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Thinking on How to Give Up Alcohol

By Margaret Stunn
Expert Author Margaret Stunn

To drink or not to drink- that is the question. Thinking on how to give up alcohol is a task and no one can contest that. A thing is considered a task if it doesn't conform to a person's will or that person has just been assigned or forced to do it; this is true about giving up alcohol.

I think it is but right to say that if a person is not yet a confessed alcoholic, meaning it is either he has just started becoming a user or consider himself an occasional excessive drinker, things can be made easier asking him to quit.

I have my own classification of alcoholic drinkers:

A starter, as mentioned above, is one who is just beginning to have his first taste of alcohol and does this whenever he gets to socialize with peers. This type is the one who drinks with a group just for the sake of camaraderie.

An occasional drinker is one who drinks obviously on occasion. This could be with friends and associates, family gatherings, parties, to name a few events.

An alcoholic is one person who cannot live a day without drinking liquor. This type has the maximum number of bottles consumed in one occasion or event. It is not easy to stop this person. Telling him to quit would aggravate the situation. An alcoholic cannot stop. Alcohol is his life and the content of his bloodstream.

I am, myself, one of this liquid substance users but I can't really consider myself as an abuser. I drink at times but not that regularly. My friends cannot force me to have a taste if I don't want to. Having liquor in my system makes me weak and slow; weak in the sense that I would feel numb and couldn't feel the energy emanating from my body, and slow, in a way that I seem to be floating on air as I walk.

It is apparent that drinking can cause some differences in the way a normal person acts and thinks. A person cannot think right when under the influence as well as do things correctly. There seems to be a mistake in whatever step is taken. Thinking of how to give up alcohol is the way to make things right. And one can do this with the proper guidance of friends, relatives and professional help.

Abusers are the ones that would find it hard to bear the feeling of no-alcohol intake in a day. This is because they are already hooked on it. Careful whispers can help in changing their ways. Since these people are most likely deviant in nature, it is not appropriate to talk them out of it when in the presence of other people. They will tend to move away or evade those who keep on asking them to do so. Better catch them in their most unguarded moments; sober and alone-and that would be the perfect time for you to lay down your cards that you are there for him, to help.

They can be guided as far as research has shown. Using words that are positive could goad him to think of what his real problem is. Mentioning the word 'help' might drive him away, but try using the phrase 'I understand" and you get good results. One thing more, do not try to push hard as he might think that he's being tasked to do so. You might get the biggest surprise of your life when one day he'll come knocking at your door and say: I have been thinking of how to give up alcohol and the first person I remembered to go to is you.

Margaret Stunn is a freelance writer, a mother of four grown up kids and has spent 20 years writing about family concerns. Everything that she writes are based on her own personal experiences and extensive research.


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Living With an Alcoholic Husband Or Spouse? How to Give the Alcoholic Help

By Timothy Welch

Of all the people I have encountered who once struggled as an alcoholic, but don't anymore, none of them said it was their spouse's or families' fault. "If only he/she did not enable me so much" or "if only he/she was not a codependent, I could have stopped drinking sooner", are two statements I have never heard from a recovered alcoholic. In fact, it is the complete opposite. Those who have "recovered" value the strength and understanding they received from others.

Does this mean you become a doormat? Absolutely not. Below you may find some helpful information on how to give the alcoholic help. But in no way think that the answer can be found anywhere but truly in your heart. What works for one, may not work for another. What one person wants and can put up with, another may not be able to. Determine how much you are willing to take, then set the boundaries. Talk to your alcoholic husband or spouse and make these boundaries clear.

There are many theories of how to help an alcoholic and of course everyone believes to know the answers of how to best give the alcoholic help. But from experience, I found that the reality of living with an alcoholic is very different than the theory.One approach does not fit all. We have to be comfortable with the choices and decisions we make when giving the alcoholic help. Theories and opinions of others do not necessarily help us fall asleep at night if they go against what we believe or are willing to do in helping the alcoholic spouse or husband. In fact, these theories and opinions can be detrimental if they are given as absolutes, or if they judge or victimize the person trying to help the alcoholic husband or spouse.

