The Challenges of Quitting Alcohol

On the surface, quitting alcohol may appear simple enough. All you have to do is stop drinking. How hard could that be? Unfortunately, this is a big challenge for many people. Despite the fact that you are facing an uphill climb, cutting alcohol out of your life is sure to improve everything from your personal relationships to your career and much more.

Have you Tried and Failed in the Past?

Since quitting alcohol is never as simple as it sounds, you may have tried and failed in the past. By taking the right steps this time around, you can achieve greater success while reaching all of your goals. Let QuitAlcohol.com help you take the right steps.

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What is an Alcoholic?

Medically speaking, an alcoholic is a person who suffers from alcoholism. This means that the body is dependent on alcohol. Contrary to what many people believe, alcoholism is a chronic, long lasting disease that can lead to serious bodily harm and in many cases death.

Are you an Alcoholic?

If you find yourself asking this question, there is a good chance that you are worried about how much alcohol you drink. Although the answers that you find may scare you, it is better to assess your situation now than to wait around and hope for the best in the future (the best will likely never come).

Here are three common signs that you may be abusing alcohol:

Constantly neglecting your responsibilities – such as your family and work life – as a direct relation to your drinking. This could include anything from not spending time with your children to missing important work functions.

Repeatedly dealing with legal issues related to drinking problems. Have you been arrested for driving under the influence? Do you find yourself getting into physical altercations when you are drunk?

Drinking heavily because it is the only way for you to relax. As unfortunate as it may be, many people get on the road to alcoholism because they are looking for a way to de-stress and unwind. Soon enough, drinking is the only way to get any relief. Are you reaching for a drink every time you feel stressed?

Alcohol Dependence

You may have a difficult time determining if you are dependent on alcohol – especially if you are in denial. Here are five warning signs:

• You no longer have control over how much you are drinking
• You want to stop but are having a difficult time doing so
• Your life has changed due to your alcohol use
• You spend a lot of time and money focused on alcohol, including when your next drink will come
• You continue to drink even though it is causing issues in your life, such as missing work and treating your family poorly

This information should help you answer the question, “what is an alcoholic?”

How to Quit Drinking

Overcoming an addiction to alcohol can be one of the biggest challenges of your life. At times, you may feel that you are facing an uphill battle that has no end. Despite the many difficulties that you are sure to face, anybody can recover from alcoholism by taking the appropriate steps.

If you are ready to cut alcohol from your life and get the help you need, you may be surprised at the progress you can make in a relatively short period of time. Why wait until things get worse when you can begin to change your life for the better right now?

Here are a few basic steps to follow if you want to quit drinking:

Commit to making a change.

Until you do this, you are going to be “spinning your wheels” and searching for answers. You must be ready to change for the better.

Set goals.

Just like anything else in your life, it is easier to make progress and track results when you set goals. When it comes to quitting drinking, you can use both short and long terms goals to your advantage. Are you looking to cut alcohol out of your life completely? Do you just want to cut back? By answering these questions, you can begin to set goals.

Let your family and friends know what you are doing.

Believe it or not, many people think that hiding a drinking problem is the best thing they can do. They don’t want others to know that they are facing this issue. Rather than hide, rely on the assistance of your loved ones.

Prepare yourself for change.

You should expect to face some withdrawal symptoms as you cut alcohol out of your life. Along with this, you need to change your social life for the better. This often times means not going around others who are drinking.

Check into an addiction treatment center.

Some people can quit drinking on their own while others need the help of a professional staff. If you don’t think you can make progress alone, there is nothing wrong with turning to a local addiction treatment facility.

If you want to quit drinking, these five steps can put you on the road to recovery.