Signs of Being an Alcoholic
Signs of Being an Alcoholic
how to stop drinking
Have you often asked yourself how to stop drinking?
Overcoming an addiction to alcohol can be a long and very difficult road. The good news is that it is possible. Many people have struggled with the same problem and are willing to help and support you.
The even better news is that you have already begun your recovery. The first two important steps you need to take to overcome any addiction are to recognize that you have a problem and to begin to seek help and take action to overcome that problem. By searching for this article you have already taken these vitally important first steps to recovery. The next step is for you to take your recovery a stage further. You have to decide now to never drink again and commit to it. If you can do that now, you are no longer an alcoholic, you are a recovering alcoholic.
One of the most important parts of your recovery is commitment on your behalf. Breaking any habit requires large amounts of will power. There will be times when you feel a very strong urge to drink. You have to recognize that the only way to overcome this addition is to battle past this urge without giving in.
It can help to focus on something that makes you want to stop drinking. When you first asked yourself how to stop drinking, what was your major motivation? You should concentrate on this motivation and keep it at the front of your mind when you feel like drinking. This may be a loved one, a job or you might want to stop drinking for yourself, to restore your own sense of pride. Whatever that motivation is, keep hold of it and don't lose sight of it when stopping becomes difficult.
Another important factor which will allow you to be successful is to forgive yourself for the past. If there is anything in your past which makes you feel shameful or if you are ashamed of your drinking you need to let it go. This shame spiral will drag you down and keep you down if you let it. You need to forget the past, accept that you cannot change it and concentrate on improving your future with hard work and commitment.
This does not mean that you should not attempt to atone for the mistakes you may have made in the past, just that you should not let these mistakes engulf you and prevent you from moving forward. In fact atoning for your mistakes is great way to increase your sense of pride. Do not become disheartened if you are not able to atone for a past mistake. Try your best and forgive yourself. Hopefully others will eventually forgive you too if you have wronged them in any way.
It is important that you look at the behavior patterns which lead you to drinking in the first place. When asking yourself how to stop drinking it is important to realize why you began. Once you recognize the causes of a problem, solving it will be much easier. It may also be that you have to cut ties with people and places that you like. This could mean that you stop visiting a certain bar or spending time with certain friends. It could also mean leaving a partner who is also an addict if your behavior enables each other. If you are ready to change and they are not you cannot let their behavior prevent you from stopping drinking. You may try to help them but real change comes from inside. If they do not have the same genuine desire as you to stop drinking, you may be better spending time away from them.
This does not mean that you should isolate yourself. Support is a vital part of stopping drinking. You should concentrate on the positive relationships in your life and attempt to build new ones. Other recovering alcoholics can provide support and will understand exactly what you are going thru. When attempting to achieve anything in life it is excellent to benefit from the advice of those who have already achieved your goal. They know exactly how to achieve it thru their own firsthand experience. You may also be able to provide help and support to them with their own struggle against addiction which will increase your sense of pride and self esteem.
Restoring your pride is a great way to break the shame spiral I mentioned earlier. Pride and self esteem are excellent weapons in the fight against addiction. If there is something you are good at or something you enjoy, make sure you spend time doing it. It is also a great idea to work hard. Hard work breeds success, which breeds self esteem.
It can also be much more everyday things which can help you to increase your pride and self esteem. It can be as simple as taking a lot of care over your appearance. This means looking and feeling good. Take more time with personal grooming and more pride in your clothes and make sure you look sharp. An exercise routine can improve your health, appearance and energy levels. It will also release endorphins which will make you feel great, provide a sense of achievement and give you goals to achieve.
Many people with addictive personalities swap one addiction for another. If this sounds familiar then a positive addiction can give you something to focus your attention and energy on. This will allow you to achieve positive results rather than the negative patterns you have followed by drinking. Many people with an addictive personality enjoy exercise and are very good at it because they constantly chase the positive feeling that the exercise gives them.
The most important things to do when trying to stop drinking are, to recognize why you drink, break negative behaviors, increase your pride and self esteem and to commit yourself fully. Quitting drinking is not an easy thing to do. You can achieve it with hard work, dedication and the support of others. Both loved ones and other recovering addicts will be very happy to help if you tell them you are ready to change.