Addiction to alcohol is a problem that impacts a huge amount of the American public. The road to recovery when it comes to addiction can be difficult, long, and bumpy. There may be many days where it feels impossible.
However, many people are able to keep down the path and get sober. They are able to overcome their addiction and dependence on alcohol. You can as well. All you need to do is take the proper steps.
If you are fighting alcoholism and want to break through to the other side, read on. We’ll walk you through a complete guide on how to fight this kind of addiction and win.
Don’t Feel Like You Have To Quit Cold Turkey
Many who struggle with alcoholism feel pressure to quit drinking completely and fully right away. We’ve all been there after a bad night of heavy drinking: ‘I’m never drinking again.’
However, if you have a serious dependency on alcohol, this can be one of the riskiest ways to try and break that dependency. A person who feels strong cravings or who suffers from serious physical withdrawal symptoms might have an incredibly difficult time quitting drinking cold turkey.
In fact, in some instances, these withdrawal symptoms can be so serious that they may even be fatal. Quitting cold turkey can be risky for your health.
Instead, it may be easier for those with a strong dependency to taper their drinking off over a period of time. Gradually reducing alcohol intake, especially with the support and assistance of friends, family, or professionals can be more preferable. When developing a plan, always check with a qualified physician.
A person can set their goals ahead of time and then stick to a new plan. This might be limited to how many drinks they can have per night, how many days a week they can drink, or what type of alcohol they can consume.
Sticking to this plan and adjusting it as one moves towards recovery can be a helpful process.
Accomplishing These Goals
With a set of goals in hand, now comes the hard part: actually following through on these plans. The temptation of drinking can be strong, especially if one’s alcoholism has been a part of their life for many years.
There are steps one can take to help make achieving their goals easier.
One essential step can be taking as much temptation out of the equation as possible. If there is alcohol in one’s home, get rid of it. Don’t keep it in the fridge or in the garage: empty it out of the house. Not having access to alcohol can make keeping to these goals easier.
Sharing these goals with those around an addicted individual can also be hugely helpful. Getting sober often requires the help of a strong support system. If one’s friends and family know they are trying to get sober, they will know not to offer further temptation.
In fact, they will likely be able to provide other forms of fun or consolation to the individual. They will be able to aid them on their path to sobriety.
If there are individuals in a person’s life who are not supportive of these new goals, it’s best to stay away from them. As difficult as it can be to do this, it’s essential that one removes negative influences from their life during this process. One bag egg can be enough to ruin months or even years of progress.
It can be advisable that as a person tapers off their drinking, they keep a written record of each drink they have. This can help to keep an individual accountable, as well as make the process of recovery more of an active exercise.
Look Into Professional Treatment
It can be incredibly difficult to break the cycle of addiction. Often times, a person struggling with addiction will need the help of an outside source.
In these instances, looking into recovery programs and professional treatment can be a huge assistance. There are a lot of different forms of recovery programs out there, and it’s important that one finds a program that can meet their needs.
Some recovery and rehab programs will require the individual to move into their facilities. These residential programs are intensive and immersive and work by pulling an individual out of their daily routine altogether. Some might even require partial hospitalization to help deal with withdrawal symptoms.
There are many other treatment plans that don’t require this kind of commitment. Various types of therapies might be used to help a person work through their addiction, and this kind of service can be provided on one’s own schedule.
No matter what type of treatment plan is employed, the most important thing is that an individual is permitted to work through their recovery with committed and trusted help at their side.
Commitment by the individual in question is important. As such, it’s important that a person struggling with addiction really look into a program and ensure it’s right for them before starting.
Addiction is already hard enough to work through on its own, and there should be no other factors contributing to making a treatment plan difficult for someone.
A Guide to Fighting Alcoholism
Fighting alcoholism can a long and lonely battle. It can be very difficult to break the cycle of addiction, but with the right attitude and support, it can be possible. The above information should provide a helpful outline of breaking addiction.
Need help with your own recovery? Contact us anytime for assistance or for further questions.
