Don't Give Up: Your 8 Recovery Steps from Alcohol Addiction

How the hell am I ever going to stop!!?

Want to stop drinking alcohol? Overcoming an addiction to alcohol can be a long and bumpy road. At times, it may even feel impossible. But it’s not. 

With these 8 recovery tips on how to stop drinking alcohol, you will have some self - help ideas on how to start to make the change and where to look  for help and support.

Whether you are a regular drinker or you quietly drink a six pack by yourself each night, you may have fallen into the trap of alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is heavy drinking, where your drinking leads to problems—physical, mental or emotional.

On the other hand, alcohol addiction is a physical addiction or need to drink more and more. With addiction, the alcohol takes first place in your life—over family, friends, job, school and even your physical and mental health.

If you’re willing to stop drinking and to get the support you need, you can recover from alcoholism and alcohol abuse—no matter how bad the addiction or how powerless you feel.

There are many things you can do to help yourself stop drinking and achieve lasting recovery.

Alcohol treatment & recovery step 1: Commit to stop drinking

If you’re not sure if you’re ready to change or you’re struggling with the decision, it can help to think about the costs and benefits of each choice.

Example: Evaluating the costs and benefits of drinking

Is Drinking Worth The Cost?

Benefits of drinking:

• It helps me forget about my problems.

• I have fun when I drink.

• It’s my way of relaxing and unwinding after a stressful day.

Benefits of not drinking:

• My relationships would probably improve.

• I’d feel better mentally and physically.

• I’d have more time and energy for the people and activities I care about.

Costs of drinking:

• It has caused problems in my relationships.

• I feel depressed, anxious, and ashamed of myself.

• It gets in the way of my job performance and family responsibilities.

Costs of not drinking:

• I’d have to find another way to deal with problems.

• I’d lose my drinking buddies.

• I would have to face the responsibilities I’ve been ignoring.

Make a table like the one above, weighing the costs and benefits of drinking to the costs and benefits of quitting. Each list can be as long as you like.  

Do the costs of drinking outweigh the benefits? If so, you may want to consider making a decision to stop drinking.

Alcohol treatment & recovery step 2: Set goals and prepare for change

Once you’ve made the decision to change, the next step is establishing clear drinking goals. 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. 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 and set the stage for a successful recovery from alcohol addiction.

Example #1: My drinking goal

• I will stop drinking alcohol.

• My quit date is __________.

Example #2: My drinking goal

• I will stop drinking on weekdays, starting as of __________.

• I will limit my Saturday and Sunday drinking to no more than 3 drinks per day or 5 drinks per weekend.

• After three months, I will cut back my weekend drinking even more to a maximum of 2 drinks per day and 3 drinks per weekend.

Can I cut back on my drinking or do I need to stop drinking completely?

Whether or not you can successfully cut back on your drinking depends on the severity of your drinking problem. For most people with an alcohol problem, abstinence is the safest and easiest strategy. Regular drinking can quickly turn into problem drinking, and as long as you’re drinking at all, you’re taking that risk.

If you’re an alcoholic—which , by definition, means you aren’t able to control your drinking—it’s best to try to stop drinking entirely.

If you’re not ready to take that step, or if you don’t have an alcohol abuse problem, but you want to cut back for personal or health reasons, the following tips can help:

How to Cut Down on Your Drinking:

• Set a drinking goal. Choose a limit for how much you will drink. Make sure your limit is not more than one drink a day if you’re a woman, or two drinks a day if you’re a man. Now write your drinking goal on a piece of paper. Put it where you can see it, such as on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror.

• Keep a "diary" of your drinking. To help you reach your goal, keep a "diary" of your drinking. For example, write down every time you have a drink for 1 week. Try to keep your diary for 3 or 4 weeks. This will show you how much you drink and when. You may be surprised. How different is your goal from the amount you drink now?

• Watch it at home. Keep a small amount or no alcohol at home. Don't keep temptations around.

• Drink slowly. When you drink, sip your drink slowly. Take a break of 1 hour between drinks. Drink soda, water, or juice after a drink with alcohol. Do not drink on an empty stomach! Eat food when you are drinking.

• Take a break from alcohol. Pick a day or two each week when you will not drink at all. Then, try to stop drinking for 1 week. Think about how you feel physically and emotionally on these days. When you succeed and feel better, you may find it easier to cut down for good.

Adapted from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Alcohol treatment & recovery step 3: Get support

Whether you choose to go to rehab, rely on self-help programs, get therapy, or take a self-directed treatment approach, support is essential.

Don’t try to go it alone.

Recovering from alcohol addiction is much easier when you have people you can lean on for encouragement, comfort, and guidance.

Support can come from family members, friends, counsellors, other recovering alcoholics, your healthcare providers, and people from your faith community.

• Lean on close friends and family – Having the support of friends and family members is an invaluable asset in recovery. If you’re reluctant to turn to your loved ones because you’ve let them down before, consider going to couples counselling or family therapy.

• Build a sober social network – If your previous social life revolved around drugs, you may need to make some new connections. It’s important to have sober friends who will support your recovery. Try taking a class, joining a church or a civic group, volunteering, or attending events in your community.

• Consider moving in to a sober living home – Sober living homes provide a safe, supportive place to live while you’re recovering from drug addiction. They are a good option if you don’t have a stable home or a drug-free living environment to go to.

