How to Stop Drinking Alcohol Excessively | Quit Drinking | Alcoholism Cure

If you have been drinking heavily for a long period of time, chances are that you don’t look too great. You are either skinny or way too overweight, you may also have skin that looks years older than your actual age or spider veins (capillaries) on your face. Long-term alcohol drinking causes malnutrition so maintaining a proper diet is of utmost importance when you’ve decided to cut down or abstain from alcohol.

Alcohol dulls the senses of taste and smell. If you are drinking heavily, you will not feel like eating because you are already consuming a lot of calories. You may also tend to snack on a lot of fattening foods such as chips and salted nuts or pizza while drinking alcohol According to MyDrinkaware , calories contained in alcoholic beverages range from  beer and lager (200-300 calories per pint), vodka or gin with a non-sugary mixer (70 calories per unit/shot) to red wine (120 calories per 175ml glass). Do the math. Is it any wonder that you have a beer belly?

People who have been abusing alcohol on a long time can appear to be skinny instead of overweight. This is linked both to the decreased absorption of nutrients as well as the chronic lifestyle of alcoholics. Their poor dietary habits lead to the body breaking itself down to obtain the nutrients that their food-deprived body needs. Certain alcoholics vomit up food because their stomach linings are so badly corroded by the acid that the consumption of alcohol generates. Most of us who drink occasionally can attest to the fact that even one night of heavy drinking can cause diarrhoea and sickness.

What you can do to improve your diet:

• Increase intake of vitamin B complex either in tablet form or through foods (wholegrain cereals, leafy green vegetables, fish, nuts). This will help prevent nerve damage.
• Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids by eating more oily fish (e.g. sardines, mackerel) or taking flaxseed oil tablets. And of course,
• Stop drinking! Or at least cut down.

Whether you are worried about the effect alcohol has on your weight, or your appearance, or ultimately your health, it is a good idea to make the right decision to stop drinking today. For concrete tips and strategies to get you started on your way to a healthier, more attractive you, check out this free guide .

Ever heard of the phrase “drowning your sorrows in drink”? Many alcoholics turn to alcohol as a way to cope with difficult emotions and stress after a rough day at work or a stressful or traumatic event. Many depressed individuals self-medicate with alcohol but on the other hand, many alcoholics tend experience many symptoms of depression as well. So, does alcohol cause depression or is it other way round?

Depression is characterised by ongoing feelings of hopelessness, sadness, negativity and a general lack of interest in life. It is also important to realise that depression is often combined with anxiety, so a depressed person is prone to bouts of anxiety and possibly panic attacks.

Although alcohol can make you feel better in the short-term, it actually makes you more depressed in the long-term. Alcohol is a known depressant, and how it acts is to lower the levels of the feel-good chemicals in your brain – serotonin and norepinephrine.

In addition, alcohol also temporarily removes your body’s coping mechanism, the stress hormones. This is why after drinking you feel worse than before, because alcohol depresses your nervous system and brain.

It is also interesting to note that the chaotic lifestyle of most alcoholics can lead to guilt, anxiety, and poor self-esteem, all of which can exacerbate underlying symptoms of depression. For example, constantly being late for work or appointments, missing important family occasions, always letting down your partner/spouse – all of these can lead to an accumulation of guilt and anxiety.

There are no studies showing a clear link between alcohol and depression, but the general consensus is that in cases where depression is already suspected or diagnosed, alcohol should be avoided.

If you are going through a rough patch and am turning to the bottle to cope, DON’T, alcohol will only make you feel worse. Instead, talk to a friend or counsellor today and at the same time, check out this practical guide to help you cut down on your drinking.

Chronic heavy drinkers may need pharmacological help to wean themselves off alcohol, as abrupt withdrawal of alcohol can precipitate dangerous alcohol withdrawal symptoms in this category of alcoholics. However, it is important to note that there is no “miracle” cure for alcoholism. Those who seek medication to help with abstinence must be fully committed and motivated to stop drinking.

There are several prescription drugs available to help with alcoholism – disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprostate. These either help a person to stop drinking completely, or help stave off alcohol cravings once a person begins abstaining.

