In the life of every thinking person who finds himself in a long-term situation of alcohol abuse, there comes a borderline phase when he asks questions, what is next and how to stop drinking? For radical change to come, doubts and thoughts alone are not enough, they must be backed up by a firm determination to carry out our plans. If it were that simple, then the question of how to stop drinking hard liquor forever, or even just how to stop drinking beer, wouldn’t be so acute in front of millions of people. However, this is possible, and the examples of those lucky ones who managed to get out of this vicious circle serve as confirmation.
What is alcoholism?
Experts say alcoholism is not only an addiction but also a serious illness. It has a somatic character, which creates a psychological and physiological dependence on strong drinks. In addition, alcoholism is a personal, social, and even economic problem that affects many. The disease cripples not only the fate and bodies of alcoholics, but also the lives of their loved ones.
Separately, it should be said about beer alcoholism, because too many of them are wondering how to stop drinking beer. Although this drink is weak, it is quite insidious. Since this rarely leads to serious alcoholism, most do not consider it dangerous, but it is often impossible for many to stop drinking beer.
This beer contains a sedative hop extract. This is why many people crave this drink during times of stress. But do not forget that this is still an alcoholic beverage, in addition it is rich in phytoestrogens (an analogue of female sex hormones). And since beer lovers are often men, this hobby for them does not go unnoticed. They usually show signs of feminization (muscle weakening, breast enlargement, distribution of female fat deposits), so it is important to stop drinking beer before these problems occur.
Causes of the disease
Despite the opinion of scientists that in some cases, alcohol dependence is caused by a hereditary predisposition, no one born is doomed to become an alcoholic. After all, drunks are not born, they become. And everyone has their own way of falling into this trap. Someone, thus, deals with the problems of personal life, the loss of a loved one, and someone "helps" to enter this vicious circle of cheerful company of friends who drink.
Some drink out of boredom to kill time, others - for courage, to get rid of some fears or to become more relaxed in society. But regardless of the reason that leads a person to consume alcohol, the result is always the same - ruined life, health, broken relationships with loved ones, broken families, career, moral and mental degradation of the individual.
Depression can also cause alcoholism.
Stages of pathology
There are several stages in the development of alcohol dependence.
- A person who drinks, although he feels an increased desire for alcohol, has not yet developed a physical addiction, which means that he does not have withdrawal syndrome. But it’s hard for him to fight the urge to drink because he doesn’t understand why he should give up something that brings great pleasure. Moreover, at this stage many still think they have complete control over the process, but this is far from the case. People have an increased tolerance for alcohol and this often strengthens their confidence that they "can drink". At this stage, people drink to the limit of memory or complete obscuration.
- In the second stage, physical dependence on alcohol begins to form and attempts to stop drinking are accompanied by a severe withdrawal syndrome reminiscent of drug withdrawal. In addition, in that period, tolerance reaches its peak, that is, alcoholic beverages and does not get drunk. At this stage, the person already needs medical help to overcome the addiction.
- The third phase is characterized by a complete lack of control, mental and mental degradation of the person, when intoxication occurs even from the smallest doses of alcohol. A similar phenomenon is related to the fact that in the phase of increased tolerance a person drank alcohol in quantities that are able to lead an ordinary person to whom and eventually led to the fact that the liver stops producing enzymes that break down alcohol.
Since it is possible to stop drinking alcohol on your own only in the first phase of addiction, which many "pass" without understanding the upcoming problem, you should not feed on illusions and immediately seek help from experts.
Shades of female alcoholism
Alcoholism is often considered a male problem, but this is by no means the case. Yes, female alcoholism is not so common, which is explained by the specifics of women's psyche: they are more resistant to stress. In addition, society imposes certain stereotypes, and alcohol often becomes a status drink, a kind of sign of masculinity. Therefore, the motivation to drink strong drinks in men is stronger. Under these conditions, women have fewer opportunities to sleep.
But it is much harder for a woman to stop drinking, especially alone. This is facilitated by female physiology: ethanol is broken down somewhat worse in the liver and is absorbed much faster in the intestines. Because of these body characteristics, strong drinks harm a woman much more. First of all, reproductive function suffers: women who systematically consume alcohol are more often diagnosed with infertility and children with physical and mental disabilities are born. And since it is very difficult for a woman to stop drinking, it is better for any healthy lady to completely abstain from drinking alcohol.
Addiction Tactics
There are several strategies for eliminating alcohol dependence. Some experts believe that it is necessary to gradually "tie" by lowering the dose of alcohol to acceptable levels or to zero. And the obvious advantage of this method is the absence of withdrawal symptoms. But in practice, this method is quite difficult to apply due to the high risk of breakdown and return to hard liquor. Therefore, the technique is rarely used.
Another technique is to completely reject alcohol in one step. Its indisputable advantage is that it is much less tempting for the patient to return to the previous way of life. However, the use of this technique is not recommended if the person is intoxicated due to an increased risk of withdrawal. In this case, experts first take the person out of drunkenness, and only then introduce a complete taboo on alcohol. It is very important that the choice of this or that method is made by a narcology specialist, and not by the patient or his relatives. Since it is not so easy to stop drinking at home, you should not hesitate to visit a doctor.
Complete avoidance of alcohol is one of the techniques to stop drinking.
Ways to deal with a harmful disease
Fighting a destructive habit will be pointless until the person realizes that they are sick and need help. Only such people stop drinking once and for all. But most alcoholics do not properly evaluate their behavior and believe that there is no problem, and alcohol can “quit” at any time. Since the problem is obvious to the environment, a loved one may force them to stop drinking forever by moral pressure or by trying to cure them from the bow.
