If you’re like most people, you’ve either considered quitting drinking or have already quit. Maybe it’s the New Year that got you thinking about change; maybe it’s your health; maybe you just feel like doing something different for a while. So now the question is: What should you do now? One of the most important things you can do is avoid the common mistakes people make when they finally decide to quit. Let’s take a closer look:
Mistake 1: Going Cold Turkey
If you’re serious about quitting, don’t just stop drinking. This isn’t always the best way to do it. As anyone who has tried this knows, your body will go through withdrawal and you’ll experience all kinds of physical and psychological symptoms: nausea, heart palpitations, insomnia, and more.
Instead, you should talk to your doctor about how to quit drinking. Your doctor might suggest medication, such as Antabuse or naltrexone, which can help you to stop drinking. You might also want to consider a medically-supervised detox program that will ensure your safety and comfort through the withdrawal process. A clinic like this one https://pinnaclerecoveryut.com/ can really help.
Mistake 2: Cutting Back – It’s Not The Same!
You might think that cutting back on your drinking will be easier than quitting altogether. Don’t assume this! As anyone who’s tried it knows, reducing your intake is often much harder than just giving up alcohol completely. If you really want to quit drinking for good, don’t go for the “halfway solution”. Go all the way – stopping completely.
Mistake 3: Assuming You’ll Be Able To Control Your Drinking Later On
Many people who quit drinking think that they can go back to “normal” drinking later on, perhaps after a sober period of six months or so. But research shows otherwise. Studies have shown that most people who drink again after quitting will eventually pick up where they left off, often within a few months. If you really want to quit drinking for good, then don’t go down that road. You’ll be better off if you commit to abstinence now and forever.
Mistake 4: Assuming Alcohol Won’t Affect Your Life Much
A lot of people think, “Sure I drink too much, but it really doesn’t affect my life that much”. But if you think this way then you need to think again. Alcohol can affect your work, relationships, and health in many ways that are often difficult to see at first. For example, alcohol might make you more likely to get into arguments with your spouse or boss; it might interfere with your sleep; it might affect your work performance; and more. If you want to quit drinking for good, then take a hard look at the costs of drinking in your life. Once you do this, you’ll quickly realize that alcohol is affecting you much more than you think.
Mistake 5: Getting Frustrated If You Slip Up
If you quit drinking but then have a few drinks in one night, don’t get discouraged. Remember that everyone slips up sometimes. Don’t give up on your efforts to quit just because of this slip. Try to learn from the experience and keep going forward towards the goal of quitting for good.
Mistake 6: Focusing On The Withdrawal Symptoms
The withdrawal symptoms are probably the most challenging part of quitting. But here’s the thing to remember: they won’t last forever. So when you get frustrated because you’ve been feeling sick or have had trouble sleeping, just try to think about how good you’ll feel when it’s all over.
Ultimately, it’s about being able to look back and realize that you have quit for good that makes it all worth it.