Are you worried about your alcohol intake, or do you think you drink too much? If yes, it’s time for you to start thinking about reducing your alcohol consumption. But why is it vital to overcoming alcohol addiction? Continuous drinking, without a doubt, causes more than financial strains; it creates an emotional imbalance, affecting your overall health.
Not just that, excessive alcohol can result in medical conditions like liver cirrhosis and possibly expose you to liver cancer. Besides that, alcohol addiction also increases blood pressure, causing hypoglycemia. It can cause other complications like short-term memory loss, digestive disorders, and even ‘blackouts,’ making it essential to overcome your addiction.
However, overcoming alcohol addiction might seem like a bumpy journey. At times, it might feel impossible. But it’s not. If you’re prepared to stop drinking and willing to get the proper support, you can overcome your alcohol addiction no matter how powerless you might feel.
Still unsure how to overcome alcohol addiction? Here are some ways to reduce your alcohol consumption.
1. Find all the support you need
When trying to overcome an alcohol addiction, don’t hesitate to ask for the support you need. Overcoming alcohol addiction is much simpler when you have someone you can lean on for comfort and guidance. But where should you turn to for support?
Consider talking to your friends and family. They can offer you moral support, give financial help or keep you on your toes throughout. Talking to your friends and family might motivate you to keep fighting the battle to overcome your alcohol addiction when you feel like giving up.
Besides that, if you need medical supervision to help you overcome an alcohol addiction, consider looking for rehabilitation centers like serenity at the summit. You can check all their service at serenityatsummit.com. Such rehab centers provide a safe environment for detox. It allows you to get comprehensive therapy to help you overcome your addiction. Since everyone’s needs differ, rehab centers can help you find a program that suits your needs.
2. Set goals and prepare for change
Once you’ve decided to overcome an alcohol addiction, you need to establish clear drinking goals. Remember, the more realistic, specific, and clear your goals, the better. For instance, if you aim to reduce drinking, decide which days you’ll drink and how many drinks you will allow yourself. Similarly, ask yourself when you want to stop drinking or start drinking less and set a specific quit date.
After establishing goals to overcome an alcohol addiction, try writing down some ideas to help yourself achieve these goals. Some of the ideas can include:
- Announce your aim. Let family members, friends, and co-workers know you’re trying to overcome your addiction.
- Get rid of temptations. Remove all barware, alcohol, and other alcohol-connected stuff from your home and office.
- Learn from the past. Think about your previous attempts to reduce your drinking. Ask yourself about what worked, what wasn’t effective, and what you can do differently this time.
- Be honest about your new limits. Make it clear that drinking will not be tolerated in your home and that you might not be able to attend occasions where alcohol is provided.
3. Realize why you must stop drinking
Wondering how drinking excessively affects your overall health? Even though you might not feel alcohol’s impact on your body immediately, it starts from the minute you take your first sip. Drinking too much might cause inflammation of the pancreas, causing pancreatitis. Not just that, excessive drinking can cause severe headaches, dizziness, and nausea.
Besides that, alcohol reduces communication between your body and brain; as a result, speech and coordination become more complicated, causing slurred speech. Drinking excessively reduces your body’s immune system.
But that’s not all. Drinking too much also impacts your overall well-being and mental health. Excessive drinking can worsen symptoms of mental health issues like depression or anxiety, affecting your mental health severely.
4. Plan for triggers and cravings
Remember, craving for alcohol can be severe, especially in the initial months after you overcome your addiction. As a result, you need to make an excellent alcohol treatment plan that prepares you for these challenges and helps you develop coping skills to deal with alcohol cravings.
But how can you plan for cravings and triggers? Consider avoiding the things that trigger your desire to drink. For instance, if certain places, people, or activities trigger a craving for alcohol, try avoiding it. Besides that, start practicing saying ‘no’ to alcohol in social gatherings.
Moreover, when you’re struggling with alcohol cravings, consider talking to someone you trust, like a friend, supportive family member, or community member. Remind yourself of the reasons for not drinking. Keep reminding yourself about the adverse long-term effects of drinking.
You can distract yourself until the desire passes by listening to music, going for a walk, running an errand, doing some house cleaning, or finishing a quick task. You can also accept the desire and ride it out rather than trying to fight it. When you ride it out without trying to fight, you’ll notice it passes faster than you’d think.
5. It’s not an easy sail: be ready
Typically, the initial four to five days are the most challenging part of the journey. As soon as your body begins to rid itself of alcohol, occurrences of acute withdrawal start to creep in. The withdrawal indicators can begin to show as early as eight hours from your last drink. Here’s what you might experience:
- Too much sweating
- Tremors
- High temperature
- Increase Sleeplessness
- High blood pressure
However, as soon as you start feeling the withdrawal symptoms, it means that your healing journey is underway. You can talk to your medical care provider if you’re worried about the detox symptom when overcoming your addiction. They can help you develop a plan to get through it and make your journey smooth.
Final thoughts
If you think overcoming your alcohol addiction is challenging, check out these ways. Look at the effective ways mentioned above and see how to incorporate them to limit alcohol consumption and improve overall health.
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