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How to Stop Drinking

You can take steps today to stop drinking. Your first step might be to see your doctor, contact a support group, or set a date in the near future to stop. While some people can stop drinking on their own, others need medical help to manage the physical process of withdrawal.

If you think you have an addiction to alcohol, talk to your doctor about whether you need to withdraw from alcohol under medical supervision. Your doctor can give you medicine that will help you safely withdraw from alcohol. Other medicines might be prescribed later to help you stay sober. With a doctor's help, withdrawal from alcohol is safer.

Stopping alcohol use can:

• Prevent or reduce health problems that are made worse by alcohol use, such as liver damage.
• Prevent harm to your unborn baby if you are pregnant.
• Reduce related family concerns or relationship problems.
• Increase your ability to be productive at work, school, and home.
• Reduce legal problems that you might have as a result of misuse of alcohol.

How to stop alcohol use

Follow these steps to stop drinking alcohol.

1. Identify your reasons. Make a list of the reasons you want to cut down on or stop drinking alcohol. You might want to ask a trusted friend or family member to help you make the list complete. Keep this list so that you can renew your commitment from time to time.

2. Make a plan. Set a date to stop drinking. Make a plan to stop drinking alcohol. Post it in a place where you can see it often, such as on your refrigerator door or bathroom mirror. You might want to put it in more than one place. You also might want to put it on a card and keep it in your purse or wallet.

3. Share your plan with others. Talk with your family members and trusted friends about your plan. Let them know how they can help you to be successful.

4. Evaluate your progress. In your plan, identify when you will evaluate your progress. Try a plan for 30 days so that the new behaviour becomes a habit. Review your reasons for stopping alcohol use. Write down the benefits that you are seeing. If you drank after successfully stopping (relapse), it does not mean that you have failed. Relapse is common. Begin again, using your experience to help you learn how to stick with your plan this time.

5. Continue your new behaviours. After trying this plan for 30 days, try it for another 30 days. Like anything else in life, it is not easy to change behaviour, even when it might be in your best interest. But the more you practice new behaviours, the more likely it is that they will become habits. If you try this plan but are not successful, talk with your doctor about other ways to stop drinking alcohol.

Other things you can do

The following are other ideas that can help in your plan to stop using alcohol:

• Avoid stumbling blocks. Many things can interfere with meeting your goal to cut down on or stop drinking. If your current life revolves around alcohol use, you might need to choose new friends or a new lifestyle. To stay focused on your goal and succeed, think through ideas to help you stop using alcohol on your own (below give). For example, make a list of people and places in your life that have nothing to do with alcohol use.
• Attend a self-help group. Some people attend self-help groups to help them stick to their plan to cut down on or stop drinking. If you are not sure whether a self-help group is for you but would like to try, go to a group at least 3 times before you make your decision. There are different types of groups (such as men or women only, discussion, and speaker). Go to another group if the first one does not fit your needs.
• Reward yourself. Use the money that you are no longer spending on drinking to do something fun with your family or friends. Go out to eat, see a movie, or play sports or a game.

Ideas to Help You Cut Back On or Stop Using Alcohol

If you think you might be dependent on alcohol, talk with your doctor before trying to stop drinking.

If you are dependent on alcohol, you should stop drinking, not just cut back. If you are dependent, you might develop severe withdrawal symptoms if you stop drinking on your own.

Whether you are dependent on alcohol or not, or whether you are trying to cut back or quit, the first thing to do is get support. Ask your doctor, family, and friends to help you reach your goal.

Here are some ideas that may help you succeed.

Avoiding alcohol

• Stay away from people who give you a hard time about drinking less or not drinking. Spend time with people who support your desire to cut down on or stop using alcohol.
• Stay away from places or events that make you want to drink. Stay away from people who drink a lot or bars where you used to drink. Plan ways to avoid drinking when you are tempted.
• Stay active. It is easier to avoid drinking alcohol when you are busy doing things that you like to do. Take time to really think about how you would like to spend your time. Have you wanted to learn a craft or hobby or play a musical instrument? Now is a good time to start.
• Avoid temptation by getting rid of all alcohol in your home.

When drinking

• Learn to say no. You do not have to accept an alcoholic drink each time someone offers you one. Practice the following ways to say no politely:
• "Thanks, I've had enough."
• "Thanks, but I have work to do later and I don't want to get distracted."
• "Thanks, but you know, I've noticed that I feel better when I drink less."
• If you drink, drink slowly. Take a break of 1 hour between drinks. Drink soda, water, or juice after a drink with alcohol. Do not drink on an empty stomach. Eat food when you are drinking.
• If you drink, take a break from alcohol. Pick a day or two each week when you will not drink at all. Gradually take more break days every week. Think about how you feel on these days. Do you feel better physically and emotionally?

Most importantly, do not give up. Most people do not cut down on or give up drinking all at once. This is okay. If you do not reach your goal the first time, try again.