The following are some suggestions I found helpful from people who have struggled with an alcoholic husband or spouse. Like myself, not everyone can be thrown into the codependent or enabler category simply because they refuse to give up or leave the alcoholic.

I believe that understanding the dynamics underlying the alcoholic behavior will help the family or friends support and challenge the alcoholic to move on to a better life.

There are two aspects of change necessary for the alcoholic husband or alcoholic spouse:

1) There must be a desire to change.

2) There must be a belief that the change will positively impact their life.

1) The desire to change includes...

- A focus on the positives of the person struggling with alcohol. Why? Because the alcoholic already knows their life is a mess. What they don't know is if they have the ability to climb out of this mess.

- An improved self-confidence, as self-esteem is an issue here. The alcoholic husband or spouse doubts their ability to handle life situations. If they doubt they can survive the stress of life without their crutch (alcohol), then they are not going to give it up and will be resistant to any alcoholic help you may try to give.

- Moving away from dwelling on negative consequences of drinking. We often like to overemphasize the negative consequences the alcoholic husband or spouse is going to experience if they continue using alcohol. We throw statements at them like: "You are going to end up in jail" or "You are destroying your body". They already know this. What they don't know is if they have the inner capabilities to avoid these negative consequences.

An important point here is that the alcoholic compensates for their feelings of inadequacy, fear and helplessness by drinking. To constantly remind them of the negative consequences does not find a solution or way for them to regain control of their fear and helplessness in a healthy manner. You may wonder how destroying their life even more with alcohol helps them regain control? Here it is: Alcohol use is often comforting in a sense that using is predictable and consistent. What? No matter what is going on in life, the alcoholic spouse or husband knows they can assert their "will" or control through their use of alcohol. It's their perception. They may not like the pain alcohol causes them, but at least they know what to expect. They are miserable, but without alcohol they would not know how to cope. The fear of the unknown is greater than the pain of drinking.

Self-esteem may be confused with sobriety. The alcoholic husband or spouse may not regain an instant positive self-image simply by becoming sober. Self-esteem needs to be associated with more than particular actions. Otherwise a belief occurs that if I do such and such then I am a good person and I will remain sober. This can get the alcoholic in trouble if they do the proper actions and don't get the right response (sobriety). Instead, start emphasizing that personal worth is present when the alcoholic believes it is because they are alive and have every capability to thrive and succeed.

2) The belief that the change will positively impact their life includes:

- Proper support and peer groups. This is important that support is present. Remember we all rise or fall to the expectation of our peers. If someone using alcohol does not seem to be changing for the better, I'll bet it is because they do not see any significant personal life benefits or improvement.

This goes to their perception of what life improvement means, but it also has to do with realistic life situations. Are the alcoholic's current goals and values in line with what they want their life to be about? If not, they need to be revisited. Do they need to look for better employment? Change the crowd they hang out with? Often we become concerned when someone wants to drop out of school or change jobs. Make sure the motive is good, but find out what they really desire and value in life. Maybe they are telling you they have a better idea and path for their life. Explore the options and motivations for what the alcoholic wants their life to be about.

- Giving dignity to the alcoholic spouse or husband by allowing them to own their problem. We sometimes assume that someone who overuses alcohol is incompetent or unable to decide for themselves what options they need. They know. They are just too unsure of themselves and afraid to act on these options. Think about it, if they currently use alcohol they are already telling you they are not happy with current life situations. Help them find and explore the right ones.

- Understanding the alcoholics immediate needs. Whatever the alcoholic believes is impairing their life situation needs to be explored. I have made the mistake of trying to motivate change in someone while ignoring the fact that they have nowhere to live and not enough money to eat on. Be practical and realistic with how you help. Don't just throw out ideas. Set practical goals for the specific needs of the individual.

So What can We do To Give The Alcoholic Help?

- We must empower the individual struggling with alcohol. We do this by taking away all the excuses the alcoholic spouse or husband may have to why they cannot stop drinking. As we have seen, the alcoholic will have many of these excuses. But, the bottom line is that they do not believe they have the necessary personal resources to overcome their drinking.

