Alcohol Addiction Treatment and Self-Help: How to Stop Drinking and Start Recovery

Alcohol treatment and recovery step 1: Commit to stop drinking

Most people with alcohol problems do not decide to make a big change out of the blue or transform their drinking habits overnight. Recovery is usually a more gradual process. In the early stages of change, denial is a huge obstacle. Even after admitting you have a drinking problem, you may make excuses and drag your feet. It’s important to acknowledge your ambivalence about stopping drinking. If you’re not sure if you’re ready to change or you’re struggling with the decision, it can help to think about the costs and benefits of each choice.

Evaluating the costs and benefits of drinking

Make a table like the one below, weighing the costs and benefits of drinking to the costs and benefits of quitting. Each list can be as long as you like. Do the costs of drinking outweigh the benefits? If so, you may want to consider making a decision to stop drinking.

Is Drinking Worth The Cost?

Benefits of drinking:

It helps me forget about my problems.
I have fun when I drink.
It’s my way of relaxing and unwinding after a stressful day.

Benefits of not drinking:

My relationships would probably improve.
I’d feel better mentally and physically.
I’d have more time and energy for the people and activities I care about.

Costs of drinking:

It has caused problems in my relationships.
I feel depressed, anxious, and ashamed of myself.
It gets in the way of my job performance and family responsibilities.

Costs of not drinking:

I’d have to find another way to deal with problems.
I’d lose my drinking buddies.
I would have to face the responsibilities I’ve been ignoring.

Alcohol treatment and recovery step 2: Set goals and prepare for change

Once you’ve made the decision to change, the next step is establishing clear drinking goals. The more specific, realistic, and clear your goals, the better.

Example #1: My drinking goal

I will stop drinking alcohol.
My quit date is __________.

Example #2: My drinking goal

I will stop drinking on weekdays, starting as of __________.
I will limit my Saturday and Sunday drinking to no more than 3 drinks per day or 5 drinks per weekend.
After three months, I will cut back my weekend drinking even more to a maximum of 2 drinks per day and 3 drinks per weekend.

Do you want to stop drinking altogether or just cut back? If your goal is to reduce your drinking, decide which days you will drink alcohol and how many drinks you will allow yourself per day. Try to commit to at least two days each week when you won’t drink at all.
When do you want to stop drinking or start drinking less? Tomorrow? In a week? Next month? Within six months? If you’re trying to stop drinking, set a specific quit date.

After you’ve set your goals to either stop or cut back your drinking, write down some ideas on how you can help yourself accomplish these goals and set the stage for a successful recovery from alcohol addiction.

To start, you may want to:

Get rid of temptations. Remove all alcohol, barware, and other drinking reminders from your home and office.
Announce your goal. Let friends, family members, and co-workers know that you’re trying to stop drinking. If they drink, ask them to support your recovery by not doing so in front of you.
Be upfront about your new limits. Make it clear that drinking will not be allowed in your home and that you may not be able to attend events where alcohol is being served.
Avoid bad influences. Distance yourself from people who don’t support your efforts to stop drinking or respect the limits you’ve set. This may mean giving up certain friends and social connections.
Learn from the past. Reflect on previous attempts to stop drinking. What worked? What didn’t? What can you do differently this time to avoid pitfalls?

Can I cut back on my drinking or do I need to stop drinking completely?

How to Cut Down on Your Drinking Whether or not you can successfully cut back on your drinking depends on the severity of your drinking problem. For most people with an alcohol problem, abstinence is the safest and easiest strategy. Regular drinking can quickly turn into problem drinking, and as long as you’re drinking at all, you’re taking that risk.

If you’re an alcoholic—which, by definition, means you aren’t able to control your drinking—it’s best to try to stop drinking entirely. But if you’re not ready to take that step, or if you don’t have an alcohol abuse problem, but you want to cut back for personal or health reasons, the following tips can help.

How to Cut Down on Your Drinking

Set a drinking goal. Choose a limit for how much you will drink. Make sure your limit is not more than one drink a day if you’re a woman, or two drinks a day if you’re a man. Now write your drinking goal on a piece of paper. Put it where you can see it, such as on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror.
Keep a "diary" of your drinking. To help you reach your goal, keep a "diary" of your drinking. For example, write down every time you have a drink for 1 week. Try to keep your diary for 3 or 4 weeks. This will show you how much you drink and when. You may be surprised. How different is your goal from the amount you drink now?
Watch it at home. Keep a small amount or no alcohol at home. Don't keep temptations around.
Drink slowly. When you drink, sip your drink slowly. Take a break of 1 hour between drinks. Drink soda, water, or juice after a drink with alcohol. Do not drink on an empty stomach! Eat food when you are drinking.
Take a break from alcohol. Pick a day or two each week when you will not drink at all. Then, try to stop drinking for 1 week. Think about how you feel physically and emotionally on these days. When you succeed and feel better, you may find it easier to cut down for good.

