How Can You Recover from Alcoholism?
How Can You Recover from Alcoholism?
Recovering from alcoholism can feel impossible.
Alcoholism is an addiction that requires you to stop drinking and get the support you need.
Your alcoholism recovery will be difficult, but it is possible.
Many people talk about hitting “rock bottom” to make changes.
Do not allow yourself to do this.
Make the changes now.
You may decide to make this change because you are hurting those you love around you, or you may have been looking to make this change for a while.
Just remember that recovering from alcoholism will not change overnight.
Instead, it will be a long road that requires a lot of work.
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Benefits vs Downfalls of Drinking
In the early stages, denial is a huge problem.
Even after admitting you have a drinking problem,
you may make excuses to avoid recovering from alcoholism.
It is important to acknowledge this and make sure you are ready to change.
The first step of recovering from alcoholism is weighing the benefits and downfalls of getting sober and drinking.
Benefits of Drinking
- Forget about problems
- It is fun
- Helps to relax
Downfalls of Drinking
- Causes problems in relationships
- Increases depression, anxiety, and makes you feel ashamed of actions
- Gets in the way of responsibilities or job performance
Benefits of Sobriety
- More energy
- Relationships improve
- Feel better mentally and physically
- More energy for the things you care about
Downfalls of Sobriety
- Find a way to deal with problems in a healthy manner
- Lose drinking buddies
- Face responsibilities
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Setting Goals for Recovering From Alcoholism
Once you have made the decision to change, the next step will be to establish clear goals for recovering from alcoholism. The more specific and clear your goals are, the better they will be for your sobriety.
Drinking Goals
Your drinking goals should be to stop drinking and will include a quit date. For example, you may decide to stop drinking on weekdays first. Then you may lead to weekend abstinence as well. Finally, you may move to limit yourself to three drinks per day or five drinks per weekend. This can eventually lead to completely recovering from alcoholism.
Accomplishing Goals
After you have set your goals to stop or begin cutting back your drinking, you can then write down how you plan to accomplish these goals. Here are a few tips to do so.
- Get rid of temptations: Remove all alcohol from your home, along with anything that may remind you of it.
- Announce your goal: Tell your friends, family, and even co-workers that you are looking to begin recovering from alcoholism. You can also ask them to support your recovery by not doing it in front of you.
- Be upfront about your limits: You might say that there is no alcohol allowed in your home now that you are recovering from alcoholism. You also may want to let them know that you may not be able to attend events where alcohol is being served.
- Avoid bad influences: Distance yourself from people who do not support your efforts to begin recovering from alcoholism. This may mean you are going to need to give up certain friendships.
- Learn from the past. Reflect on any other attempts to begin recovering from alcoholism. What worked and what ultimately made you start going back to drinking?
Cutting Back vs Recovering From Alcoholism
Although cutting back is a start, it does not mean that you will have fully been recovering from alcoholism. Whether or not you can successfully cut back on your drinking depends on the severity of your drinking problem. You may be an alcoholic, which means that you are not able to control your drinking. If this is the case, you will need to abstain completely, hence recovering from alcoholism.
If you have decided to begin with cutting back, here are a few tips:
- Set your drinking goal: Choose a limit for how much you will drink. Ensure that you do not have more than one drink per day as a woman, or two as a man. This is considered moderate drinking.
- Take a few days to avoid drinking at all: If you are unable to do this, it will mean that you need to visit a treatment center.
- Write your drinking goal down: Keep it where you will frequently see it, such as on your phone or taped to your refrigerator.
- Keep a record of your drinking: This will help you to reach your goal, or make you understand why you need to begin recovering from alcoholism. For at least three weeks, write down every time you have a drink, and how much you drink.
- Cut down drinking at home: If you can take out alcohol from your home, it may allow you to drink less.
- Drink slower: When you drink, sip slowly and take a break of 30 minutes or one hour between drinks. You can also have a soda, water, or juice in between.
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Mental Illness and Recovering From Alcoholism
If you are suffering from a mental illness and also recovering from alcoholism, then you have a dual diagnosis. Having a dual diagnosis can make recovering from alcoholism much more difficult.
If you suffer from a dual diagnosis, then you will need an integrated treatment plan that addresses both disorders. 45 percent of people with addiction have a co-occurring mental health disorder. By seeking treatment for both your co-occurring behavioral or mental health disorder, along with your alcoholism, you will have a better chance of achieving sobriety.
Symptoms of Dual Diagnosis
- Sudden change in behavior
- Difficulty managing daily tasks
- Inability to handle responsibilities
- Avoiding events
- Avoiding activities that were once enjoyed
- Neglecting health
- Sudden poor hygiene or change in hygiene
- Disillusioned thinking
- Cognitive impairments
- Refusal to seek treatment
- Mentions of thoughts of suicide
- Suicidal behaviors
- Erratic and impulsive behaviors
- Issues managing finances
- Poor performance at school or work
Treatment for Recovering From Alcoholism
Although some people are able to stop drinking on their own, some people are not. Many alcoholics choose to attempt to start recovering from alcoholism with the help of a 12-step program. If this does not work for you, you may simply need medical supervision. This can help you to go through detox and withdraw from alcohol safely.
The option that works best for you can also depend on how much you have been drinking. It may also depend on how long you have been drinking if you have a stable living situation, and any other health issues you may have.
The First Step
The first step is to consult a doctor. Doctors can evaluate your drinking patterns, diagnose any co-occurring disorders. This will allow you to have your overall health assessed before attempting to start recovering from alcoholism. You may even be prescribed medication to help you quit.
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Get The Help You Need
At Resurgence Behavioral Health we offer a variety of options when it comes to getting free from an alcohol use disorder.
Our highly skilled medical staff can offer you the comfort of a welcoming therapeutic environment.
Whether you are struggling to get sober, or need a support system, we offer a variety of different options.
Contact us today to learn about our free insurance verification for treatment.
There is no day but today to start recovering from alcoholism.
