It might also be useful to contact a healthcare professional who specializes in addiction. They may be able to provide guidance on the best ways to approach someone with AUD. Drinkers, the researchers concluded, should be encouraged to monitor their intake of alcohol to help reduce harmful long-term effects.
Admit that you have a drinking problem
Perhaps you’re realizing for the first time that you might struggle with alcohol and have no idea how to overcome it. Maybe you have a friend who is struggling and you want to help. Whatever the case, moving towards recovery can feel like a complicated process. It is vital to realize each person’s situation is unique and influenced by many factors. There are many different treatments that can help you during the process of overcoming an addiction, including medical and psychological approaches. There is no one “right” type of addiction treatment, although some approaches are better supported by research than others.
Treatment Options
Some people may think the only way to deal with it is with willpower, as if it’s a problem they have to work through all on their own. Overcoming an addiction to alcohol isn’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone. The Recovery Village’s addiction specialists develop personalized treatment and therapy to meet our clients’ unique needs.
- An important first step is to learn more about alcohol use disorder and your treatment options.
- The Recovery Village offers personalized treatment and therapy to meet your unique needs and overcome alcoholism.
- Around 40% to 60% of people working to overcome a substance use disorder will relapse at some point.
- Often, people with alcohol use disorder find that other people in their lives spot their addiction long before they do.
- It can also be helpful to keep yourself away from situations where heavy drinking is the norm, such as bars, clubs, or parties.
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Belinda Gordon-Battle is a licensed clinical therapist and life consultant based in Miami while providing therapeutic services across the globe. BGB, as her clients and colleagues call her, is an advocate of “removing the stigma” and normalizing the therapeutic process. She incorporates cultural relevance and non-traditional interventions and strategies to strengthen her clients’ steps how to overcome alcoholism towards goals of behavioral, emotional, social and mental wellness. Alcohol dependence and addiction are serious medical conditions. Minor symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be overcome with rest and at-home remedies, and it is possible for some people to taper off alcohol without supervision. However, individuals who suffer from alcohol addiction require professional rehab.
People with the disease of alcoholism require formal treatment. Thosewho aren’t addicted to alcohol may be able to quit on their own or with the help of friends. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually start within hours after you stop drinking, peak in a day or two, and improve within five days.
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Good alcohol treatment prepares you for these challenges, helping you develop new coping skills to deal with stressful situations, alcohol cravings, and social pressure to drink. Make meetings a priority – Join a recovery support group, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and attend meetings regularly. Spending time with people who understand exactly what you’re going through can be very healing.
Medications can sometimes be helpful in both the short term and the long term. Talk to a doctor about the options that are available to and appropriate for you. This often means getting rid of paraphernalia or other items that might trigger your desire to use a substance or engage in a harmful behavior.
Write your drinking goal down and keep it where you will frequently see it, such as on your phone or taped to your refrigerator. Fear of loneliness can keep you cutting back or cutting out your drinking. Even if alcohol isn’t enjoyable to you, the socialization ritual surrounding it is. Since everyone in the social environment drinks, you’ll automatically feel pressure to drink. I got tired of not being respected by friends and loved ones.
The person with the drinking problem needs to take responsibility for their actions. Don’t lie or cover things up to protect someone from the consequences of their drinking. Consider staging a family meeting or an intervention, but don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation. It’s much easier to avoid drinking if you don’t keep temptations around.
Alcohol Detox at Home
If you are drinking five or more drinks a day, it is unsafe to quit abruptly on your own, putting yourself at risk of medical complications such as an alcohol withdrawal seizure. If you feel like your relationship with alcohol needs an overhaul, you’ve got plenty of company. If you’re living with alcohol use disorder, quitting drinking is important for your health. But quitting on your own can pose risks to your health and is unlikely to be successful. Rehabilitation facilities can help you on your path to sobriety by addressing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and becoming involved in sober living support groups, like AA. For people who experience mild alcohol withdrawal symptoms, there are safe ways to detox at home.
