1: commitment to stop drinking
Most people who suffer from alcohol problems do not decide to make a big
change in a vacuum or convert drinking habits overnight. Recovery is
usually more gradual process. In the early stages of change, and
deprivation is a major obstacle. Even after admitting you have a
drinking problem, has made excuses and drag your feet. It's important to
acknowledge your ambivalence about stopping drinking. If you are unsure
if you are willing to change or you suffer from this decision, it may
help to think about the costs and benefits of each option.
Assess the costs and benefits of drinking
Work schedule like the one below, the balance between costs and benefits
of drinking to the costs and benefits of quitting smoking.
Do you drink is worth the cost?
Benefits of Drinking:
It helps me forget my problems.
I have fun when I drink.
The benefits of not drinking:
That perhaps my relationships improved.
I feel better mentally and physically.
I'd have more time and energy to the people and care activities.
Drinking costs:
It has caused problems in my relationships.
I feel depressed, anxious, and I am ashamed of myself.
It gets in the way of performing my job and family responsibilities.
Costs of not drinking:
I have to find another way to deal with the problems.
I lose my drinking buddies.
I would have to face the responsibilities I have been ignored.
2: seting goals and prepare for change
Once you've made the decision to change, the next step is to identify
clear objectives drinking. The more specific, realistic, and wipe your
goals, the better.
Example No. 1: My drinking goal
I will stop drinking alcohol.
My date iam resigned __________.
Example No. 2: My drinking goal
I'll stop drinking seven days a week, beginning __________.
I will limit my Saturday and Sunday to drinking more than three drinks a day or five drinks on the weekends.
After three months, I will reduce my weekend drinking even more than a
maximum of two drinks a day and three drinks on the weekends.
Do you want to stop drinking altogether or just cut again? If
your goal is to reduce drinking, decide which days will drink alcohol
and the number of drinks that will allow yourself a day. Attempt to
commit to at least two days each week when you will not drink at all.
When you do not want to stop drinking or start drinking less? Tomorrow? In a week? next month? Within six months? If you are trying to stop drinking, identify specific date to quit.
After you've set your goals to either stop or reduce your drinking,
writing some ideas on how you can help yourself achieve these goals. For
example:
Get rid of temptations. The removal of all alcohol, barware and other drinking a reminder of home and office.
Announcement of the goal. Let friends and family members, and
co-workers know that trying to stop drinking. If you drink, and ask them
to support the recovery by not doing so in front of you.
Be upfront about the new limits. Make it clear that drinking will
not be allowed in your home that you may not be able to attend the
events in which the alcohol.
Avoid bad influences. Distancing yourself from people who do not
support your efforts to stop drinking or respect boundaries that you
set. This may mean giving up some friends and social connections.
Learn from the past. Think of previous attempts to stop drinking.
What worked? What did not? What can you do differently this time to
avoid the pitfalls?
I can reduce my drinking or I need to stop drinking altogether?
If you can successfully reduces again to drinking or not depends on the severity of your drinking water problem.
If you are addicted to alcohol, which, by definition, means that you are
not able to control your drinking it is best to try to stop drinking
completely. But if you were not prepared to take this step, or if you do
not have a problem with alcohol but want to cut personal or health
reasons, the following tips adapted from the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism can help:
Set a goal of drinking. Choose the maximum amount of what you
will drink. Make sure your limit is no more than one drink a day if
you're a woman, or two drinks a day if you're a man. Now write your
drinking goal on a piece of paper. And put it where you can see it, such
as in the refrigerator or bathroom mirror.
Maintain a "diary" of your drinking. To help you reach your goal,
keep the "diary" of your drinking. For example, write down every time
you have a drink for 1 week. Try to keep your own diary for 3 or 4
weeks. This will show you how much you drink and when. You might be
surprised. How different is your goal from the amount you drink now?
Watch it at home. Maintaining a small amount or no alcohol at home. Do not keep temptations around.
Drink slowly. When you drink, sip your drink slowly. Take a break
for a period of one hour between drinks. Drinking soda and water, or
juice after a drink with alcohol. Do not drink on an empty stomach! Eat
when drinking.
Take a break from alcohol. Choose one or two days each week when
you will not drink at all. Then, in an attempt to stop drinking for a
period of one week. Think about how you feel physically and emotionally
in these days. When success and feel better, you may find it easier to
cut for good.
