In the life of every thinking person who finds himself in a protracted situation of alcohol abuse, there comes a borderline stage when he asks himself the questions, what's next and how to stop drinking? For radical changes 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, the question of how to stop drinking hard liquor forever, or even just how to stop drinking beer, would not be so acute in front of millions of people. However, this is possible and the examples of those lucky ones who managed to break out of this vicious circle serve as confirmation.
What is alcoholism?
Experts say that alcoholism is not only an addiction, but also a serious illness. It has a somatic character, which is why both psychological and physiological dependence on strong drinks is formed. In addition, alcoholism is a personal, social and even economic problem that affects many. The disease cripples not only the fates and bodies of alcoholics, but also the lives of their loved ones.
Separately, it should be said about beer alcoholism, since too many are wondering how to quit drinking beer. Although this drink is weak, it is quite insidious. Since it rarely leads to serious alcoholism, most do not consider it dangerous, but often it is not possible for many to quit drinking beer.
This beer contains a sedative hop extract. This is why many people have a craving for this drink during times of stress. But do not forget that this is still an alcoholic drink, in addition rich in phytoestrogens (an analogue of female sex hormones). And since beer lovers are often men, this hobby does not pass without a trace for them. They usually show signs of feminization (muscle weakening, breast enlargement, female body fat distribution), so it's important to stop drinking beer before these problems appear.
Causes of the disease
Despite the opinion of scientists that in some cases alcohol dependence is due to a hereditary predisposition, no one born is doomed to become an alcoholic. After all, drunkards are not born, they become. And everyone has their own way of falling into this trap. Someone, thus, copes with the problems of personal life, the loss of a loved one, and someone to get into this vicious circle "helps" a cheerful company of drinking companions.
Some people drink out of boredom in order to kill time, others - for courage, to get rid of some fears or to become more relaxed in the company. But whatever the reason prompting a person to consume alcohol, the result is always the same - ruined life, health, spoiled relationships with loved ones, broken families, careers, moral and mental degradation of the individual.
Depression can also cause alcoholism.
Pathology stages
There are several stages in the development of alcohol dependence.
- A drinking person, although he feels an increased craving for alcohol, has not yet developed a physical dependence, which means that there is no withdrawal syndrome. But it is difficult for him to fight the urge to drink, since he does not understand why he should give up something that brings a lot of pleasure. Moreover, at this stage, many still think that they are in complete control of the process, but this is far from the case. People have increased tolerance to alcohol and often this reinforces their confidence that "they know how to drink. "It is at this stage that people drink to the point of memory lapses or complete blackouts.
- 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, during this period, tolerance reaches its climax, that is, the alcoholic drinks and does not get drunk. At this stage, a person already needs medical help to overcome addiction.
- The third stage is characterized by a complete lack of control, mental and mental degradation of a person, when intoxication occurs even from the smallest doses of alcohol. A similar phenomenon is associated with the fact that at the stage of increased tolerance, a person drank alcohol in quantities that could bring an ordinary person to a coma and eventually led to the fact that the liver stopped producing enzymes that break down alcohol.
Since it is possible to quit drinking alcohol on your own only at the first stage of addiction, which many "slip through" without understanding the impending problem, then you should not feed yourself with illusions and immediately seek help from specialists.
The nuances of female alcoholism
Alcoholism is often considered a male problem, but this is by no means the case. Yes, female alcoholism is not such a common phenomenon, which is explained by the specifics of the psyche of women: they are more resistant to stress. In addition, society also imposes certain stereotypes, and alcohol often becomes a status drink, a kind of sign of masculinity. Therefore, the motivation for drinking strong drinks in men is stronger. Under these conditions, women have fewer opportunities to sleep.
But it is much more difficult for a woman to stop drinking, especially on her own. This is facilitated by female physiology: ethanol is broken down somewhat worse by the liver and is absorbed much faster in the intestines. Because of these features of the body, strong drinks harm women much more. First of all, the 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 quit drinking, it is better for any sane lady to abstain from drinking alcohol altogether.
Addiction Removal Tactics
There are several strategies for eliminating alcohol dependence. Some experts are of the opinion that it is necessary to "tie up" gradually by lowering the dose of alcohol to acceptable levels or to zero. And the obvious plus of this method is the absence of withdrawal symptoms. But in practice, this method is rather difficult to apply due to the high risk of breakdown and return to hard drinking. Therefore, the technique is rarely used.
Another technique consists in a one-step, complete rejection of alcohol. Its indisputable advantage is that it is much less tempting for the patient to return to the previous way of life. However, this technique is not advised to apply if a person is on a binge because of the increased risk of withdrawal. In this case, experts first take the person out of the binge 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 specialist in narcology, and not by the patient himself or his relatives. Since it is not so easy to quit drinking at home, you do not need to hesitate to see a doctor.
Avoiding alcohol completely is one technique for quitting drinking.
