I used to wonder if I could ever quit alcohol, sometimes I just couldn’t afford to drink and the thought of going without filled me with panic. I would drink the cheapest, strongest and nastiest alcohol, so that gives you an idea about how desperate and financially dire my situation was! I was addicted for nearly thirty years, started the day with a drink and alcohol was never out of my system.

If you’re serious about quitting, you could do it today, right after reading this article you could make the decision to stop and never drink again.
Stopping drinking is easy, the hard part is getting motivated to do it.

How do you get to be motivated? It took me a long time to find the answer to that question. The problem is when you are an alcoholic you put alcohol before everything else, your family, friends and your health.

It doesn’t matter how much damage your addiction causes, it’s your best friend and confidante, remaining faithful to the grave. Could any other area of your life be so dependable?

How the hell can anything break such a strong relationship? You may well be aware of how much your habit is costing you financially, physically and emotionally…but you continue to drink, where is the logic in that? The reason you continue to drink is because your addiction has become a survival instinct.

The Method

  • List the negative consequences of your addiction. The first step towards stopping drinking is to look at the damage your addiction is causing. Make a list of all of the negative things that have happened to you whilst drinking, the times when you put yourself or others in danger, the blackouts, the times you embarrassed yourself, lost control of your bladder, hurt anyone else or did anything you regretted in the morning. If you are a problem drinker you’ll most probably have a very long list. Do you really want to continue adding to the list? It’s only a matter of time before you really do yourself or someone else some damage.
  • Stop making excuses for you addiction. Accept the possibility that you can live without alcohol. If you really want to quit, you have to be honest with yourself, because whatever problems you have can be tackled effectively without alcohol.
  • Seek medical advice. If you are physically dependent on alcohol, quitting can be dangerous and can result in death. Your physician can provide you with advice and medication to help you to quit. You may also get the incentive to stop drinking when the doctor reveals what damage alcohol has already done to you. Your doctor may also be able to arrange counseling for you and detoxification if necessary.
  • Beware of Alcoholics Anonymous. Think carefully before going to Alcoholics Anonymous for help. Alcoholics Anonymous recovery statistics really aren’t that great, their 12 step program is not flexible and will strip you of your own personal power and identity. There are better alternatives, Rational Recovery (in my opinion) is by far the best option available for the alcoholic.
  • Develop an ongoing strategy and discover alternatives. Staying off alcohol really isn’t that hard, since I quit I’ve had to deal with the death of someone I loved dearly and drinking alcohol never even crossed my mind. I live in a house where I am the only person who does not drink (there’s always alcohol in the house). Alcohol is always around me, but luckily so are non-alcoholic alternatives. Non alcoholic beers are available in most bars and restaurants and there are plenty of non alcoholic drinks to choose from. On my Stag night I drank orange juice and watched with amusement as my friends got incredibly drunk and made fools of themselves whilst I managed to retain a sense of dignity. (It was a great feeling!)
  • Try self hypnosis and meditation. You may find it useful to write some affirmations, affirmations will make it easier for you to deal with recovery. The biggest problem I had was with my self-confidence and self-esteem. I recommend reading “Feel the fear and do it anyway” by Susan Jeffers. I found this book was a lifesaver during the early stages of my recovery. I would also recommend that you look at cognitive behavioural therapy. I found CBT was an effective way of dealing with my core beliefs about myself and life.
  • Give your life a purpose! If you’ve lived solely for alcohol, there is going to be a large gap in your life and you may well experience all of the sensations you’d associate with the loss of a lover. I launched myself into work and made a considerable amount of money online. I also personally felt a desire to help other people overcome their addiction and that is why I set up this blog, I also became drawn towards spirituality.

Quitting drinking is not going to be an easy ride but in doing so you will become a much stronger person. You’ll become more confident and not reliant on alcohol every time you face a problem. You will never suffer from those terrible hangovers which make you unable to face work. You’ll be in complete control of your faculties and will never embarrass yourself in public. Your close relationships will become stronger and you will get a great deal of respect from the people you love. You really do owe it to yourself to stop drinking, but you can only do so if you are prepared to change and to take responsibility for your life, and only you can do that.