- Self-confidence is the key. Find and emphasize the alcoholics talents. I do not believe someone who struggles with alcohol is weak willed or spiritually deprived. Their wills have taken them places no one else would want to go. If they wanted to drink they found a way to do it. Use this strength to re-focus them and give the alcoholic help.

- Their spirituality is normally quit strong inside them. They are searching for something, a meaning. Help the alcoholic develop and find this meaning. Victor Frankl wrote that if you give a person purpose and meaning, they will find a way through anything no matter how hopeless it seems. Even atheists believe in something, even if it is life itself.

- For every choice to use alcohol, there is an alternative choice also available. The alcoholic husband or spouse may have forgotten this part. The alternative choice will most likely impact the problem more directly to resolve it and not further its existence. Fear may enter here, for it is scary to take on responsibility. The alcoholic spouse or husband may have avoided responsibility like the plague. But when they finally realize that their control comes from responsible choices, they are more willing to attempt it. The key is when they can see how choosing the responsible choice will positively impact their life situation. When life situations can't be seen as improving, change will be hard fought.

- No one truly enjoys their drinking behavior. They don't drink because they "like it". Think back to the first few times you drank. The taste was awful and it most likely made you sick. No one I have ever encountered formed their desire to use after the first drink. It took some work.

- Make sure goals are clear and achievable. The alcoholic husband or spouse must develop a clear vision and plan of what they want and who they want to be. This is most important, for through their use of alcohol most have lost sight of the dreams and goals they once had. Remind them. Most healthy people look at the world as their playground. The alcoholic looks at the world as their prison. Help them find the key.

- Avoid cleaning up their mess. Don't get involved with the blame game. Alcoholics are real good at this. They can twist any situation to support their misery. Let choices and consequences be theirs. This way there is no one to blame but themselves.

- Let them know that it is OK to feel. Most alcoholics don't know how to do this. Teach them. To them, feelings are the enemy and have to be avoided. Feelings come and go and feelings will not kill you. It's how you respond to them that matters.

- Fear is at the root of all problem drinking. Get the alcoholic spouse or husband to tackle one of these fears head on and they gain some ground. Build on these small successes so they can start to see their innate abilities to change.

- Get them out of their heads! There is no destructive force in the world greater than an alcoholics self-centered thinking. Mental illness has been defined as perceiving without testing. We perceive according to the stories we tell ourselves in our heads. It does not matter the reality of these stories. They are how we see the world. The alcoholic husband or spouse has such a selfish view (story) that if they are left in their own heads, there is little chance of positive change. What works well here is to have the alcoholic help out others. If they are thinking of someone else, they will not be thinking of themselves. There is no greater fulfillment in the world than one who truly gives to another and expects nothing in return. Teach them to give.

- Perhaps the most dangerous idea in the treatment field is the phrase "You have to do it for yourself". Who do you think the alcoholic spouse or husband has been serving all this time? His family and friends? No, themselves. Get them out of their heads! Teach them to help others. Help them find their vision and meaning!

- Motives drive an addiction. Teach them to examine the motives behind their drinking behavior. Most of their motives will be fear based. Remember their drinking is their attempt to control an internal feeling of fear and helplessness. A good rule of thumb in checking motives to a behavior is to ask, "Will this hurt or harm myself or others?" If the answer is yes, then difficulties lie ahead. Behaviors with fear as their motive will only result in self-protecting behavior. They will not focus on a solution to a problem and will not satisfy.

- Fear and guilt do little to help the alcoholic abstain from alcohol! Most professionals focus on the negative consequences as a reason to abstain from alcohol. This is the wrong approach. The alcoholic already knows, or has experienced the negative consequences associated with drinking. This has not hindered their use. They may cut down for a while after experiencing a negative consequence only to resume normal use as time goes on. This is because alcoholics do not like to live in fear. They want to escape it. Guilt is the same thing. Alcoholics want to avoid it. Fear and guilt focus on the problem not the solution. Teach the alcoholic husband or spouse to focus on the solution. This is done by having them see that change occurs when they focus their life on something other than drinking.

- Don't define them as "in recovery" or by "sober time". This is a focus on the problem. When the alcoholic husband or spouse realize they can handle stress in life, not because they are "sober" or "in recovery" but because they are alive and equipped with the ability to do so, alcohol will be irrelevant. They choose the right way because it is simply right for them, not because they fear the consequences. This may be difficult for them to see at first until they clarify their goals and who they want to be.



