Alcohol is very dangerous and no one can know it better than alcoholics. It is highly addictive and injurious to health. Its addiction results in losses only, the addict looses his health as well as social status. Prolonged intake of alcohol results in cancer and leads to a very painful death. Hence you must try to avoid it!
Alcohol is not food
The very first thing to note is that alcohol is not food. So it is completely senseless to believe that alcohol provides energy or any kind of nutrition. Always remember it does not provide any nutrition. Rather than providing energy, it consumes the metabolic energy of our body. In order to digest the alcohol body has to waste its own metabolic energy which generates heat in the body giving a false notion of feeling energetic. The body has to do a lot of efforts to digest alcohol and hence it uses the internal energy reserves to do that.
Define boundaries
Try to define boundaries for you. Only you know how much is enough for you. You can’t leave the habit of drinking in just one day, so try to minimize your consumption of alcohol day by day. Set a limit that you won’t drink more than that amount any day. Try to hold your urge for drinking. Make yourself understand the adverse and negative aspects of drinking alcohol. Make yourself believe that alcohol is only going to harm your health and your relationships. Believe in ” the less the better “theory. The less you take alcohol, the less it will harm you.
Try avoiding the use of alcohol for the guests who come to meet you, get rid of the habit of offering wine or beer to your guests. You can ask them for any other thing such as tea, coffee, or juice. This strategy can help reduce your alcohol intake.
Set goals
Only you know, what can you achieve, hence set a goal accordingly. Set a time duration within which you will leave drinking. Be kind and gentle to yourself, take your time but set a realistic and achievable goal. Don’t stress out yourself the addiction of a long time won’t go in one day and don’t stop drinking at once. Cut down the intake in a manner by which you achieve your goal. Try setting a goal in which you never turn back to alcohol. You will see a day will come soon when u will start hating the alcohol.
Don’t fool yourself by setting unachievable goals. Your goals set up your course of action, so don’t set something which you can’t achieve within the given time span. It may happen that you start craving for alcohol in the midst of achieving your target/goal, but don’t let it happen. If you start taking alcohol again, then all the efforts will go in vain and you might not be able to quit it forever. So have control over your emotions and desires. If you stick to your goal, the results will be very fruitful as it can get your life spared.
Relate motivation and rewards to your change
Nobody sets a goal or a target without any motivation or outcome. So, relate things which motivate you to quit drinking. Try involving as many things as you can, which give you motivation. Have faith in your abilities. Believe that you can accomplish the goal that you have set. Think of people around you, their importance in your life and your importance in their life. Think of the person you love the most, take him/her as your motivation. You will never want to leave them alone behind you. Try to quit alcohol for the sake of their happiness, try to quit for your own inner peace.
Frame a reward system and get a reward for yourself when you achieve your goals. Keep the rewards in accordance with the level of achievement of your goals. Give self-complements as you achieve your goals.
Look after yourself
In the process don’t miss out your own being, your feelings and desires, your needs and wishes. Try to fulfill them. Don’t forget to take care of yourself. Such changes affect the overall physical state of a person so take special care of yourself.
Have a healthy diet. Only a strong mind and a healthy body can help you achieve your goal, so concentrate on your eating habits. Take nutritious diet and lots of fluid. Drink a lot of water. Try incorporating exercises in your regime. Exercises help you build a better mental and physical state. They help in the better circulation of blood throughout the body and keep you delightful.
Try meditation as because it increases consciousness and helps you realize your value, your self-confidence and helps you get through your goal.
Don’t mind joining a support group for alcoholic people. It is a place where you can share your experience and can gain knowledge from others’ experiences.
