Ways to Stop Drinking Alcohol: Tips for Stopping Drinking

You may be concerned about your drinking for a number of reasons – perhaps you’re worried about your health or the damage that drinking is doing to your relationships. If you have not become physically dependent on alcohol, you may be able to stop drinking by yourself. If you are dependent on alcohol, you still might be able to quit drinking without alcohol treatment but you should speak to your GP or an alcohol support professional as there can be some nasty side-effects so just stopping without support can be dangerous. Your doctor may refer you for alcohol rehab or offer you ways to help you detox from home. 1. Define your goals Ask yourself why you want to stop drinking and think carefully about it. Understanding what you want to achieve and why is a good way to stay motivated, focused and on track. It may be that you’re concerned that your health is suffering or perhaps drinking is affecting your performance at work. Many people simply want to feel in control again. Write your reasons for wanting to stop drinking down and refer to them often, especially when you’re tempted to drink. 2. Plan ahead It can help to plan your non-drinking in advance, especially in the early days. Pick a day to quit or cut down when you’re least likely to be stressed and temptation won’t be in your way. Pick a day of the week to go without alcohol and then gradually build it up, adding an extra day. Eventually you’ll be out of the habit of drinking altogether or you’ll feel in control of your drinking. 3. Stay focused Stopping drinking or even cutting down dramatically is not easy and there most likely will be setbacks. If there are days when you break your own drinking rules or drink too much, don’t give up altogether. Tomorrow is a new day and it’s well worth persevering. 4. Get support If you feel comfortable doing so, talk about your plans to stop drinking with friends and family. This will help motivate you to succeed and you’re also likely to get a lot of support. In addition, friends and family will avoid offering you alcohol and perhaps even refrain from drinking in front of you. In the early days, especially at social occasions this can be really helpful.  If you’re finding that you can’t stop drinking and are breaking your drinking rules regularly, it may be a good idea to get professional help. Talk to your GP or an alcohol professional. They won’t judge you and they’ll discuss options with you such as alcohol detox, rehab and non-residential alcohol treatment. 

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