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Give Up Alcohol - The First 30 Days

By P Lowes
Expert Author P Lowes

In the initial stages in the lead up to giving up and the first couple of days I felt very pleased with the decision to quit. I felt a little 'showy offy'. Hey look at me, look what I am doing, aren't I great. Then I realised not many people really give a damn whether I drink or not. Just the nearest and dearest, which is what counts at the end of the day.

Once I got over that initial burst of being pleased with myself, I got a little scared on what I was about to embark on. I had all sorts of thoughts, like 'what am I going to drink tonight', 'what am i going to do tonight'. 'What do I do when I drive past the wine merchants, and all those lovely bottles of red wine are waving at me'. Whilst it seems daft on reflection, these were very real questions at the time and a little confronting.

When I was about 3-4 days into the quit I felt very anxious and ready to snap back at the smallest of provocations. I didn't feel angry or down, but I could hear myself snap very quickly at people. I was also spending just about every waking moment thinking about drinking and my quit. A voice in my head, which I have since learnt is the AV (Addictive Voice) was always there - saying 'go on have a drink'. 'One will be OK'. This made life in those early days all about my quit and nothing else seemed to matter much.

In addition I had difficulty getting to sleep. I guess over the last 27 years, I'd had a gallon of red wine to help me on my way. I never, or should I say very rarely got completely smashed. But always enough to get that buzz and enough to knock me out at bed time. So my body needed to learn to get to sleep the natural way again.

Headaches and stomach issues seems to lurk about in week 2. Headaches were like a dull thud and became very tiring. Pain killers did work though - but I didn't like to take too many. As for the stomach issues, lets just say quite a few toilet trips were needed. Lot's of noise, and not many deposits! Stomach cramps were mild but constant.

The tiredness that came about in weeks 2 and 3 was very difficult to handle. I felt exhausted most of the time and not feeling refreshed and full of energy like I had hoped. I have since learnt that the body repairs itself when asleep and hence the feeling of wanting to go to sleep all the time. So I rested as much as possible and enjoyed being a couch potato! At the same time I had a muddled feeling, or a feeling of being lost. Someone advised this was due to the feeling of losing something in your life. In my case this was my bottle of red wine! On top of this were some very vivid and weird dreams which soon passed - although some were quite enjoyable! Light headedness was also experienced in the early stages.

Then in weeks 3 and 4 the headaches disappeared and body functions felt quite normal. The AV was still around and paying daily visits, but I was not thinking about drinking all the time. I also had a couple of dreams that I was drinking again. I would wake feeling very disappointed with myself, until I realised it was just a dream.

With all those negatives, what did surprise me was the benefits that I started to experience. Very quickly I became more tolerant and more engaged in family life. I felt that I had more time to talk things through with people and not feel in a constant rush. I was waking up feeling more refreshed in week 4 onwards and felt as if I had had a very deep sleep. Getting to sleep was also much easier. I became less aggressive and generally felt in a better mood. My teeth are whiter and skin clearer. (Alcohol dehydrates the body and in particular the skin). I felt fitter and wanted to exercise. Just going for long walks was really enjoyable. I felt more positive and excited about the future and started to think more about future plans.

If I was ever in any doubt that alcohol was not doing me any good, then going through these symptoms and experiencing the benefits noted above certainly showed me the negatives of alcohol. I'm not an alcoholic and have a great job and family. I think this goes to show that 'normal' people have issues with alcohol abuse but may not realise it. I've documented my journey in my blog.

I have decided to give up the bottle, by that I mean alcohol. I may or may not come under the definition of an alcoholic, and it does not really matter. What matters is I have drunk too much for too long. I also have an unnatural relationship with alcohol. That is, I can not moderate very well and end up drinking too much. So, I have decided to give it up and have recorded my first 365 days in my blog


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How To Give Teens Alcohol And Drug Addiction Help

By David Richards

It's not an easy task to find alcohol or drug addiction help for your young kid or teenager. Nevertheless this is an important task and as a parent you have no choice but taking care of it. A teenager's life is full of contradictions and extremes, as young people are struggling to find out who they really are as well as wondering what their identity as adults will be, this is just normal. Due to teenagers particular mental stressors, it is a very easy way for youngsters to get caught up in an alcohol or drug addiction problem. Because of these stressors, they will almost always be in need for drug addiction help to get rid of their cravings for their drug of choice. Facts about alcoholism and drug addiction show that the highest rates of success occur with inpatient drug rehab.