Adapted from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Alcohol treatment and recovery step 3: Ask for help and support

Whether you choose to go to rehab, rely on self-help programs, get therapy, or take a self-directed treatment approach, support is essential. Don’t try to go it alone. Recovering from alcohol addiction is much easier when you have people you can lean on for encouragement, comfort, and guidance.

Support can come from family members, friends, counselors, other recovering alcoholics, your healthcare providers, and people from your faith community.

Professional help for alcohol treatment and recovery

If you decide that you’d like to see a mental health professional and take advantage of the latest addiction therapies, the following suggestions may help you get started:

Find alcohol treatment in your area

Search a directory of alcohol treatment programs across the country, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Talk to your doctor.
Contact your health insurance company.
Find out if your job offers an Employee Assistance Program with addiction counseling.
Call 1-800-662-HELP to reach a free referral helpline from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Click here to download a PDF guide to choosing the right alcohol treatment program for you.

Peer support groups for alcohol treatment and recovery

Peer support groups for alcohol treatment and recovery If you’re trying to stop drinking, peer support groups can be an invaluable source of guidance, assistance, and encouragement. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most well-known and widely available self-help group for alcoholics in treatment and recovery. AA uses fellowship and a set of guided principles—the 12 steps—to help members achieve and maintain sobriety.

A key part of a 12-step program is choosing a sponsor, a former alcoholic who has time and experience remaining sober. A good sponsor helps you understand and work the steps to alcohol recovery and provides support when you are feeling the urge to drink.

Other addiction support groups such as SMART Recovery and Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS) have different philosophies about alcohol treatment and recovery, yet offer the same benefits of group support.

Join an alcohol support group:

Alcohol treatment and recovery step 3: Get sober safely

Some people can stop drinking on their own without a doctor’s help, while others need medical supervision in order to withdraw from alcohol safely and comfortably. Which option is best for you depends on how much you’ve been drinking, how long you’ve had a problem, and other health issues you may have.

Withdrawing from alcohol

When you drink heavily and frequently, your body becomes physically dependent on alcohol and goes through withdrawal if you suddenly stop drinking. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal range from mild to severe, and include:

Headache
Shaking
Sweating
Nausea or vomiting

Anxiety and restlessness
Stomach cramps and diarrhea
Trouble sleeping or concentrating
Elevated heart rate and blood pressure

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually start within hours after you stop drinking, peak in a day or two, and improve within five days. But in some alcoholics, withdrawal is not just unpleasant—it can be life threatening.

Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you experience any of the following withdrawal symptoms:

severe vomiting
confusion and disorientation
fever

hallucinations
extreme agitation
seizures or convulsions

The symptoms listed above may be a sign of a severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens, or DTs. This rare, emergency condition causes dangerous changes in the way your brain regulates your circulation and breathing, so it’s important to get to the hospital right away.

Do I need to go to detox?

If you’re a long-term, heavy drinker, you may need medically supervised detoxification. Detox can be done on an outpatient basis or in a hospital or alcohol treatment facility. As part of the alcohol detoxification process, you may be prescribed medication to prevent medical complications and relieve withdrawal symptoms. Talk to your doctor or an addiction specialist to learn more.

Alcohol treatment and recovery step 4: Find new meaning in life

While getting sober is an important first step, it is only the beginning of alcohol recovery. A few weeks or even months of rehab or professional treatment can get you started on the road to recovery, but to stay alcohol-free for the long term, you’ll need to build a new, meaningful life where drinking no longer has a place.

5 steps to a sober lifestyle

Take care of yourself. Basic self-care practices are essential to alcohol recovery. To prevent mood swings and combat cravings, concentrate on eating right and getting plenty of sleep. Exercise is also key: it releases endorphins, relieves stress, and promotes emotional well-being.
Build your support network. Surround yourself with positive influences and people who make you feel good about yourself. The more you’re invested in other people and your community, the more your have to lose—which will help you stay motivated and on the recovery track.
Develop new activities and interests. Find new hobbies, volunteer activities, or work that give you a sense of meaning and purpose. When you’re doing things you find fulfilling, you’ll feel better about yourself and drinking will hold less appeal.
Continue treatment. Your chances of staying sober improve if you are participating in a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous, have a sponsor, or are involved in therapy or an outpatient treatment program.
Deal with stress in a healthy way. Alcohol abuse is often a misguided attempt to manage stress. But there are healthier ways to keep your stress level in check, including exercising, meditating, using sensory strategies to relax, practicing simple breathing exercises, and challenging self-defeating thoughts.

