine once you have opened it, it is a sure sign that you are not in full control of your drinking. It is an indication that you may have a problem. Being unable to stop once you start drinking is one of the symptoms of alcoholism or problem drinking.
- Drinking in Risky Situations: Do you drink before having to drive somewhere, against your doctor’s advice while on medication or before work? This is an obvious sign of problem drinking. Even if nothing has gone wrong yet, every time you do something like this, you increase the risk of serious consequences. So when you take those risks regularly, it is a strong implication that the main priority in your life is alcohol.
- Neglecting Your Duties and Responsibilities: Do you or a loved one have problems at school, work or with taking care of household duties and responsibilities because of alcohol? This is a sign that you have a major problem with alcohol. It has crossed the line from an indulgence that you enjoy occasionally to something that has a serious impact on your daily routines.
- Having Relationship Problems: This has a close relation to the point mentioned above, but in many ways, it is much more important. If your relationship with your family, close friends or significant other is strained or ruined due to your drinking, it is an indication that you prioritize alcohol over the people who are most important in your life. These last two points mentioned are general signs of any type of addiction and may mean that your problems are progressing beyond the stage of a problem drinker to a straight-up alcoholic.
- Being Able to Drink More than Usual: Another key sign of any addiction is tolerance. This means that you will be able to drink more than usual and need to drink more than before to get drunk. It is a very strong sign that you are becoming an alcoholic. It means that because your body is immune to alcohol.
- Experiencing Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms: A hangover and withdrawal are two different things. Withdrawal is the reaction to lack of alcohol while a hangover is the reaction to too much of it. If you start to feel tired, irritable, anxious, nauseous, or depressed when you have not had a drink, it is possible that you are going through withdrawal. Other withdrawal symptoms include loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and experiencing trembling or shakiness.
- Trying But Unable to Quit: If you have come to the realization that your drinking is a problem and tried to stop but have not been able to succeed, you should consider seeking additional help. When you decide to stop drinking, it shows that you realize and understand the various effects your drinking is having on your life, but the fact that you are unable to stop means that it is highly likely that you are struggling with an addiction to alcohol.
It is important to keep in mind that experiencing just one of these symptoms is not necessarily a sign that you are an alcoholic or a problem drinker. However, if you are experiencing a couple of them, then it is a strong indication that your drinking has gone a little too far. Don’t hesitate to get help, and with the support of your loved ones, try to quit alcohol before it destroys your life.
Tips to Stop Alcohol Consumption – Learn To Stop Drinking Alcohol
Here are a few tips to help you stop drinking alcohol:
- Do not keep alcohol anywhere: The first thing you need to do to stop drinking is to avoid keeping alcohol at home or in the office. You should start choosing healthy alternatives instead. While this may appear extremely hard at first, it will slowly become a habit to have healthy foods and beverages around you. Removing the temptation will ensure that you can resist drinking alcohol.
- Do not skip meals: One of the most important tips to stop drinking alcohol is to make sure that you never skip meals. The truth is that when you eat healthy meals every day, it will provide your body with the essential nutrients it needs to keep you looking and feeling great. It will also help lower your desire to drink alcohol because your stomach is full. So, do eat 3 to 4 meals every day without fail.
- Do not let alcohol take power over you: It is important not to think, act or talk like you have no power over your addiction. Always remember that alcohol has no power over you. You have the power and the control over alcohol. No drug or drink can enter your body without your approval, so do not let the victim mentality take over and give you an excuse to reach for the bottle again.
- Do not let anything ruin your resolve: You may have made mistakes in the past, but do not let them destroy your resolve to quit alcohol. You may have tried to stop drinking many times and failed too – but again, do not let it discourage you. It is imperative that you try again, and keep trying. No matter what small step you need to take, you will be sure to find something to do that can help reduce your alcohol addiction. You need to find that one thing and do it with everything you got.
- Eat a healthy diet: Maintain a healthy diet. Your body is a temple, so treat it like one. We have already mentioned that you need to eat regular meals. What you include in those meals is just as important. You should start eating plenty of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. When you eat healthy, you will feel less of a need to put alcohol into your body.
- Exercise Regularly: As mentioned already, repairing your body and making it healthy is important to stop drinking alcohol. While your diet plays an important role, you also need to make sure that you exercise. Regular workouts will help in reducing the long-term effects of the alcohol you consumed. In fact, a study published in the Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental journal in 2013 revealed that exercising regularly helps in preventing brain damage as well as loss of cognitive function resulting from years of heavy alcohol consumption. In addition, it will also reduce stress, fight depression, improve mood, promote better sleep and reduce any craving for alcohol.
- Practice Yoga and Meditation: Did you know that yoga and meditation are quite helpful against alcoholism? Yoga can help in reestablishing the connection between your body and mind as well as improving your physical strength. It can also help significantly in dealing with emotional struggles and stress. Additionally, meditation helps in relaxing both your mind and soul. Join a yoga class and learn various poses that can help with alcoholism, such as Apanasana, Balasana, Vajrasana, Viparita Karani and many more.
Natural Treatments for Alcoholism
Making lifestyle changes is important when you want to quit alcohol. However, since it is a major struggle, you will surely need some extra help. But there are also ways to treat alcoholism naturally. Natural remedies can detox your body and repair any damage caused to your body by your drinking. Although you can resort anytime to trying stop drinking pills, natural treatments is the way to go!
1. Apple
How to stop drinking alcohol every night? Experts say that alcohol addicts should eat as many apples as they can at regular intervals. Apples help in removing harmful toxins from the body and play a major role in curbing alcohol craving. Detoxification is the key when it comes to treating alcoholism or any other type of addiction. And when it comes to detox, there is nothing quite as powerful as apples.