Drug addiction help for teenagers has to be specialized to their needs. Alcohol or drug addiction rehab that works wonderfully for adults may not address the concerns of teens. When searching for drug or alcoholism rehab centers for your teenager, be sure to decide whether each center's program was designed specifically for teens.

Of special concern to parents of teenagers with a drug or alcohol addiction problem is the issue of schooling. Many teens who have a drug or alcohol addiction problem have dropped out of school or have missed so much school that they have been suspended or expelled. In drug or alcohol rehab centers, teenagers will be required to attend school. The quality of education varies from program to program, but your teenager will have to attend classes. A drug or alcohol rehab center's schedule is tight, incorporating academic classes as well as psycho-educational classes, group therapy, personal counseling and similar activities.

Parents should expect to be significantly involved with their teen's drug addiction help, whether the teenager is in inpatient drug or alcohol rehab or outpatient counseling. Family sessions are required by many rehab facilities and highly recommended anyway. While it is surely not your "fault" that your teenager has a drug or alcohol addiction problem, family dynamics may play a contributing part in the underlying causes. Additionally, you and your teen have probably grown apart and may fight frequently. Your faithful attendance at family sessions will show your teenager that you love and care for him or her and are willing to commit to the teen's recovery effort.

After your teen completes his or her inpatient drug or alcohol rehab program, you will need to make provisions for aftercare drug or alcohol addiction help. Your teen will most likely receive a referral to an outside therapist or psychologist and information about twelve step programs and peer counseling services as well. Make sure that your teenager performs all appropriate follow up work, as relapse is very common. Work with your teen and allow him or her to take some progressive responsibility for making his/her own aftercare decisions.

Do not punish or guilt trip your teenager about his or her drug addiction problem but rather encourage him or her in the fight for recovery. Recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction brings forth many feelings, some of which will be quite mean for both you and your kid. Provide a loving and supportive environment in which your teenager can heal and be prepared to do the necessary work on your side of the relationship. Alcohol or drug addiction help can assist you both in becoming closer and more trusting of each other.

No matter how old the addicted person is, facing the need of drug addiction recovery can be a real nightmare. For a person questing for identity like teenagers normally do, getting rid of an alcohol or drug addiction on top of all these other issues issues must be felt like a disaster. Fortunately, there are methods to handle addiction in teenagers successfully however, it requires professional alcohol or drug addiction help together with the teenager as well as the parents. Only then the treatment will be successful.



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Helpful Tips to Effectively Give Up Alcohol

By Felipe Francisco

If you are already tired of the effects of alcohol every time you drink, then it is probably time to give up alcohol. Even if you are not addicted to alcohol, giving it up provides you with plenty of benefits. Quitting drinking helps you avoid heart diseases, weight gain, liver diseases, and the dreaded hangover. Stopping altogether may not be an easy road to follow. You need to have a strong resolve and be committed enough once you have come to a decision. It involves a lot of steps and each step has its own challenges to overcome. But with the right frame of mind and a positive attitude, there is nothing that you cannot do, including giving up alcohol.

First, it helps to discuss your situation with a health professional. If you are having doubts about going to a doctor, keep in mind that it is possible to experience withdrawal symptoms, and if not dealt with properly, these symptoms can be deadly. In the event that you experience harsh withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety attack, then don't think twice about getting medical assistance, as it is very difficult to deal with them yourself. If these symptoms are taken for granted, you are bound to get severe delirium that could harm yourself.

Next, you need to examine your attitude and see if you are ready to give up alcohol. Most alcoholics treat alcohol as a friend they cannot live without. When they have to give it up, it feels like an important part of them is also being taken away. But when you change that way of thinking, you will realize that alcohol was never a friend. Instead, it is an enemy that you need to conquer. When you quit drinking, you are actually doing yourself a favor by freeing yourself from the trap that you have willingly imprisoned yourself into. Think about all the great opportunities that pass you by while you were being drunk.

