Arming yourself with strategies and tips can help you or a loved one take small steps towards big results. Smoking and drinking among adults, Report. Home Advice How to reduce your drinking How to stop drinking alcohol completely. On this page. Practical tips on giving up alcohol Firstly, if you think you have a serious drinking problem and are experiencing any of the associated symptoms of alcohol dependence , you should consult your doctor or another medical professional about it as soon as possible.
Give up or gradually reduce your drinking? You can read more tips for cutting down at home , or tips for cutting down when out on our site. Find out the units and calories in your drinks with our Unit and Calorie Calculator.
Dr Sarah Jarvis discusses how to stop drinking completely. You can have short-term problems even with relatively low levels of alcohol consumption if you've become used to drinking really regularly. Alcohol support services. Support services. Further advice and information Arming yourself with strategies and tips can help you or a loved one take small steps towards big results.
Low alcohol drinks. Drink Free Days — your ultimate guide. Tips to reduce your drinking. Was this information helpful? Make a table like the one below, weighing the costs and benefits of drinking to the costs and benefits of quitting. The more specific, realistic, and clear your goals, the better. 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.
When do you want to stop drinking or start drinking less? In a week? Next month? Within six months? For example:. Get rid of temptations. Remove all alcohol, barware, and other alcohol-related paraphernalia from your home and office. Announce your goal. 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. This may mean giving up certain friends and social connections. Learn from the past. Reflect on previous attempts to stop or reduce your drinking.
What worked? What can you do differently this time to avoid pitfalls? Whether or not you can successfully cut back on your drinking depends on the severity of your drinking problem. Set your drinking goal. Write your drinking goal down and keep it where you will frequently see it, such as on your phone or taped to your refrigerator. Keep a record of your drinking to help you reach your goal. For 3 to 4 weeks, write down every time you have a drink and how much you drink.
Reviewing the results, you may be surprised at your weekly drinking habits. Cut down drinking at home. Try to limit or remove alcohol from your home.
Drink slower. When you drink, sip slowly and take a break of 30 minutes or one hour between drinks. Or drink soda, water, or juice between alcoholic drinks. Drinking on an empty stomach is never a good idea, so make sure you eat food when you drink.
Schedule one or two alcohol-free days each week. Then, try to stop drinking for one week. Make a note about how you feel physically and mentally on these days—recognizing the benefits may help you to cut down for good. Some people are able to stop drinking on their own or with the help of a step program or other support group see below for links. Others need medical supervision in order to withdraw from alcohol safely and comfortably.
The first step is often to consult your primary care doctor or GP. Your doctor can evaluate your drinking patterns, diagnose any co-occurring disorders , assess your overall health, and offer treatment referrals.
They may even be able to prescribe medication to help you quit. Residential treatment involves living at a treatment facility while undergoing intensive treatment during the day. Residential treatment normally lasts from days. Partial hospitalization is for people who require ongoing medical monitoring but have a stable living situation. These treatment programs usually meet at the hospital for days a week, hours per day. Intensive outpatient programs IOP focus on relapse prevention and can often be scheduled around work or school.
Therapy Individual, Group, or Family can help you identify the root causes of your alcohol use, repair your relationships, and learn healthier coping skills and how to deal with triggers that could cause you to relapse. Any alcohol addiction treatment program should be customized to your unique problems and situation. Many clergy members, social workers, and counselors also offer addiction treatment services. Treatment should address more than just your alcohol abuse.
Addiction affects your whole life, including your relationships, career, health, and psychological well-being. Treatment success depends on examining the way alcohol abuse has impacted you and developing a new way of living. Commitment and follow-through are key. Recovering from alcohol addiction or heavy drinking is not a quick and easy process. Get treatment for other medical or mental health issues.
People often abuse alcohol to ease the symptoms of an undiagnosed mental health problem , such as depression or anxiety. Your best chance of recovery is by getting combined mental health and addiction treatment from the same treatment provider or team. 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:. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually start within hours after you stop drinking, peak in a day or two, and improve within five days. Some of these strategies — such as watching for peer pressure, keeping busy, asking for support, being aware of temptation, and being persistent — can also be helpful for people who want to give up alcohol completely. Once you've cut back on your drinking so you're at or below the recommended guidelines , examine your drinking habits regularly to see if you're maintaining this level of drinking.
Some people attain their goal only to find that old habits crop up again later. If this happens, consult your doctor. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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