3: Getting sober safely
Some people can stop drinking on their own, while others need medical
supervision in order to withdraw from alcohol safely and comfortably.
Which option is best for you depends on how much you've been drinking,
when you had a problem, and other health problems you may have.
Withdrawal from alcohol
When strongly and repeatedly drink, your body becomes physically
dependent on alcohol and go through withdrawal if you suddenly stop
drinking. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms range from mild to severe, and
include:
- Headache
- vibration
- sweating
- Nausea or vomiting
- Anxiety, insomnia
- Stomach cramps and diarrhea
- It difficult to sleep or concentrate
- Heart rate and high blood pressure
Usually alcohol withdrawal symptoms begin within hours after you stop
drinking, the peak in one day or two, and improve within five days. But
in some alcoholics, withdrawal is not only unpleasant, it can be
life-threatening.
Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you experience any of the following withdrawal symptoms:
Severe vomiting
Confusion and loss
Fever
Hallucinations
Extreme agitation
Seizures or convulsions
The above symptoms may be a sign of a severe form of alcohol withdrawal
called delirium tremens, or DTS. This is a rare result, the state of
emergency serious changes in the way the brain regulates blood
circulation and breathing, so it's important to get to the hospital
immediately.
Do I need to go to detox?
If you're a long-term, heavy drinker, you may need detoxification under
medical supervision. This can be done to get rid of toxins in the
outpatient clinic or in a hospital facility or alcohol treatment, as may
be prescribed medication to prevent medical complications and ease the
symptoms of withdrawal. Talk to your doctor or addiction more
information specialist.
Alcohol treatment and recovery 4: Find a new meaning in life
While getting sober is an important first step, it is only the beginning
of the recovery in the alcohol. Rehabilitation or occupational therapy
can only get on the road to recovery, but it is better to remain for a
long time free of alcohol, you will need to build, with a new meaning of
life, where drinking is no longer has a place.
Five Steps to life and realistic
take care of yourself. To prevent mood swings and cravings in the
fighting, and focus on eating right and getting plenty of sleep. Is
also a major exercise is: it is called endorphins, relieves stress,
promotes emotional.
Build a network of support. Surround yourself with positive
influences and the people who make you feel good about yourself. The
more you have invested in other people and your community, the more you
have to lose and that will help you stay motivated and on a recovery
track.
Develop new interests and activities. Find new hobbies, volunteer
activities, or work that gives you a sense of meaning and purpose. When
you do things that you find fulfilling, you'll feel better about
yourself and drinking will be less attractive.
Continue treatment. Your chances of staying sober improve if you
are participating in a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous, it
has a sponsor, or participate in therapy or treatment program in
outpatient clinics.
Dealing with stress in a healthy manner. Alcohol abuse is often a
misguided attempt to manage stress. Find healthy ways to maintain
pressure in the selection level, such as exercise, meditation, or
practice breathing exercises or other relaxation techniques.
5: Plan for the players and cravings
Cravings for alcohol can be intense, especially in the first six months
after quitting drinking. Good treatment of alcohol prepares you to meet
these challenges, helping you to develop new coping skills for dealing
with stressful situations, severe alcohol and desire, and the social
pressure to drink.
Avoid drinking stimuli
Avoid things that trigger the desire to drink. If you stimulate certain
people or places or activities craving for alcohol, in an attempt to
avoid them. This could mean major changes in your social life, such as
finding new things to do with your old drinking buddies or even abandon
these friends.
The practice of saying "no" to alcohol in social situations. It does not
matter how much you try to avoid alcohol, it is unlikely that there
will be times where you are offered a drink. Preparation awaiting how it
will respond, with the company, after a polite, "No thank you."
Intense desire for alcohol management
When you are struggling with severe alcohol desire, try these strategies:
Talk to someone you trust: your sponsor, a member of a supportive family or friends, or anyone of your faith community.
Exchange yourself up passing desire. Go for a walk, listen to music, do some house cleaning, errand, or face a quick task.
Remind yourself of your reasons for not drinking. When you're
craving alcohol, there is a tendency to remember the positive effects of
drinking and forget the negatives. Remember that drinking will not
really make you feel better.
Desire to accept it and ride it, rather than trying to fight it.
This is known as "urge surfing." Think of your passion as ocean waves
that will peak soon, and break, and dissipation. Upon passing nostalgia,
without trying to battle, the judge, or ignore it, you will see that it
passes more quickly than you think.
