Help to Quit Drinking

There comes a moment for many people when they question if they are drinking too much, if there is too much damage going on, and if they should quit drinking or cut down dramatically.

man in despair over his drinking

Maybe a concerned family member has confronted you on it. Or maybe you have just realized that you’ve had enough and it can’t go on any longer, prompted by an injury or an accident, after losing a job or some other negative event.

It can be done. With support and a strong determination, some people can succeed at reducing, controlling or quitting drinking on their own. For the majority who can’t there is help available.

Alcohol Withdrawal Can Make it Hard to Quit

When the body becomes used to the presence of high, constant levels of alcohol, even more is needed to create whatever effect you are after. Maybe after drinking, you manage to forget your problems or like the loose, happy feeling you get when you drink, instead of feeling down. When this tolerance develops, this means that the body has made such an adjustment to the constant presence of alcohol that the drinker may go through a difficult withdrawal when they stop drinking. This sickness, depression, agitation, insomnia and other problems that accompany withdrawal can drive many people - who really do wish to recover - right back the alcohol again.

Narconon Helps Those Who Need Support to Recover from Alcoholism

The staff at Narconon drug and alcohol treatment centers know that for some people, it is going to be impossible to stop drinking without help. Alcoholism includes, by definition, the inability to control one’s drinking. The mental dependence and the physical cravings present overwhelming challenges when one has passed the point of alcohol abuse and arrived at alcoholism. When you have decided to quit drinking so you can live clean and sober, you must not to lose your determination if you are going to arrive at a final win. If one’s first few attempts to quit drinking without help didn’t succeed, then call Narconon to get help with alcohol so you can finally overcome the cravings and get on with your life. With the Narconon alcohol recovery program, a person who is trapped in addiction but who truly wants to recover can reach that goal.

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How to Stop Drinking (and How Help Someone Else Stop Drinking)

When there is enough self-discipline and objectivity intact in a drinker that he still has the ability to quit drinking alcohol, here are some suggestions on how to win that fight:

not drinking with friends at restaurant
  1. Find alternatives to social situations that require you to drink. This may mean that you have to find new groups or friends, if your old group was composed of drinkers. There are plenty of online resources and social groups these days where you can find local people who have similar interests as yours. You might even find yourself followed by a couple of your drinking buddies who are tired of that lifestyle.
  2. If drinking helped you manage certain types of social situations that are uncomfortable, look for new, healthier ways to deal with them. For example, if you always drink at weddings, conventions or family reunions, find someone you trust to buddy with you at that event and agree to the goal that you will get through that event without drinking.
  3. Avoid the places, people or things that trigger your urge to drink. Change your life or your schedule or the people you see, whatever it takes to make this happen. If you drink at home, keep no liquor there.
  4. Have a plan for how you will handle a strong urge to drink. Have someone or more than one person who support you and will take your call whenever possible to let you talk through whatever just happened to trigger the urge, if you know. Try something that will distract you from the urge, like exercise or some activity you enjoy.
  5. Plan ahead of time how you will handle offers of drink. For example, if you ask for an alternative, non-alcoholic beverage before you are offered alcohol, then you won’t be offered something you have to refuse.
  6. Realize that there are millions of people who don’t drink alcohol for health, religious, weight loss or personal belief reasons, in addition to the people who don’t drink because they have difficulty controlling the habit. You are in good company when you choose a non-alcoholic drink.

If you’re helping someone to quit drinking, go over these suggestions with them and offer to be their buddy, their lifeline, the one they call when they need an extra measure of support. Help them look for new activities and introduce them to new friends. You can be just the turning point this drinker needs to become a non-drinker.

When Self-Control is not Enough

man offering support to young woman

If you are the family member trying to help someone who is dependent on alcohol to quit drinking, you need to realize that people who have truly become dependent on alcohol usually professional help to stop drinking. Support your loved one by helping them deal with the idea of going to rehab so they can achieve their clean and sober goal.

If you have found yourself addicted to alcohol, and have not succeeded in quitting after a couple of tries, this is no time to be harsh on yourself. Simply move on to the next step. Find out how the Narconon program can help you beat alcohol addiction for good.