10 Tips to Quit Alcohol

When quitting alcohol you are also quitting the lifestyle that goes along with it. When ready to start on the road to sobriety you will be saying goodbye to the life you knew as a drinker and hello to a new sober lifestyle filled with possibilities. While many find this change as common sense others need a little guide to help get them on the right path of sober living. If you are ready to quit alcohol here are some tips that may help:

Change your group of friends.

Those you use to drink with and are still avid drinkers are the ones to avoid. They may tempt you and be a part of your relapse. While you do not need to say goodbye forever it is important to leave these friends in the past while you are finding your sobriety and developing the skills you need to maintain your sobriety in all situations.

Change of scenery

Going to the same places where you spent the majority of your drinking days such as bars and other taverns is never a good idea. These places may tempt you into drinking, not to forget many of those drinking buddies are there and may tempt you too.

Clean House!

It is important to remove any and all temptation from your home. Go through all of your cabinets, closet and any hiding places where you would have alcohol and throw them all away. You may even want to throw away wine glasses and other drinking glasses that will remind you of alcohol.

If you live with someone else who still drinks alcohol now is the time to ask them to keep their alcohol away from you, maybe in their bedroom. Also ask them to be courteous and not drink when you're around because sometimes the temptation can be too much leading back to the bottle.

Let it be known you want to stop drinking.

If you are ready to stop drinking then you are ready to admit you have a problem and stop pretending its nothing. Announcing to your friends, family, coworkers and the rest of the world you want to stop drinking can jump start the support system you are going to need. Those closest to you do not want to see you suffer at the effects of alcohol, if you make it clear you are ready they will come to you offering the support and encouragement you will need to achieve your goal of sobriety.

Seek Help.

Depending on the severity of your addiction an inpatient or outpatient alcohol treatment center may be needed. At the very least joining an AA support group is a must to share your experience with alcohol abuse or addiction and have the resources at your disposal if you ever do feel tempted to start drinking again.

Seeking help will also help you get to the root cause of your addiction. Many suffering from an alcohol abuse problem have physical, mental and emotional issues related to their drinking. There may also be an underlying cause for your alcohol abuse problem that will need to be worked through in order to fully recover. Entering into a treatment program or starting sessions with a professional therapist trained in chemical dependency can help you work through any issues and meet your goal of sober living.

Start new hobbies and activities.

Finding new interests and hobbies are important when quitting alcohol. Having something you enjoy doing that is positive is important to fill the time you once spent consuming or thinking about consuming alcohol. Keeping busy will help keep your mind of alcohol.

Set realistic goals.

Remember to take your recovery one step at a time. Just as your addiction did not occur overnight your recovery will not either. Setting realistic goals for yourself will help you meet your overall goal of lifelong sobriety.

Positive Reinforcement.

It is important to find ways to reward yourself for not consuming alcohol. If your funds allow splurge with a gift to yourself for every day, week or month that you stay sober. It is important to find positive ways to reinforce not drinking. Keep yourself happy with sobriety.

Envision you're sober living.

While you are fully aware of how your life is with alcohol in it, can you envision your life once you have completely stopped drinking?

Now visualize yourself as a sober, happy and healthy person, where you will be in a day, week, month or even year. Looking into the future will provide you with the inspiration needed to work through your alcohol abuse problem and achieve your overall goal of sober living. Looking to the future all throughout the day will help keep you on track. Your life isn’t going to be what it is today forever, sober living will only help it improve.

Educate yourself.

As a member of an alcohol support group or education class you will learn more about your alcohol abuse problem. You will have a full understanding of what is causing your compulsion to drink, as well as the effects drinking has on your mind and body. Just as you learned growing up, “Knowledge is power”. Knowing what's going into your body and its effects can help you to stay away and continue sober living.

Quitting isn’t easy, it will take work.

It is important to remember that quitting alcohol is not easy; it is a day to day journey that will require you to put your all into it. If you have the willpower, support and resources to quit drinking you will be able to find success in meeting your overall goal of lifelong sobriety.