It helps to remember that you are doing the noblest thing by quitting alcohol. Drinking alcohol affects your health and it is your responsibility to keep your body from getting exposed to harmful elements, especially the ones that you have full control over. The decision to quit is like absolving yourself from a lifetime of imprisonment. The key was with you the whole time. Plan big for your decision to quit but also exercise reason. If you are an alcoholic, take it one step at a time to prevent withdrawal symptoms from occurring.

If you really are serious about your decision to give up alcohol, then throw away everything that reminds you of alcohol, such as bottles, souvenirs, cans and other things. Modify recipes that include alcohol in their ingredients. Stash the money that you would have used for buying alcohol in your wallet. You will be surprised at how much you were able to save by staying away from alcohol. You can use this money to buy a gift for yourself, a reminder for a job well done. You can start taking up a new hobby or join yoga classes to keep you occupied. Joining a support group is also another option to meet other people who are going through the same thing.



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How to Stop Drinking Alcohol

By David Peters

Drinking alcohol is a widespread addiction. There are conflicting counsels about how to stop drinking alcohol. You have to chart your own course from the myriads of crisscrossing ways to stop drinking alcohol.

Have a Clear Vision

A clear vision about an alcohol free life can motivate you and strengthen your efforts to stop drinking alcohol. If you stop drinking alcohol, you will improve your general health and quality of life. Your relationship with your parents, spouse, children, friends and relatives will improve.

Adverse Effects of Addiction

Addiction to alcohol may increase your chances of injuring yourself and others under its influence. Alcohol addiction ruins the life both physically and emotionally. It reduces the man to be his caricature. You set bad example before your children and forfeit moral authority to check them if they do anything wrong. There are numerous steps about how to stop drinking alcohol.

Self Help-Introspection

Think hard and try to see the benefits of abstaining from drinking alcohol. You may have been discarded by your boy/girl friend you loved most just because you are an alcohol addict and are given to repeated relapses. You may not have been able to realize your dream of distinguishing yourself, for example, as an art designer just because of your alcoholism. Try to analyze the outcome of your past drinking and envision your future. How it would change if you stopped drinking. Make a determined effort to stop drinking once for all. When you do so, you may be having conflicting thoughts about the benefits of stopping to drink alcohol and your helplessness in giving it up altogether.

Ambivalent Thinking

This ambivalence about drinking comes naturally to all the alcohol addicts. On the one hand you want to stop drinking alcohol and on the other hand you are terrified of giving it up. You may be afraid of failure. "What if I relapse again? My hopes will be dashed. It would be greatly demoralizing. I would be depressed more than ever before." These dilemmas are faced by every addict trying to give up drinking. You may even deny your disease is chronic, incurable and progressive. Then there is one part in you that wants to drink for ever. A voice in you may also say that you are doomed for ever to this life of drinking. This voice may urge you to take a peg right now. This self denying pessimistic stance may impel you to continue drinking since it is impossible for you to quit it for ever.

The 'Voice' and You

However you must try to distinguish between 'that voice' and you, that is, your own real person. 'That voice' does not care anything about you, your values, welfare, dreams and ambitions for a good, happy and healthy life. Make up your mind to fight that voice and you are sure stop drinking alcohol once for all.

Support Groups-Alcoholics Anonymous

If self help does not succeed, there are numerous other resources to help you about how to stop drinking alcohol. One such popular resource is Alcoholics Anonymous-AA- that organizes meetings all over the world for those who wish to stop drinking alcohol. This group is comprised primarily of those persons who have been alcohol addicts. It may be noted that these persons are more qualified in offering useful tips and advice based on their own efforts, agonies, experiences and success stories. How can a person who has never touched alcohol throughout his life tender an effective and practical advice against taking it?

Alcoholics Anonymous keeps your identity anonymous. They have a 12- step universal program about how to stop drinking alcohol. It works for every alcohol addict. It is being presented to the public practically through every treatment program. Besides AA you can contact your family physician, psychologists, health professionals in outpatient and inpatient treatment centers and hospitals. You can also log on to internet to find many voluntary organizations that are only too happy to help you about how to stop drinking alcohol.