But no matter what medications are given to such a person, no matter how good psychologists work with them, the result will be predictable - the patient will not be able to stop drinking for long and will sooner or later break down, returning to addiction. Without an internal attitude to change everything, any action will be useless.
There are many ways to help those who are determined to stop drinking to get rid of alcoholism. But there is no universal method that would suit absolutely everyone. Because all people are different and come to addiction in different ways, they get out of this trap in different ways. The power of the will cannot be underestimated, for there are those who could have stopped drinking on their own. But there aren’t a lot of them, because mostly those people who don’t have an iron will slide into alcoholism.
In addition, do not forget that the decision to stop drinking is the result of clear thinking, and for many years of alcoholism, ethanol disrupts the natural processes in the NS, and many such people do not have the purely physical ability to make such a decision. But this is only one side of the coin. The second is that alcohol is physically addictive, and abrupt rejection of alcohol can lead to withdrawal symptoms.
Psychological techniques
They will be useful to anyone who has stopped taking alcohol, whether he has taken it on his own or with the help of a narcologist. The first thing a person should do is analyze the factors that led to their addiction. The first priority is to avoid such provocative factors. Then you need to concentrate on the following.
Find your call
Often a person starts drinking to soften the contrast between the actual state of affairs and their expectations, ambitions and inability to fully realize them. This is another reason why men are addicted to alcohol. Finally, issues of self-realization and status come first.
Changing an activity or job can help. But don’t underestimate hobbies and hobbies. It is necessary to find such a hobby that would completely capture, leaving almost no free time not only for drinking, but also for thinking about it. The option for hobbies is innumerable, but in this regard it is important to understand that successes in any field do not appear immediately, so satisfaction with the process itself is very important.
Reject the previous round and minimize temptation
Of course, there should be no alcohol in the addict's house. You cannot leave drinks and supplies with guests. Moreover, beer should not be tempted, as most of them cannot stop drinking beer. The problem is that many people don’t take beer addiction seriously.
Also, there should be no empty bottles in the apartment of a person who stops drinking, because nothing should be reminiscent of the past. All these nuances should be remembered in his environment. Relatives are obliged in every possible way to help the drunkard who is leaving, and if he himself sees that they or his friends are bringing him back to addiction, then it is worth at least temporarily changing the circle of friends or limiting interaction with such people.
To stop drinking, you need to get all the alcohol out of the house.
An addict should not visit places where alcohol can be offered (banquets, parties), and in the beginning it is better to bypass alcohol outlets. In the first phase of the fight, the will of the thrower is still very weak, so he does not need unnecessary temptations.
Self-promotion
It is also important to reward yourself for giving up alcohol. Instead of buying another bottle, you can look forward to something for which there simply wasn’t enough money before. You can also have a separate cash register and refill it every time you want to buy a drink. As a rule, after a month of such an experiment, the person is literally overwhelmed by the amount saved.
Communication
Harmony with other people and pleasant communication are great tools against alcoholism. Sometimes it is enough just to realize how much easier and more constructive it is to communicate with people in a sober state than in a state of altered consciousness for things to go smoothly. That is why there are many groups that support alcoholics, where you can share not only your story, but also get the necessary support.
Medications
Pharmaceutical companies systematically supply the market with alcohol dependence drugs. But you have to understand that these are not magic pills, from the taking of which alcoholism disappears by itself. They are just an auxiliary tool for those who have embarked on the difficult path of self-healing and help not to turn away from it.
There are two types of drugs used: some cause aversion to alcohol, while others help address physical alcohol dependence. The first group of drugs is suitable for people who have never had a particularly pronounced hangover syndrome and therefore quickly became addicted to alcohol.
In the second case, in addition to a pronounced physical dependence on alcohol, benzodiazepines are assigned that act on the same receptors as ethanol. But the course of taking them should be short, because instead of alcohol addiction, an even more dangerous addiction to psychotropic drugs can appear.
Folk remedies
The most popular remedy for cleansing the body of alcohol toxins is an infusion of oats. To prepare it, pour 1 cup of oats with 5 cups of boiling water and leave for at least 3 hours. Drink it 0, 5 cups before meals, 5 times a day.
Aversion to alcohol helps to cause such a simple medicine as an infusion of thyme. To get the product, you need 15 g of herbs, pour 500 ml of boiling water and stand for 15 minutes. Use the infusion at a rate of 50 ml of product per 15 ml of vodka.
St. John's wort decoction has the same properties. It is prepared according to the following scheme: 4 tbsp. l. the herbs are poured with 500 ml of hot water and the product is kept in a water bath for at least half an hour. The finished soup is taken twice a day, for 2 weeks.
Influence of diet and lifestyle on pathology
Diet and physical activity are equally important during the period of alcohol withdrawal. For a thirsty person it is important to adhere to a drinking regime (water helps detoxify the body) and drink 2-2, 5 liters of water per day. It is also worth paying attention to the diet and the introduction of products that stimulate the synthesis of endorphins and serotonin (fresh fruit, chocolate, meat), which contain B vitamins (legumes, fish, eggs). At the same time, it is necessary to adhere to moderation in food and limit fatty, spicy and salty, because long-term alcohol consumption is associated with the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system.
Introducing sports into the life of such a person is no less important. Even a simple walk will stimulate the release of endorphins, and if you add exercise, yoga, running to it, it will significantly strengthen not only the body, but also the nervous system. However, the general state of human health must be taken into account when choosing physical activity - in some cases sport may be contraindicated.