Disulfiram  (Antabuse) was the very first drug approved for treating alcohol dependence. It doesn’t cure alcoholism, nor does it remove the compulsion to drink. The premise is simple: if a person drinks while taking this drug they will begin to experience extremely unpleasant physical symptoms including  nausea, headaches, flushing, confusion. Disulfiram blocks the alcohol metabolism pathway in the liver, and as it has a cumulative effect, the longer a person takes it, the stronger it becomes. Therefore it is essential that the alcoholic stops drinking before starting this medication or else they can become extremely ill. This approach is similar to behavioural training as over time, the mind begins to associate drinking with being sick, which ultimately helps a person stay abstinent.

Naltrexone is a relative newcomer, only just approved by the FDA in 2006. This drug blocks the high one gets from alcohol, the idea being if you no longer experience that level of euphoria, you will not crave alcohol as much. Unfortunately, it can have an adverse impact on the liver and therefore requires close monitoring, particularly since many alcoholics already have dysfunctional livers.When combined with supportive counselling, naltrexone has been found to have increased success as it reduces the chances for relapse in recovering alcoholics.

Acamprostate (Campral) is another drug that works to reduce alcohol cravings. As it has added benefits of reducing tensions and treating sleep disorders, it works by restoring balance in the brain and decreasing the emotional distress of withdrawal. This medication is taken three times a day and like naltrexone and disulfiram, it works best when combined with some type of recovery therapy.

To summarize, disulfiram sensitizes the alcoholic to alcohol and makes the experience of drinking an extremely unpleasant one, while naltrexone and acamprostate help reduce alcohol cravings thus reducing the risk of relapse.

If you are a chronic, heavy drinker and am serious about becoming (and staying ) sober, talk to your doctor today and see whether any of these treatments may be a suitable option for you. Stop hesitating and do it today!

It can be in incredibly hard to watch a friend progressively destroy his life by drinking it all away. We may think that we are helping them by being supportive, but in fact we may only be hurting them.

Alcoholics are addicts, and they will only be able to quit drinking if and when they decide that they really want to. That means no matter how many times you advise them about them about how drinking so much is bad for them or how concerned you are about how drinking is destroying their life, none of it will sink in. The alcoholic must be able to surrender to his addiction and make that decision to permanently quit drinking before anything can actually change in their lives.

But before they reach that stage of surrender, i.e. before they hit rock bottom, the best thing that you, as a friend, can do is NOT enable their habit. Withdraw your support and set clear boundaries for their behaviour.

• Do not lend them money no matter how many sob stories they feed you.
• Do not allow them to break the clear ground rules you set for them if they live under your roof.
• Do not accept their drunkenness as excuses for bad behaviour.
• Do not be afraid to walk away.

And once they’ve made the right choice to quit drinking for good, here’s what you can do for them as a friend:

• Help them get any medical or emotional support they may require to quit drinking.
• Let them know about resources which can help them quit drinking in a more effective manner.
• Introduce them to new friends who do not regard alcohol as an integral part of socializing or who have been down the same road they are on.
• Take them out for healthy activities such as hikes or movie nights and show them they can have just as much fun without alcohol.
• Introduce them to new hobbies, sports or anything that will help take their minds off alcohol

If you are someone with a drinking problem, which you may well be since you are reading this article, chances are you’ve asked yourself this question at least once – Why do I drink?

Drinking in moderations can be a highly pleasurable and enjoyable experience as many of us can attest too. However, being addicted and dependent on alcohol to function normally is certainly not a desirable state. Chronic, heavy drinkers are likely to end up losing everything that makes life worth living – career, family, love – or worst, dying of an alcoholic-related health issue. What is even more ominous is that alcoholics are six times at higher risk of committing suicide compared to modest or non-drinkers.

Understand this first of all – alcohol is a drug. It enables you to feel relaxed, happy and disinhibited. For many people, alcohol makes them feel like a different person -  a more attractive, sexier, friendlier version of themselves. Shy people find themselves becoming more outgoing and gregarious after downing some alcohol, thus (falsely) improving their self-esteem.

