Steps
- 1Talk to your doctor. If you choose not to, bear in mind that alcohol withdrawal can potentially be deadly. If you start experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms (panic attacks, severe anxiety pressure you should seek immediate medical assistance. The condition could potentially deteriorate to deadly delerium tremens if left untreated.
- 2Change your attitude about quitting! Remember, you're not being forced to give up a good friend who has treated you well. Instead, you are finally ridding yourself of an awful enemy who has robbed you of many great pleasures in life.
- 3Constantly remind yourself of what a great thing you are doing and hold tightly to your quit. Remember that you are pardoning yourself from a life sentence in the prison of alcoholism and you will always hold the key.
- 4Try to pick some significant date to quit. Be ambitious, but reasonable. If you are very heavy drinker you must first slow down to avoid withdrawal symptoms (in this case it is best to have your doctor help you plan your quitting date).
- 5Get rid of all bottles, cans, etc.
- 6Revise recipes that call for wine so you do not have it in the kitchen, or use non-alcoholic sparkling wine.
- 7Buy a wallet and whenever you think about buying a bottle or a drink, put that amount of money in your sober wallet. It will shock you. Use this for healthier stress relief: massage, visit to a day spa, yoga class...
- 8Buy a small piece of inexpensive jewellery like a ring or bracelet, or henna your hand, or get a special manicure to remind you that these hands no longer buy or touch alcohol.
- 9Drink a lot of water.
- 10Consider joining a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous. These groups have helped millions of people to quit. There are also secular support groups as well such as SMART Recovery and LIFERING.
- 11Never take another sip.
- 12Don't try to explain quitting or trying to quit to people -- if they themselves are not in this situation, they are unable to fathom what you're trying to do. Many people will try to enable you and convince you to drink so they can feel better about their own addiction.
- 13Admit to yourself, and remember it, that there is absolutely nothing in your life more important than this one thing.
- 14Have a good reason! If you can't convince yourself or there is a complete and utter lack of people who can tell you to do this, the treatment won't stick. There are very few, if any, reasons to undertake this advice unless you know why.
- 15Do not avoid all situations where you would normally drink. Instead approach them with a good attitude and remember that you can have a good time without drinking.
- 16Memorize a prayer, poem or something (i.e. Hamlet's speech "To be or not to be") to repeat to yourself when you are losing your mind; trying to remember it will keep your head together sometimes.
- 17Give yourself a prize for every day or every hour that you haven't had a drink.
- 18Talk to your doctor. If you chose not to, bear in mind that alcohol withdrawal can potentially be DEADLY. If you start experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as severe anxiety or elevated blood pressure you should seek immediate medical assistance before the condition deteriorates to delerium tremens.
- 19"He who conquers others is mighty. He who conquers himself is almighty."
- 20"Pick up yoga! It will help you deal with stress and calm your mind."
- 21Take a B-vitamin supplement daily for your first week off alcohol. Alcohol affects the ability of the body to absorb these (specifically thiamine). Deficiency can cause severe cognitive impairment (Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome or wet brain).
- 22If you are tempted, try to visualize what you might look like totally out of control. Do you really want to be that person again?
- 23If you are a scheduled drinker, like after work or when you go home, change your routine to involve another activity like visiting your parents or a friend.
- 24Have food before you drink, this will reduce your interest for drinking.
- 25In the initial stage, reduce the quantity of alcohol intake. Imagine that due to excess alcohol, you are vomitting and having head ache on the next day and stop drinking any more.
- 26Learn meditation. Do meditation regularly especially in the morning and at the end of the session, vow not to drink alcohol. Remember your calm mind of meditation later when you feel like drinking. It will distract you.
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