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How to Stop Drinking Alcohol - Finding Support and Help

By Paddy Landau
Expert Author Paddy Landau

Are you a slave to alcohol addiction? Or do you know someone who needs to learn how to stop drinking alcohol?

Whichever is the case, it helps to know the different types of help that are available to the alcoholic. They come in different forms, from the informal to the government-supported, from the professional to the charitable. Every country differs in its culture and make-up, so this article strives to give the general ideas.

The Alcoholic

Before anything else, the alcoholic has to make the decision to change. This can be harder than you expect: An alcoholic may blame circumstances and other people for his predicament, and may deny the problem. Be aware that an alcoholic may also drink because of the extra attention he gets, either while drunk or afterwards when sober.

Until the person suffering from alcohol addiction admits to the problem and realizes that he needs help, there is unlikely to be much change.

Friends and Family

Once the decision has been made, friends and family can support the decision by staying alcohol-free around the person, and refusing to "feel sorry" for, or pay any attention at all, to the drinker when she drinks. Plenty of praise and positive reinforcement should accompany teetotaler behavior; but don't overdo it for people who are shy of their own emotions.

Government Help

Some governments provide help for drinkers. Telephone or ask a GP for advice. If this is available in your area, take advantage of them.

The Medical Profession

Your doctor should know suitable organizations that can help. Again, this differs greatly from country to country, but it's easy to ask. At the least, the doctor should be able to refer to a specialist counselor or therapist.

Complementary Therapy

People react differently to complementary therapies; for example, some people give up alcohol altogether with acupuncture, whereas others find it makes no difference. It is worth experimenting if you have the budget.

Certain complementary therapies work directly with the mind, such as hypnotherapy, and this is also worth a try. You can also research on the Internet.

Charitable Organizations

Some charities work with alcohol addiction. Some do not specialize, but provide a helpful ear. Look in the telephone book or ask around to learn of suitable ones.

Self-Help and Support Groups

Do not underestimate the importance of self-help. The drinker needs to realize that it is within his power to stop, and self-help allows him to take control of the process. Self-help can range from learning self-hypnosis to getting suitable books from the library, going to support groups and taking up a new hobby.



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How To Stop Drinking Alcohol - Take Back Control

By Rich MacKenzie
Expert Author Rich MacKenzie

Feelings of self-loathing, fear and helplessness are only some of the emotions that accompany the alcoholic in his unhappy state. An alcoholic has no control, or not enough control, over his own emotions. It can happen that the drinker is unable to cope, emotionally, with the world, and may use other negative emotions - such as blame - to cope.

The alcohol is a way to numb feelings, but unfortunately it only works in the short term. The use of alcohol only adds to the feelings of failure and self-pity, which of course reinforces the need to drink. In the long term, alcohol addiction makes the problem grow steadily worse in a vicious cycle, because it simply hides the problem instead of solving it.

For the alcoholic to get free of the addiction, it becomes vital to take back control. Without control, he has no reason (in his perception) to change. But, when he has learned how to take charge of his own emotional and mental state - something that even many non-alcoholics find hard - then there is an excellent chance of lasting change.

And how can this be done? How can the alcoholic learn to take charge of his own mind and learn how to stop drinking alcohol and have a good time instead? The mere idea that this is possible will seem preposterous to a typical alcoholic, who is so wrapped in his own misery and self-shame that he cannot see the possibilities.

The trick is to learn certain mental skills. The right types of mental skills allow the alcoholic to change the way that he or she unconsciously views the world. It changes, sometimes subtly and sometimes hugely, the way that this person thinks and feels about things, and what he says to himself.

These skills, fortunately, are easy to learn and practice.

There are several different "styles" of mental skills that can be learned. Some examples are EFT (emotional freedom technique), NLP (neurolinguistic programming) and hypnosis.

Whilst therapists will "do" the work on the alcoholic, all of them should teach the skills for self-application. For example, self-hypnosis is easy to learn and do. Learning to use these skills for himself gives the alcoholic both the ability and the responsibility of getting better.

