Struggling with alcohol?Not sure if you are an alcoholic?Why do you think you should drink?If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are on the right path to recovery.Alcohol kills more than 240 people every day.However, admitting that you are an addict is scary and realizing that you are an alcoholic is difficult.
Maintenance isn't the hardest part.The hardest part of the road to sobriety is trying to identify yourself as sober in the first place.However, people can and do recover from alcoholism more often than you might think.It is difficult, but possible.
GUIDE - STAYING MORE AWARE
IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
A person who drinks alcohol tends to think of himself as healthy, alcohol is only a way out of a problem, and he can stop at any time.Meanwhile, this is not the case.A one-time drink becomes a habit, and then becomes an insurmountable addiction.As the old saying goes, "the first step is admitting you have a problem."
When comparing your drinking to others, try these three things:
- Ask the right question.Stop asking yourself if you are an alcoholic.If you're asking yourself this question, you're probably an alcoholic;
- One of them.Instead, ask yourself if drinking is preventing you from living the life you want.If so, then the first step has been taken;
- Stop comparing.Comparisons are useless.This is someone else's life.You are a person with a complex, unique destiny.
But if you drink less than Vasya's neighbor who lives on the street, if you have a problem, you should fight it.Comparing your drink to others will only lead to self-righteousness.Think of your future self.Imagine yourself five years from now with the same drinking habits.Is this what you are after?If not, then it's time to address your alcohol problem.Recognizing the problem is the way to recovery.
UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE DRINKING UP
Long-term benefits are rarely enough to motivate people to stop drinking.We often prefer instant gratification.Giving up alcohol is no exception.The long-term benefits are only in maintaining health and well-being.
Here are 4 short-term benefits:
- Make up for lost time.
Anna is a moderate drinker.Drinks 3 times a week, 2-3 times a day.He "loses" about 3 hours of his productive time every time he is drunk.Anna loses a month and a half every year.That's a lot of free time that could be spent productively.Don't forget the extra time Anna lost recovering from her hangover.
- Find someone to talk to.
Conversation builds character and develops us.These benefits disappear when drunk.Meeting new people without drinking can seem terrible, but the damage caused by alcohol is worse.
- A reason to be rich.
How easily a person parted with money when buying a drink;he can easily spend 1000-3000 rubles a week or more.Giving up drinking after 6 months can save more than 70 thousand rubles, and this is the cost of a good trip.Are you ready to pay 12 thousand rubles?a month for health problems?
- Better sleep.
Alcohol is a depressant, which means it makes you tired.It also disrupts sleep patterns, causing imbalances throughout the body.Stop drinking, it is a guarantee of peace and health.
Giving up alcohol is the healthiest decision you can make.Normalizing weight, improving liver function, lowering cholesterol, increasing immunity, clear mind, emotional state - these are the small benefits of a sober lifestyle.
MAKE SOBERABILITY NORMAL
Quitting alcohol should be the number one priority in your life.Set your own rules and don't break them.Say "no" to yourself, put your sanity on the pedestal, and don't put it aside until you realize that your problem is solved.
Don't listen to anyone, listen to yourself.You promised - keep it.There should be no obstacles that can stop or change the decision.There is no work that is impossible for man;if he wants, the mountains are subject to human power.
IGNORE YOUR INTENSITY
Easier said than done, right?Whether alcohol is a major part of your social life or something that brings you together.Difficulties arise when friends and family drink around you.
- First step- say you won't be around for a while.
- Second step- cut out anyone you drink with.This can be the most difficult step when choosing an alcohol-free lifestyle.The main thing is that true friends will understand and support.Having a strong social circle is the best of a person.This includes people who help them get out of a bad environment.
- The third step- don't isolate yourself.Go to people, enchant yourself with interesting ideas.Look for alternatives to alcohol.Man is not an animal.He is always enthusiastic about ideas and can and knows how to take actions that improve the quality of life.
Perhaps your sincere desire for a sober life will rub off on your former comrades, and you will be able to remove yourself and your lost souls, which will increase the taste of victory.
ADVERTISE YOUR SELECTION
Don't be afraid to tell people about your problem.This will add responsibility to achieve the goal.Information can stop the offer of a drink.If you answer without hesitation that you are an alcoholic to any offer to support the company, then they will stop tempting you, but they will not stop inviting you to good companies.
Confession is not bragging, just a reason to realize that you are limited in your options.Alcohol is a very expensive pleasure, you pay for it with your life.
STOP DRINKING
The first 72 hours are the hardest part of recovery.You will experience severe withdrawal symptoms as your body gets rid of the alcohol.Alcoholics experience excruciating pain and often require professional help.
Pain after giving up alcohol is evidence that the body is recovering.The onset of withdrawal symptoms can begin six hours after the last sip:
- Increased temperature, pressure, difficulty breathing and rapid pulse.
- Excessive sweating.
- Tremor.
- Insomnia.
- In extreme cases, convulsions can occur, sometimes life-threatening.
Cleansing the body is an important step in the recovery process.At the same time, many recovered people seek healing in the same alcohol.In this case, you cannot do without professional help.Fear not, medical care is for the better.It will relieve pain and make the recovery process much easier.
CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE
- Even after admitting that you have a problem, you need to change your attitude towards the situation.
- Don't get mad at people when they try to help.Don't be ashamed to ask for help.
- Don't get down on yourself, you've come a long way.Know that you are taking the right steps towards recovery.
- Be prepared for difficulties, bad attitude of others, but you have taken the first step that does not allow you to stop.
REHABILITATION CENTER
Sometimes it is not possible to give up alcohol alone.You are in too deep to figure things out without professional help.There are both inpatient and outpatient rehab programs that offer the help you need.
The option allows you to find the right program with which you can freeze and change your image.The main thing is to find yourself and enjoy life without alcohol.
2+ WEEKS AFTER RELEASE
It can take up to two weeks for your body to completely detoxify from alcohol.
When a person is released, he experiences symptoms:
- Anxiety and depression.
- Aggression, hostility.
- Weakening of sexual desire.
- nightmares.
Don't let that bother you.Positive effects will cover all negative emotions.
…AND ALL THAT JAZZ
At worst, it can be a lifelong craving for alcohol.Even after all traces of alcohol have been removed from the body, the brain will still want to return to its accustomed balance of chemicals.But knowing the source of these symptoms is key to fighting addiction.
Develop and implement new hobbies and habits that exclude the bottle.Do sports, lead a healthy lifestyle, look for interesting and enthusiastic people who will not let you give up.
It's always helpful to have the support of friends who understand what you're going through.Go to war with your addiction.Recovery is a lifelong process toward a delicious sense of freedom.