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. For example:

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?

WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

  1. Headache
  2. Shaking
  3. Sweating
  4. Nausea or vomiting
  5. Anxiety and restlessness
  6. Stomach cramps and diarrhea
  7. Trouble sleeping or concentrating
  8. Elevated heart rate and blood pressure

WHAT TO DO

  • 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.