How to Stop Drinking
I wrote this piece to let others out there who are struggling with alcoholism know how they can stop drinking.
Now obviously this is a big thing for a true alcoholic so I will not trivialize the matter here and say that this will be easy for you. If you are addicted to alcohol then this is a very serious matter and you might struggle for years in order to get sober. Many people never make it.
The following is simply based on my experience and bears out what I have learned and what has worked for me, as I am now at over 8 years of continuous sobriety. This is what has worked for me. Results may vary.
The first thing I did when I got sober was I asked for help. That might not be an option for everyone but if you still have either friends or family who will listen to you then you might start out by asking them for help. What my family did was to connect me with a treatment center and they stayed with me and kept me safe until they could take me in and get me properly detoxed. This can be a dangerous time if you actually stop drinking because alcohol withdrawal can be fatal. So if you are getting violent shakes then you should go directly to the ER as your life is in danger. Part of learning how to stop drinking is in doing things safe so that you do not hurt yourself any further. If things get bad then seek medical treatment right away.
If you get the chance to go to a treatment center then take full advantage of it. Treatment is not cheap and it is not a cure-all but it can certainly help someone out if they are serious about quitting alcohol. There are a number of benefits to treatment:
1) Safe detoxification - as mentioned above you are in danger if you try to detox yourself. A good treatment center will have medical staff that can safely bring you through your withdrawals from alcohol.
2) Peer support - if you want to know how to stop drinking then you should realize that you cannot do it alone. Thus, you need help from others who are going through the same thing you are. This is the basis of the 12 step programs....one alcoholic helping another. Of course if you go to treatment you will meet several peers who can then help you on your journey.
3) Therapy and counseling - if you go to treatment then you will undoubtedly get matched up with some sort of therapist or counselor who can give you one-on-one help. They can also hook you up with aftercare options that can help you to stay sober after you leave treatment.
