Are you struggling with alcohol?Do you doubt whether you are an alcoholic or not?Are you wondering why you need to drink?If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are on the right path to recovery.Alcohol kills more than 240 people every day.However, it is scary to admit that you are addicted and it is difficult to realize that you are an alcoholic.
Grooming isn't the hardest part.The hardest part of the journey to sobriety is trying to recognize yourself as sober in the first place.However, people can and do recover from alcoholism, more often than we think.It's difficult, but it's possible.
GUIDE - HOW TO STAY SOBER
RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM
A person who drinks tends to think that they are healthy, that alcohol is just an escape from the problem, and that they can stop at any time.In the meantime, this is not the case.An occasional drink becomes a habit, then an insurmountable addiction.As the old saying goes, “the first step is admitting you have a problem.”
If you're comparing your drinking to others', try these three things:
- Ask the right question.Stop wondering if you are an alcoholic or not.If you are asking yourself this question, you are probably an alcoholic;
- One of them.Instead, ask yourself if drinking is stopping you from living the life you want.If yes, then the first step has been taken;
- Stop comparing.Comparisons are useless.It's someone else's life.You are a person with a complex and unique destiny.
And if you drink less than Vasya's neighbor who lives down the street, if you have a problem, then you have to fight it.Comparing your own drinking to that of others will only lead to self-justification.Think about your future self.Imagine yourself five years from now with the same drinking habits.Is this what you aspire to?If not, it's time to solve your drinking problem.Recognizing the problem is the path to recovery.
UNDERSTAND WHY YOU SHOULD STOP DRINKING
Long-term benefits are rarely enough to motivate people to stop drinking.We often prefer instant gratification.Quitting drinking is no exception.The long-term benefits only relate to maintaining health and well-being.
Here are 4 short-term benefits:
- Recover lost time.
Anna is a moderate drinker.She drinks 3 times a week, 2 to 3 glasses a day.Each time, she “wastes” about 3 hours of productive time by being drunk.Every year, Anna loses a month and a half.That’s a lot of wasted time that could be used productively.Don't forget how much time Anna additionally wastes recovering from a hangover.
- Find someone to talk to.
Conversation builds character and makes us grow.These benefits disappear when you are drunk.It may seem terrible to meet new people without drinking, but the damage caused by alcohol is even worse.
- A reason to get rich.
How easily a person parts with their money when buying alcohol;he can easily spend 1,000 to 3,000 rubles or more per week.After 6 months, giving up drunkenness can save more than 70,000 rubles, and this is the price of a good trip.Are you ready to pay 12,000 rubles?per month for health problems?
- Sleep better.
Alcohol is a depressant, which means it makes you feel exhausted.It also disrupts sleep patterns, leading to an imbalance throughout the body.Stop drinking, it's a guarantee of peace and health.
Quitting alcohol is the healthiest decision you can make.Normalizing weight, improving liver function, reducing cholesterol levels, increasing immunity, having a clear mind, emotional state - these are the small benefits of a sober lifestyle.
MAKE SOBRABILITY THE NORMAL
Quitting alcohol should be the number one priority in your life.Set your own rules and don't break them.Tell yourself “no,” put sobriety on a pedestal, and don’t put it away until you realize your problem is solved.
Don't listen to anyone, listen to yourself.You gave your word: keep it.There should be no obstacles that could stop or change the decision.There is no task that is impossible for a person;if desired, the mountains are subject to human force.
FIRE YOUR EMPLOYEES
Easier said than done, right?It doesn't matter if alcohol is an important part of your social life or just something that brings you together.Difficulties arise when friends and family drink around you.
- First step- say you can't stand there drinking for a while.
- Second step- remove anyone you drank with.This is perhaps the most difficult step when choosing to live an alcohol-free life.The main thing is to remember that true friends will understand and support.Having a strong social circle is the best thing a person has.This includes people who help escape from a vicious environment.
- Third step- don't isolate yourself.Go to people, captivate yourself with interesting ideas.Look for an alternative to alcohol.Man is not an animal.He is always passionate about ideas and knows how to take actions that improve the quality of life.
Perhaps your sincere desire for a sober life will become contagious to your former comrades and you and the lost souls will be able to escape, which will enhance the taste of victory.
ANNOUNCE YOUR CHOICE
Don't be afraid to tell people about your problem.This will add accountability to achieving the goal.The information can stop the offer of a drink.If you respond without hesitation to any offer of support to the company that you are an alcoholic, then they will stop tempting you, but they will not stop inviting you to good companies.
The confession isn't bragging, it's just a reason to understand that you are limited in your choices.Alcohol is too expensive a pleasure, for which you pay with your life.
STOP DRINKING
The first 72 hours are the hardest part of recovery.As your body rids itself of alcohol, you will experience acute withdrawal symptoms.Alcoholics experience excruciating pain and often need professional help.
Pain after stopping drinking alcohol is proof that the body is healing.The onset of withdrawal symptoms can begin as early as six hours after the last sip:
- Increased temperature, pressure, difficulty breathing and rapid pulse.
- Excessive sweating.
- Tremor.
- Insomnia.
- In extreme cases, seizures can occur, sometimes life-threatening.
Cleansing the body is an important step in the recovery process.At the same time, many people in recovery relapse, seeking healing in the same alcohol.In this case, you cannot do without professional help.Don't be afraid, medical help is beneficial.This will relieve the pain and the recovery process will be much easier.
CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE
- Even after admitting that you have a problem, you need to change your attitude about the situation.
- Don't get angry at people when they try to help you.Don't hesitate to ask for help.
- Don’t get down on yourself, you have traveled a difficult path.Know that you are taking the right steps toward recovery.
- Prepare for difficulties, bad attitudes of others, but you have taken the first step that does not allow you to stop.
REHABILITATION CENTER
Sometimes it is impossible to give up alcohol on your own.You're too immersed to figure things out without professional help.There are inpatient and outpatient rehab programs that offer the help you need.
The choice allows you to find the necessary program where you can stop and edit your image.The main thing is to get together and enjoy life without alcohol.
2+ WEEKS AFTER RELEASE
It can take up to two weeks for your body to completely detox from alcohol.
Upon discharge, the person presents with the following symptoms:
- Anxiety and depression.
- Feeling of aggression, hostility.
- Weakening of sexual desire.
- Nightmares.
Don't let this bother you.The positive effects will cover all the negative emotions.
…AND ALL THIS JAZZ
The worst can be a lifelong craving for alcohol.Even after all traces of alcohol have been eliminated from the body, the brain will still want to return to the balance of chemicals it is accustomed to.But knowing the source of these symptoms is essential to fighting addiction.
Develop and implement new hobbies and habits that exclude the bottle.Play sports, lead a healthy lifestyle, look for interesting and enthusiastic people who will not let you give up.
It's always helpful to have support from friends who understand what you're going through.Go to war against your addiction.Recovery is a lifelong process toward a delicious sense of freedom.