Many alcoholics also find themselves more in control of their lives with the help of alcohol. Others use it as an avoidance tool to escape from any difficult problems or emotions they might be facing in life, as well as to alleviate stress. Alcohol stimulates the pleasure centers in the brain and thus this conveys a message to the brain to drink more. There are some who also use alcohol as a social crutch, without which they are unable to function in social situations. As we can see, this is a highly dangerous concept and can very quickly lead to addictive behaviour.

So maybe you find yourself looking for excuses to grab a drink, to the point that you can no longer cope without drinking every single day. If you see this type of behaviour in yourself, or even in anyone close to you, do grab a copy of this complete guide to dealing with alcohol addiction and make the decision to stop drinking today!

It’s the start of a brand new week and a chance to renew your commitment to stop drinking. If you have never tried to quit before, it can seem impossible to even think of giving up drinking forever. Whereas if you have tried (and failed) many, many times before, it can be discouraging to resolve to make a permanent change, only to fall back into old ways a few days or weeks into it. If drinking has always been a major part of your social life, you may face social friction and lifestyle changes for which you are unprepared once you stop drinking.

Whether you fall into the first or second category of those wanting to quit drinking, one thing to keep in mind is nothing is impossible. The key is to keep trying. Making the decision to quit drinking is a major, life-changing decision and should be treated as such.

Try this. Promise yourself that you will not touch a single drop of alcohol, but only for 30 days. Commit 100% to this cause and see how it goes. Don’t despair if you falter and take a few drinks but mark down those occasions including time, place, company, occasion, how you were feeling, etc. Review once the 30 days are up , make the necessary changes and try again for another 30-day period.

Break down your stop drinking mission into blocks of 30 days and eventually you will stop drinking forever. Check out our site for more tools and strategies to help you out along the way. Try it today!

Earlier on, we talked about how the best way to get an alcoholic to stop drinking was to hit rock bottom, because only if they surrender, will they acknowledge the dire need to stop drinking now. On a similar note, if you are trying to help the struggling addict in your life, quite possibly the best way is to let them hit rock bottom.

Don’t get me wrong. Helping an alcoholic hit bottom faster does not mean actually taking action to make the alcoholic’s life worst. The idea is to remove support from their drinking. Stop enabling them by setting clear boundaries. Decide right now, what you will and will not put up with in terms of their addiction and then stick to it. These boundaries have to be strict enough such that they are able to modify the alcoholic’s behaviour. Walk away from a relationship if it is necessary and withdraw all your support. Remember, without consequences, without hitting rock bottom first, they are not going to change a thing.

Setting boundaries is one thing, being strong enough to enforce them is another. So before anything else, you will need to focus on your own personal growth and independence first so that you will be strong enough to take care of yourself if their behaviour continues to spiral out of control. You will not be able to help anyone if you fall apart first.

Withdrawing your support from your loved one or friend may seem cruel to you but trust me, alcoholics are addicts, and addicts need to lose everything before any real change in their behaviour can be produced.

Are you ready to let the alcoholic in your life hit rock bottom? Share your experience with us and see how well this tactic has worked for others.

Is it possible for a diehard alcoholic to wake up one day and suddenly make the decision to start creating a more positive life for themselves? In my own opinion, this is unlikely to happen. Instead, the traditional road to recovery from alcohol addiction is more likely to begin with an act of surrender, an admission of defeat, rather than a positively-inspire motivated decision. But let’s look a little deeper.

How many of you have experienced this: you go to a rally, or a motivational seminar and you get so excited and inspired that you resolve then and there to make a change, only to have your resolve melt away once you leave that room and go on with your daily life?

For alcoholics, it is much the same. Listening to a motivational talk and being promised a beautiful, new life without alcohol can at most, give rise to a moment of resolve which will not be sustained. If the alcoholic in question is not ready to stop drinking, no amount of positive inspiration or promises of the benefits of recovery can convert him or her. The alcoholic has to surrender the fear of a life without alcohol and be ready to learn a new way to live.