In other words, it gives back control to the sufferer.


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How to Stop Drinking Alcohol Without AA Meetings

By Ras Reed

This commentary on how to stop drinking alcohol without attending AA meetings is purposely written for human beings who want to give up but do not possess all the cash in the real world to do so. These people cannot come up with the money to register in AA or any rehab out there. Their addiction crisis has made them squander much money and some of them have even lost their employment. Unless you are a strong alcohol addict, there is hope for you. With the steps mentioned in this piece of writing, it is pretty possible for any alcohol addict to stop drinking alcohol without resorting to AA or other professional support.

The first thing you must have in order to stop drinking alcohol is desire. Without it, checking into AA seminar will be uncreative. You must be dissatisfied with your existing standard of living and covet a new way of life that you and every person around you will be proud of. You need a tough desire before you can say no to alcohol. Don't listen to persons around you who say this is easier said than done. That statement is meant to depress you. Let me ask you this question. Will you say no if I grab your hand and push you into a fire? Obviously, not only will you exclaim no, you will say it with all your strength and body movement as you will violently restrict me from doing it. The same thing is considered necessary if you want to stop drinking alcohol on your own without attending AA meetings.

The number two thing you must do is to take action. With a stout aspiration, you will take sweeping action in order to stop drinking alcohol. Several addicts out there often say they like to quit but their action does not approve their desire. You must follow your desire with valid action that will be evidence for everyone around you that you are unwavering to stop drinking. One of the lots of right actions you must take is to shun all alcoholic drinks. This may demand you announcing your resolution to quit in public so that you will not be presented alcoholic drinks. In addition, there is need to throw out bottles of alcohol from your home and place of work.

The third thing I advocate you to do is to fill up your days with appropriate activities. You need activities that will take your entire mind and therefore keep the desire to drink alcohol away eternally. To do this, you will need to eliminate your alcoholic friends who may call you to parties that endorse alcoholism. Search for groups or associations in your community that you can join up and attend their meetings promptly. This is how to stop drinking alcohol without registering with AA meetings and paying costly amount for checking into rehab centers.

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How to Stop Drinking Alcohol in 7 Days or Less

By Nancy Hayssen

Consider the many reasons why one should stop drinking alcohol - it affects work, daily activities, relationships, social ties, and various other external aspects in life. Research has also shown that drinking too much can shrink your brain size, and can negatively impact other organs; it can slow down reaction time, impair memory, and depress the inhibitory centers of the brain causing other behavioral problems.

Now we've established the many reasons why one needs to stop drinking alcohol, let us look at some of the ways to achieve this-

• Take it one day at a time and then incentivize each day that you go without a drink. Understand that each day being alcohol free should be treated as the achievement that it is!

• When you first determine to give up alcohol and are wondering how to stop drinking alcohol, your first step should be to remove all the bottles of booze from your house. Yes that means the secret stash you have hidden away as well; the one that you think no one knows about.

• Change the company you keep and the places that you frequent. There could be some people in your life that may unknowingly or otherwise, derail your efforts to remain on the wagon. Hanging with them may tempt you to drink and may create situations that entail drinking. If your favorite hangout is a pub where also your friends are to found, pick up a new hobby or acquaintances that will help you avoid this. Try and be around people who are supportive and encouraging of your decision to kick the habit and who will help you on your way.

• Keep goals realistic. If you think you cannot give up drinking cold turkey then set yourself smaller goals - one less drink than the previous day and then one less the day after and so on. unrealistic goals are doomed to disappointment and will de-motivate a person disrupting the process of recovery.

• Confront underlying issues that make you drink. Drinking is often simply a symptom of a deeper problem. If alcohol is used to escape issues and so on, it helps to confront these. Get help by joining a support group, getting into therapy or seeing a counselor to work through the issues.

• Finding something meaningful to do in life - learn a new skill or take up a new hobby, do volunteer work that gives purpose to life, or try and give back to society in other ways.

• Also get help from external aids to help you quit the habit - redressing chemical and nutrient imbalances within the body can help in staying off the harmful substances by reducing and helping to control craving and improving chances of success

• Last but not least, don't give up!


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