Learn how to manage stress without alcohol:

Quick Stress Relief: How to Manage and Relieve Stress in the Moment
Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief: Relaxation Exercises and Tips
Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress

Alcohol treatment and recovery step 5: Plan for triggers and cravings

Cravings for alcohol can be intense, particularly in the first six months after you quit drinking. Good alcohol treatment prepares your for these challenges, helping you develop new coping skills to deal with stressful situations, alcohol cravings, and social pressure to drink.

Avoiding drinking triggers

Give yourself the best possible chance of staying sober by minimizing temptation and developing strategies for staying strong when it’s unavoidable.

Avoid the things that trigger your urge to drink. If certain people, places, or activities trigger a craving for alcohol, try to avoid them. This may mean making major changes to your social life, such as finding new things to do with your old drinking buddies—or even giving up those friends.
Practice saying “no” to alcohol in social situations. No matter how much you try to avoid alcohol, there will probably be times where you’re offered a drink. Prepare ahead for how you’ll respond, with a firm, yet polite, “no thanks.” Don’t give yourself time to start coming up with reasons why it’s okay “just this once.”

Managing alcohol cravings

When you’re struggling with alcohol cravings, try these strategies:

Talk to someone you trust: your sponsor, a supportive family member or friend, or someone from your faith community.
Distract yourself until the urge passes. Go for a walk, listen to music, do some housecleaning, run an errand, or tackle a quick task.
Remind yourself of your reasons for not drinking. When you’re craving alcohol, there’s a tendency to remember the positive effects of drinking and forget the negatives. Remind yourself that drinking won’t really make you feel better.
Accept the urge and ride it out, instead of trying to fight it. This is known as “urge surfing.” Think of your craving as an ocean wave that will soon crest, break, and dissipate. When you ride out the craving, without trying to battle, judge, or ignore it, you’ll see that it passes more quickly than you’d think.

The 3 basic steps of urge surfing:

Take an inventory of how you experience the craving. Do this by sitting in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands in a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths and focus your attention inward. Allow your attention to wander through your body. Notice where in your body you experience the craving and what the sensations are like. Notice each area where you experience the urge, and tell yourself what you are experiencing. For example, “Let me see . . . My craving is in my mouth and nose and in my stomach.”
Focus on one area where you are experiencing the urge. Notice the exact sensations in that area. For example, do you feel hot, cold, tingly, or numb? Are your muscles tense or relaxed? How large an area is involved? Notice the sensations and describe them to yourself. Notice the changes that occur in the sensation. “Well, my mouth feels dry and parched. There is tension in my lips and tongue. I keep swallowing. As I exhale, I can imagine the smell and tingle of booze.”
Repeat the focusing with each part of your body that experiences the craving. Pay attention to and describe to yourself the changes that occur in the sensations. Notice how the urge comes and goes. Many people, when they urge surf, notice that after a few minutes the craving has vanished. The purpose of this exercise, however, is not to make the craving go away but to experience the craving in a new way. If you practice urge surfing, you will become familiar with your cravings and learn how to ride them out until they go away naturally.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Alcohol treatment and recovery step 6: Don’t give up

Changing problem drinking habits takes time, especially if your social life has revolved around alcohol or you’ve used drinking to cope with stress and numb your emotions. There is no quick and easy fix. Alcohol recovery is a process—one that often involves setbacks.

What to do if you slip:

Get rid of the alcohol and get away from the setting where you lapsed.
Remind yourself that one drink or a brief lapse doesn’t have to turn into a full-blown relapse.
Don’t let feelings of guilt, blame, or shame keep you from getting back on track.
Call your sponsor, counselor, or a supportive friend right away for help.

Learn from your drinking relapse

Don’t give up if you relapse or slip. A drinking relapse doesn’t mean you’re a failure or that you’ll never be able to rea ch your goal. Recovery isn’t hopeless—even if you’ve relapsed many times. Each drinking relapse is an opportunity to learn and recommit to sobriety, so you’ll be less likely to relapse in the future. Think of relapse as a detour on the road to recovery, rather than a derailment. You can choose to get back on the main path and continue traveling in the direction of positive change.

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