Try to commit to at least two days each week when you won’t drink at I drink every night am I an alcoholic all. Are you ready to quit drinking or cut down to healthier levels? These tips can help you get started on the road to recovery. The program is delivered fully online and on-demand, enabling private access to recovery for those with a busy schedule. The Self Recovery program offers a self-paced, online program that’s meant to facilitate your success in quitting alcohol while protecting your privacy. It’s built on real-life application of techniques and principles learned in the online lessons.
Managing internal triggers may require keeping a journal or alcohol diary. People may also decide to speak with a doctor about effective strategies. In addition, local or virtual support groups can help by providing an environment to safely discuss tips and challenges. You aren’t to blame for your loved one’s drinking problem and you can’t make them change.
Heavy drinking is linked to a greater likelihood of developing many chronic health conditions. By quitting drinking, you’ll lower your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, fatty liver, pancreatitis, and several types of cancer. Affirming intentions, knowing the reasons for quitting alcohol, and setting up the environment for success are important strategies. Alcohol abuse and addiction doesn’t just affect the person drinking—it affects their families and loved ones, too. Watching a family member struggle with a drinking problem can be as heartbreakingly painful as it is frustrating.
Becoming more aware of your alcohol triggers and reasons for drinking can help you plan ways to help manage the urge to drink. Say you don’t have any cravings when you go without drinking. All the same, “a quick drink” often turns into three or four drinks. When you’re having a good time, you find it hard to stop, especially in the company of friends having the same amount.
If you turn to alcohol to manage emotional distress, the added overwhelm can prompt the urge to drink, making success seem even more out of reach. Research shows that most people believe that drinking can make them feel better. However, when alcohol makes up part of your typical routine, drinking can become something of an automatic response, especially when you feel stressed or overwhelmed.
You might run into obstacles along the way that tempt you to drink. Keep in mind the reasons you chose to cut back on or quit alcohol. Maybe you’ve never been interested in logging your innermost thoughts, but journaling can be a great tool to track your feelings as you work on quitting alcohol. It can be helpful to write down your reasons for quitting and the difficulty of withdrawal while it is fresh in your mind. If you’re unsure how to talk about your own drinking, he suggests discussing more general alcohol issues first.