When you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. The moment of desperation is the defining moment and conceptual shift needed for an alcoholic to start making a real and lasting change in their life. Why would anyone want to change if things are going great in their lives? And so, in order for an alcoholic to be motivated to stop drinking, they have to be first of all, be beaten down by alcohol.

It all starts with surrender. The gift of desperation will eventually lead to a lasting and fulfilling life of sobriety. Positive inspiration will come in later, giving the now motivated alcoholic hope of a better life after alcohol.

So what do you think? Is it possible to inspire someone to stop drinking or do you have to let him hit rock bottom first? Do share your thoughts with us in the comments section.

Christmas is coming up in two months, but if you are a recovering alcoholic, it’s never too early to start planning ahead for the festive season. Tis the season to be merry and very often the merry-making includes copious amounts of alcohol. So how to do you get through these difficult situations where you’re the only one not drinking in a roomful of tipsy revellers?

Try these five tactics to get through these awkward situations with minimal worry and no alcohol.

Practice Saying No

Practice saying no to a drink beforehand so you’ll sound confident when the real situation comes up. Say something like, “No, thanks, I’m laying it off tonight”, and be sure to sound firm. The word “tonight” can be a powerful keyword when turning down an alcoholic drink. Keep nosy and pushy people at bay by leaving them guessing as to why you’re not drinking – maybe you are the designated driver, have to wake up early tomorrow, am taking cold medicine, etc.

Plan Ahead

Again, practice the art of visualisation, which has been mentioned several times before. Picture yourself arriving at the party, getting a non-alcoholic drink, eating appetizers, steering clear of the bar area and having an awesome time with friends, without alcohol. Have the numbers of a supportive, sober friend on speed dial in case you feel tempted. And decide how long to stay before you even step into the party, leave before everyone else gets too drunk.

Be the Designated Driver

This is a cheat tactic that removes expectations of you to drink at a party. But it depends entirely on your comfort level around people who are drinking.  Some people may find the responsibility of getting other people home safely too much pressure or they may find it too awkward to be the only non-drinker in a group of drinkers.

Focus on the Positive

Remember that list of reasons why you’ve decided not to drink which you’re supposed to carry around all the time? Well use it now. Think about all your payoffs for not drinking – no morning after hangover, no waking up to a filthy mess of vomit in the bathroom, retaining your dignity and self-esteem especially if you tend to act like a fool when you drink too much.

Have a Plan B

Everyone’s having a good time and you’re miserable because the temptation to drink is just too strong but you know you’ll hate yourself if you give in now. You feel frustrated, helpless and your concern about the more distant future is coming dangerously close to being overridden by the desire for some relief of that feeling. Here’s where your emergency buddy will come in useful, call him or her and have them talk you down. Alternatively, leave the party even if it means offending the host.

Do you have any other strategies of your own to get through the festive season? Do share them with us today!

It’s the weekend again! How’s everyone doing on their mission to stop drinking so far?

A quick recap of what we have talked about this week:

• The art of visualisation is a powerful tool to help you achieve the alcohol-free life you want. Use it to take the first steps towards the future you so badly want for yourself. See it. Feel it. Believe it.
• What happens to your brain if you’ve been drinking too much, for far too long? You may get Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, otherwise known as Wet Brain Syndrome.
• The key to getting yourself off the alcohol addiction wagon is to take small steps, which will eventually add up to make the whole mission less daunting.
• Many alcoholics use alcohol as a means of escape from problems or difficult emotions that they are not equipped to face. Learn how to cope with stress without falling back on alcohol.
• Alcohol cravings are the root cause of many an alcoholic’s fall back into into alcohol addiction pit. Did you know there are herbal remedies that you could count on to help relieve those cravings just a little bit?
• Another excellent way to cope with stress is through mindful meditation. Calm your mind, regain your inner balance and better resist the urge to drink up.

How many drinks have you had this week? And how did you feel when you had or did not have those drinks? Good? Bad? Do share your experiences with our Stop Drinking community in the comments sections below because it’s always good to know that we are not going through this alone.

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you slipped and had a few extra drinks. Remember the key is to never stop trying.