Stop Your Drinking Habbit | Save Many Lives

How to Quit Alcohol

Are you struggling with alcohol? Are you questioning whether or not you’re an alcoholic? Are you wondering if you should quit drinking? Do you have to quit drinking? If you’ve answered yes to any of these, it’s recommended you quit drinking, and if possible, seek professional treatment. Alcohol kills over 240 people every day. That being said, it’s scary as hell to quit something you’re addicted to, and it can be ridiculously hard, especially with alcohol.

ADMIT THE PROBLEM

If you find yourself caught in a thought cycle – comparing your drinking to that of others, taking online assessments, or just asking yourself if you have a problem – give these three things a try:

• Ask the right question. Stop asking yourself whether or not you’re an alcoholic. If you’re asking yourself this, you probably are one. Sorry to be so harsh. Instead, ask yourself if drinking is preventing you from having the life you want. If yes, step one is over. You’ve admitted the problem.
• Stop the comparisons. They do you no good. That’s not your life. You are an individual with a complicated, unique life. So what if you drink less than Billy down the street… If you have a problem, you have a problem. Comparing your drinking to that of others will only lead to self-justification.
• Think of your future self. Picture yourself five years from now with the same drinking habits. Are you okay with what you see? If not, you likely have a problem with alcohol. Now admit it, so you can begin treating it.

REALIZE WHY YOU SHOULD QUIT DRINKING

Long-term benefits are rarely enough to motivate people to quit. We often prefer instant gratification. Quitting drinking is no exception. The long-term benefits are only about saving your health and well-being anyway, (please note sarcasm), so here are 4 short-term benefits we all can relate to:

• Reclaim lost time. Jill is a moderate drinker. She drinks three times a week, 2-3 drinks per occasion. Each time, she ‘loses’ about 3 hours of productive time being buzzed. Every year, Jill loses a month and a half. That’s a lot of lost time that could have been spent sober and productively. Don’t forget about any time Jill (or you) may spend hungover.
• Have more meaningful talks. Conversation builds character and makes us grow. Those benefits disappear when you’re drunk. Alcohol prevents any meaningful change from talking. It might seem terrifying to meet new people without drinking, but the damage alcohol causes is scarier.
• Get rich quickly. It’s easy to spend $150 or more per week as a drinker, especially if you go out. of drinking. After 6 months, quitting could allow you to afford backpacking around the world. Are you willing to pay $600 a month for health problems?
• Sleep better. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it will make you tired. Alcohol also disrupts sleep patterns, throwing off your body’s balance. This only adds to the damage alcohol does. Quit drinking and it’s a guarantee your sleep quality will increase dramatically.

ISN’T IT DANGEROUS TO QUIT?

The first 72 hours are the most painful part of recovery. As your body rids itself of alcohol, you’ll experience acute withdrawal – unpleasant. Alcoholics can experience especially difficult recoveries, and professional help is recommended for them. Regardless, the benefits of quitting drinking will soon make themselves known.

Even though it may not feel like it, the acute withdrawal stage of the recovery timeline is the beginning of something great. Withdrawal symptoms are evidence your body is healing. The onset of withdrawal symptoms can begin as soon as six hours after your last drink. You may experience:

• Elevated temperature
• Increased blood pressure, breathing rate, and pulse
• Excessive sweating
• Tremors
• Insomnia
• In extreme cases, one may experience seizures, sometimes life-threatening.