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2. Grapes
Did you know that grapes can prevent alcohol craving? As you know, this fruit is the pure, natural form of alcohol. So when you are trying to stop drinking alcohol, you should eat a bowl of grapes every 4 to 5 hours. Practice this for a month and you will notice your craving for alcohol slowly going down.
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3. Bitter Gourd Leaf Juice
You can also detox your body with bitter gourd leaf juice. You obviously cannot drink this juice on its own due to its extremely bitter taste. However, mixing three teaspoons of it in a glass of buttermilk will help make it more palatable. Drink this mixture every day. Apart from detoxifying your body, the bitter gourd juice will also help in healing liver that is damaged due to excessive alcohol consumption.
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4 Kudzu
How to quit binge drinking? Try Kudzu! Also known as Pueraria Lobata, kudzu can help you fight alcoholism. The extract obtained from the plant’s root is powerful in repressing the desire to consume alcohol. Drinking this extract on a regular basis will curb your craving for alcohol. Apart from that, it also acts as an effective liver tonic, which then helps in enhancing the liver’s ability to detoxify the body.
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5. Milk Thistle
If you are looking for a powerful herb to help you treat alcoholism, you should consider milk thistle, or Silybum Marianum. This is another herb that can help in healing and supporting liver that has been damaged as a result of excessive alcohol consumption and thereby, help in the detoxification of the body. Milk thistle is so potent that it can even heal the scarring and permanent or irreversible damages that have been caused to the liver.
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6. Dandelion
When it comes to treating liver problems, nothing is quite as effective as the herb dandelion, or Taraxacum Officinale. It has been used to treat liver problems for many years all over the world. You can even use it to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms. For the best results in alcoholism treatment, dandelion is usually combined with milk thistle.
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7. Coconut Oil
Another excellent natural remedy to treat alcohol addiction is coconut oil. Oxidative stress is a result of alcohol consumption and this contributes to resistance to insulin and interferes with brain glucose metabolism. Being rich in saturated fats and antioxidants, coconut oil helps in nourishing and healing the brain. It is also believed that coconut destroys yeast in the body, thus helping to reduce sugar as well as alcohol cravings. Simply eat a few teaspoons of extra virgin coconut oil every day, use it in your cooking or add it to your favourite smoothies and hot drinks.
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8. Celery
How to help someone stop drinking alcohol? If you or someone you know are fighting alcoholism, then one of the best foods to introduce to the diet is celery. Being a natural antidote for all kinds of illnesses and conditions, it is one of the best foods to add to your diet when you are trying to stop drinking. It works effectively in eliminating toxins off the body and improving your overall health. Drink a mixture of ½ a glass each of celery juice and water twice a day for a few months. It will work wonders in helping you deal with your alcohol cravings and stopping you from drinking alcohol.
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9. Dates
When it comes to treating alcohol naturally, there is nothing quite like dates. Dates are considered to be one of the best home remedies for alcoholism. They do wonders in detoxifying the body and flushing out toxins from the body that result from long-term alcohol consumption. In addition, dates also help in replacing lost nutrients and curbing cravings. All you have to do is to soak about 5 dates in a cup of water for 1 hour. Then, remove the seeds and mash the dates in the water. Drink the brew two times every day. Repeat this for 1 to 2 months and you will definitely see and feel the positive effects on your body.
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Additional Tips to Help with Alcoholism
Apart from the ones mentioned above, there are a number of other tips that you should keep in mind to help you stop drinking, including:
- Make it as clear as possible to your family and friends that you want to stop drinking. This will help them understand your situation and give you the support you need to quit drinking alcohol.
- Avoid socializing with people who drink excessively. If you are around people who drink a lot, you will be tempted to do the same and your goal to stop drinking can never be achieved.
- Ensure that you get 6 to 8 hours of sound sleep on a daily basis. Getting enough rest and sleep is one of the important steps in quitting alcohol. If you do not get enough sleep, your craving for alcohol will return as it will be the only way your body can relax to help you sleep.
- Drinking plenty of water is also essential when you are trying to quit alcohol. It will prevent your body from getting dehydrated and also help your body in recovering from the effects of alcohol. In addition, water helps in flushing out harmful toxins from your body.
- Keep your mind off drinking by doing things that distract your mind. Get a new hobby or start doing something you used to love doing again, like painting or writing. Anything that takes your mind off alcohol is a good thing.
- Keep yourself motivated by spending more time with your family, especially children. Keeping the people whom you love close to you is a great way to ensure that you do not fall off the wagon. When you are with them, you will be even more motivated to stay strong and keep yourself away from drinking alcohol again.
- Music can be a great healer, even when it comes to alcoholism. It also helps in relieving stress and calming your mind. Listen to music and feel your craving for alcohol ebb away as you enjoy yourself and relax.
- Get a massage regularly. First off, a good massage alleviates stress and anxiety – two things that often make you want to drink. It also helps in eliminating toxins and other harmful waste products from your body. Get a spa treatment when you can and keep your body clean.
- Smoking increases alcohol craving. So, you should definitely avoid smoking cigarettes. You may think you need to smoke to relax and relieve stress and anxiety, but there are other ways to do this, i.e. massage, music, etc. Smoking will only increase your alcohol craving, so avoid it as much as you can and resort to healthier ways to keep stress away.
Drinking alcohol can cause a lot of problems, on not just on your health but also your family and friends due to alcohol addiction. If you are determined to stop drinking, there are a number of ways you can do it. While these tips can go a long way in helping you stop drinking, keep in mind that you need to be strong willed at all times. Your will power is what that will keep you from going back to the bottle.
Think of your loved ones and how you do not want to hurt them. But above all, love yourself and aim for a life free from the shackles of addiction.
