How to Overcome Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol addiction is a disease. It can ruin your career, your relationship and can even take your life. But alcohol addiction can be cured, with the right approach, support from friends and family and lots of motivation because if alcohol becomes a habit and isn’t controlled in a person’s life at the right time, it can take over. 

If you, a member of your family, or your friend are struggling to control your drinking, then here is what you can do to overcome alcohol dependence, these tips are especially useful for those who are noticing their drinking is creeping up on them before addiction has taken full hold, we advise you seek the help of a healthcare professional while observing these lifestyle tips.

Realise the need to control your drinking

You wouldn’t consider fixing a problem if you think it is not a problem to overcome. The first step to taking control of your drinking or overcoming an addiction to alcohol is to accept the fact that you have a problem. Once you understand the need for improvement you will be able to take all the steps necessary to get over your dependence before it becomes an addiction, or if it has already become an addiction you will be able to take steps to free yourself from it.

Count each day as an achievement

Give yourself a pat on the shoulder for each day you go without drinking (or drinking in excess, if you cannot completely abstain from it, going 'cold turkey' when you have an addiction is not advised without medical advice). Each day you spend without alcohol, or within your reduction programme contributes to you getting over your dependence or addiction.

Tell everyone you know about your decision to quit or reduce alcohol

Let you family and friends know about your attempt to break your dependence or addiction to drinking. A strong support system can play a very important and positive role in helping you quit or cut down alcohol. So, if you drink or talk about drinking in front of someone you know, they could give you a helpful reminder of your struggle to reduce your alcohol intake.

Keep away from places that serve alcohol

To avoid being tempted to get yourself a drink, you need to stay away from all the places and people that are part of your drinking routine. You could, for example, not take the route that leads to the bar; or not store any alcohol at home. If you can’t see it, or find it difficult to access, then you are less likely to be tempted to drink. 

Set small milestones

If you set smaller goals that can be achieved more easily then you will be able to reach those goals faster, this can in turn encourage you to work harder.

Reward Yourself

Once you achieve your milestones, you need to reward yourself by doing something you like (just make sure it doesn’t involve alcohol). By rewarding yourself, you are encouraging yourself to stay on track and do better and keep away from drinking for longer periods of time.

Consider getting professional help

We advise anyone with a dependence or addiction to seek medical advice. If you simply cannot quit your addiction to alcohol on your own, then you need to seek help from professionals who are trained to help people quit their addiction to alcohol. To do this, you can see your GP and you can consider visiting rehabilitation centres like Beachway Therapy – as they provide an environment that promotes the healing of people suffering from addiction to alcohol by handling all the factors that can cause a craving for alcohol. Not just this, they also provide their clients with the medical and psychological support that increases their chances of recovering from their addiction.