How to Recover from Alcohol Addiction

While alcohol is easy to get addicted too, getting rid of its addiction can be a bit harder for some people than it may seem.

Without proper support from friends and family members, some people may even fall to the pits of hopelessness and may give up halfway in their recovery. But the recovery from alcohol addiction is not impossible. All it takes is a bit of support, determination, and commitment to get rid of alcohol addiction. Here are some things you will need in order to rid yourself of alcohol abuse.

The first and foremost thing you will need is a solid and concrete commitment. You must be willing to give up on alcohol entirely and must be determined to see it all the way through. The best step is to stop drinking entirely but it’s usually next to impossible for a lot of people to stop drinking at once so it may be better to limit the drinking days to the weekends only and also place a limit on how much you can drink even on those days. Note that this is only a temporary step which you’ll have to give up on after some time.

The next step is to enforce your decision to stop drinking. In order to do that, all the temptations must cast out from your home. Get rid of all the alcohol in your home and announce your goal/decision to your family and friends and ask for their support in your recovery. Set your limits and act on them and avoid the alcoholic influences at all costs.

The alcohol withdrawal has some symptoms which can include headaches, shaking, sweating, vomiting, high blood pressure, anxiety, sleeplessness, and diarrhea. While these symptoms last five days and are not usually serious, they can be life-threatening for some people so be sure to call 911 or get to a nearby hospital one or more of these symptoms appear. Depending on the severity of your addiction, you may also need detoxification treatment so consult an addiction specialist or a doctor beforehand.

The next step is to build a new life in which there is no place for drinking. To do this, a number of things can be done. Eating right and getting a lot of sleep can help suppress violence urges. Exercise is a good stress reliever. Stay in touch with positive influencers and develop new hobbies and activities which may give you a sense of purpose like volunteer activities. Continue your treatment and find healthy ways to deal with stress like exercising or meditation. Join a recovery support group as well if you can. They can have a positive influence during the recovery.

The drinking urges in the first six months after quitting can be intense. To suppress these urges, try to distract yourself like playing games, eating or drinking 2-3 water or juice. Talk to your best friend about it and keep reminding yourself why you quit drinking. Lean on your family members and friends for support in your endeavor and talk to them frequently. See a medical specialist and a psychologist as well since quitting, in some cases, can have some issues.

Alcohol recovery is a gradual process which takes time and may not succeed the first time. Even if you relapse, there is no need to consider yourself a failure or thinking that it is impossible for you. Each relapse is an opportunity for you to learn and avoid it in the next try. Never give up hope. That is the key to recovery.