The three basic steps for surfing desire:
Take an inventory of how to face the craving. Do this by sitting
in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands
in a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths and focus your
attention to the interior. Allow your attention to wander through your
body. Note the location in your body and you experience the urge to
smoke and sensations are like. Note each region were faced with desire,
and you say to yourself what you are experiencing. For example, "Oh
nostalgia in my mouth and nose and in my stomach."
Focus on one area where you have the desire. Notice the subtle
sensations in this area. For example, do you feel hot and cold, tingly
or numb? Are your muscles tense or relax? How large area is involved?
Note sensations, calling for yourself. Note changes in sensation. "My
mouth feels dry and dry. There is tension in my lips and tongue. I keep
swallowing. I exhale, I can imagine the smell and the tingle of the
wine."
Repeat the focus with every part of your body facing the nostalgia. A
description of yourself changes that occur in the sensations. Notice
how desire comes and goes. Many people, when he urged the waves, note
that after a few minutes disappeared nostalgia. The purpose of this
process, however, is not to make nostalgia goes away, but to experience
the nostalgia in a new way. If you exercise urge surfing, you will
become familiar with cravings and learn how to ride them until they go
away naturally.
Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
6: Get support
Whether you choose to go to rehab, and reliance on self-help programs,
and access to treatment, or take a self-directed approach to treatment,
support is necessary. Do not try to go it alone. Recovery from
alcoholism is much easier when you have someone you can rely on to
encourage and comfort, and guidance.
Support can come from family members and friends, counselors, recovering
alcohol again, and providers of your own health care, and people of
faith in society.
Lean on close friends and family - and the existence of support
from friends and family members is an invaluable asset in the recovery.
If you are reluctant to resort to your loved ones because you failed
them before, consider going to couples counseling or family therapy.
Build a realistic social network - If the previous your social
life revolves around alcohol, you may need to make some new connections.
It is important that we have a sober friends who will support the
recovery. Try taking a class, join a church or civic group,
volunteering, or attending events in your community.
Considering a move to the home of living and realistic - sober
living homes provide a safe and supportive environment, a place to live
while you are recovering from alcoholism. This is a good option if you
do not have a stable home or alcohol-free living environment to go to.
Making meetings priority - the date of recovery support group and
attend meetings regularly. You can spend time with people who
understand exactly what you are going through the same healing. You can
also benefit from the joint expertise of the members of the group, and
learn what others do to stay sober.
7: Start treatment
As well as to join the recovery support group, it may also decide to see
a mental health professional and take advantage of the latest
treatments and addiction programs. You should also consider the
different options available, keep the following in mind:
There is no magic bullet or single treatment that works for everyone.
Everyone's needs are different, so it's important to find a program that
feels right for you. It should be allocated no cure alcohol addiction
program to the unique problems and situation.
Treatment must address more than just alcohol. Addiction affects your
whole life, including your relationships, career, health, and
psychological. The success of treatment depends on the study of how
alcohol has affected you and develop a new way to live.
Seek treatment of any other medical or psychological problems you are
experiencing. Alcohol abuse often goes hand in hand with other mental
health problems, including anxiety, depression, attention deficit
disorder, and bipolar disorder. In many cases, the drinking is an
attempt to self-medicate. When these problems are synchronized, the
improvement depends on treating them both.
Commitment and follow-through is the key. Recovery from alcoholism is
not a quick and easy process. In general, the longer and more intensive
use of alcohol, and the longer and more treatment intensity you. But
regardless of the length of the treatment program in weeks or months,
follow-up care in the long term is crucial for recovery.
There are many places to turn for help. Not everyone requires the toxins
under medical supervision or an extended mission in rehab. Care you
need depends on your age level, the use of alcohol and history, and
other medical conditions or psychological. In addition to doctors,
psychologists, and many members of the clergy, social workers,
counselors provide addiction treatment services.
We expect setbacks
Alcohol recovery is one process that often involves setbacks. Do not
give up if you relapse or slip. Drinking and relapse does not mean
you're a failure or that you will not be able to reach your goal. Every
setback drinking an opportunity to learn and commit to sobriety, so
you'll be less likely to relapse in the future.
What do you do if you slip:
Get rid of the alcohol and stay away from the setting where you lapsed
Remind yourself that one drink or a brief passage should not be turned into a full relapse
Do not let guilt, blame, or shame keep you from getting back on track
Call your sponsor, adviser, friend or supporter immediately for assistance
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