Ways of dealing with a harmful disease
Fighting a destructive habit will be pointless until the person realizes that he is sick and needs help. Only such people quit drinking once and for all. But most alcoholics do not adequately assess their behavior and believe that there is no problem, and they can “quit” alcohol at any time. Since the problem is obvious to the environment, loved ones can force them to stop drinking forever, by morally pressing or trying to heal them on the sly.
But no matter what drugs 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 quit drinking for a long time 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 quit drinking to get rid of alcoholism. But there is no one universal method that would suit absolutely everyone. Since all people are different and come to addiction in different ways, they come out of this trap in different ways. Of course, willpower should not be underestimated, as there are those who have been able to quit drinking on their own. But there are few of them, since it is mainly those people who do not have an iron will that slip into alcoholism.
In addition, do not forget that the decision to quit 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 a purely physical ability to make such a decision. But this is only one side of the coin. The other is that alcohol is physically addictive, and abrupt refusal from alcohol can lead to withdrawal symptoms.
Psychological Techniques
They will be useful for anyone who quit alcohol, regardless of whether he took this path on his own or with the help of a narcologist. The first thing a person should do is to analyze the factors that led him to addiction. The first priority is to avoid such provoking factors. Then you need to concentrate on the following.
Find your calling
Often a person starts drinking in order to smooth out the contrast between the real state of affairs and his expectations, ambitions, and inability to fully realize himself. This is another reason for men to be addicted to alcohol. After all, questions of self-realization and status are in the first place for them.
A change of activity or job can help. But don't underestimate hobbies and hobbies. It is necessary to find such a hobby that would capture completely, leaving almost no free time not only for drinking, but also for thinking about it. The options for hobbies are endless, but in this matter it is important to understand that successes in any field do not appear immediately, therefore, satisfaction from the process itself is very important.
Rejecting the previous circle and minimizing temptations
Naturally, there should be no alcohol in the house of an addict. You can not leave any drinks for guests and stash. Moreover, one should not even be tempted by beer, since most of them cannot quit drinking beer. The problem is that many people don't take their beer addiction seriously.
Also, there should be no empty bottles in the dwelling of a person quitting drinking, as nothing should remind of the past. All these nuances should be remembered by his environment. Relatives are obliged to help the person quitting drinking in every possible way, and if he himself sees that they or his friends are pulling him back to addiction, then it is worth changing the circle of friends or limiting interaction with such people at least temporarily.
In order to stop drinking, you need to throw all alcohol out of the house.
The addict should not visit places where alcohol can be offered (banquets, parties), and at first it is better to bypass the points of sale of alcohol. At the first stage of the struggle, 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 please yourself with something for which there was simply not enough money before. You can also have a separate piggy bank and refill it every time you want to buy a drink. As a rule, after a month of such an experiment, a person is literally overwhelmed by the amount saved.
Communication
Harmony with other people and comfortable communication is a great tool 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 support you need.
Medicines
Pharmaceutical companies systematically supply the market with remedies for alcohol addiction. But you need to understand that these are not magic pills, from the intake of which alcoholism disappears by itself. They are only an auxiliary tool for those who have embarked on a difficult path of self-healing, and help not to turn away from it.
There are two types of drugs used: some cause an aversion to alcohol, and others help to get rid of physical dependence on alcohol. The first group of drugs is suitable for people who have never had a particularly pronounced hangover syndrome and that is why they quickly became addicted to alcohol.
In the second case, with a pronounced physical dependence on alcohol, benzodiazepines are assigned, which act on the same receptors as ethanol. But the course of taking them should be short, since instead of alcohol dependence, an even more dangerous addiction to psychotropic drugs may appear.
Folk remedies
The most popular remedy to cleanse the body of alcoholic toxins is oat infusion. To prepare it, pour 1 cup of oats with 5 cups of boiling water and leave it for at least 3 hours. Drink it 0. 5 cups before meals, 5 times a day.
Aversion to alcohol helps to induce such a simple remedy as thyme infusion. 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 the rate of 50 ml of the 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. 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 broth is taken twice a day, in a course of 2 weeks.
The influence of diet and lifestyle in pathology
Nutrition and physical activity are equally important during the period of alcohol withdrawal. It is important for a thirsty person to adhere to a drinking regime (water helps to detoxify the body) and drink 2-2. 5 liters of water daily. It is also worth paying attention to the diet and introducing products that stimulate the synthesis of endorphins and serotonin (fresh fruits, chocolate, meat), containing B vitamins (legumes, fish, eggs). At the same time, it is necessary to adhere to moderation in food and limit fatty, spicy and salty, since long-term alcohol consumption is associated with the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the cardiovascular system.
The introduction of sport into the life of such a person is equally important. Even a simple walk will stimulate the release of endorphins, and if you add exercise, yoga, jogging to it, this will significantly strengthen not only the body, but also the nervous system. Nevertheless, when choosing physical activity, one must take into account the general state of human health - in some cases, sports may be contraindicated.