• Make meetings a priority – Join a recovery support group and attend meetings regularly. Spending time with people who understand exactly what you’re going through can be very healing. You can also benefit from the shared experiences of the group members and learn what others have done to stay sober.

Alcohol treatment & recovery step 4: Explore treatment options

When evaluating the many types of alcohol treatment programs, remember that everyone’s needs are different.

A quality treatment program not only addresses the alcohol abuse, it also addresses the emotional pain and other life problems that contribute to your addiction.

We highly recommend reading:
Self-compassion as a coping strategy
during stressful life events

As you seek help for alcohol addiction, it’s also important to get treatment for any other medical or psychological issues you’re experiencing. Alcohol abuse frequently goes hand in hand with other mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, and bipolar disorder. In many cases, the drinking is an attempt to self-medicate. When these problems co-occur, recovery depends on treating them both.

Alcohol treatment and recovery step 5: Get sober safely

Some people can stop drinking on their own without a doctor’s help, while others need medical supervision in order to withdraw from alcohol safely and comfortably. Which option is best for you depends on how much you’ve been drinking, how long you’ve had a problem, and other health issues you may have.

Be prepared! : Withdrawing from alcohol

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:

• Headache

• Shaking

• Sweating

• Nausea or vomiting

• Anxiety and restlessness

• Stomach cramps and diarrhea

• Trouble sleeping or concentrating

• Elevated heart rate and blood pressure

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually start within hours after you stop drinking, peak in a day or two, and improve within five days. But in some alcoholics, withdrawal is not just unpleasant—it can be life threatening.

Call or go to the emergency room if you experience any of the following withdrawal symptoms:

• severe vomiting

• confusion and disorientation

• fever

• hallucinations

• extreme agitation

• seizures or convulsions

The symptoms listed above may be a sign of a severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens, or DTs. This rare, emergency condition causes dangerous changes in the way your brain regulates your circulation and breathing, so it’s important to get to the hospital right away.

Alcohol treatment & recovery step 6: Find new meaning in life

To stay alcohol-free for the long term, you’ll need to build a new, meaningful life where drinking no longer has a place.

5 steps to a sober lifestyle

1. Take care of yourself. Basic self-care practices are essential to alcohol recovery. To prevent mood swings and combat cravings, concentrate on eating right and getting plenty of sleep. Exercise is also key: it releases endorphins, relieves stress, and promotes emotional well-being.

2. Build your support network. Surround yourself with positive influences and people who make you feel good about yourself. The more you’re invested in other people and your community, the more your have to lose—which will help you stay motivated and on the recovery track.

3. Develop new activities and interests. Find new hobbies, volunteer activities, or work that gives you a sense of meaning and purpose. When you’re doing things you find fulfilling, you’ll feel better about yourself and drinking will hold less appeal.

4. Continue treatment. Your chances of staying sober improve if you are participating in a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous, have a sponsor, or are involved in therapy or an outpatient treatment program.

5. Deal with stress in a healthy way. Alcohol abuse is often a misguided attempt to manage stress. But there are healthier ways to keep your stress level in check, including exercising, meditating, using sensory strategies to relax, practicing simple breathing exercises, and challenging self-defeating thoughts.

Alcohol treatment & recovery step 7: Plan for triggers and cravings

Cravings for alcohol can be intense, particularly in the first six months after you quit drinking. Good alcohol treatment prepares your for these challenges, helping you develop new coping skills to deal with stressful situations, alcohol cravings, and social pressure to drink.

Avoiding drinking triggers:

Give yourself the best possible chance of staying sober by minimizing temptation and developing strategies for staying strong when it’s unavoidable.

• Avoid the things that trigger your urge to drink. If certain people, places, or activities trigger a craving for alcohol, try to avoid them. This may mean making major changes to your social life, such as finding new things to do with your old drinking buddies—or even giving up those friends.

• Practice saying “no” to alcohol in social situations. No matter how much you try to avoid alcohol, there will probably be times where you’re offered a drink. Prepare ahead for how you’ll respond, with a firm, yet polite, “no thanks.” Don’t give yourself time to start coming up with reasons why it’s okay “just this once.”

Learn to Say NO nicely – “N.I.C.E” to say NO

N: Say “No”. Not “maybe” or “later”.

I:  Follow with an “I” statement: “I’m not going to .... , it is not part of my life plan”

C: If pressure continues, “Change”. Change the topic. Change your conversation partner. Change the location.

E: If these strategies do not help, you need “Exit “plan. Leave a bad situation immediately.

Managing alcohol cravings:

When you’re struggling with alcohol cravings, try these strategies:

• 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.

The 3 basic steps of urge surfing:

1. Take an inventory of how you experience the craving. Do this by sitting in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands in a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths and focus your attention inward. Allow your attention to wander through your body. Notice where in your body you experience the craving and what the sensations are like. Notice each area where you experience the urge, and tell yourself what you are experiencing. For example, “Let me see . . . My craving is in my mouth and nose and in my stomach.”

2. Focus on one area where you are experiencing the urge. Notice the exact sensations in that area. For example, do you feel hot, cold, tingly, or numb? Are your muscles tense or relaxed? How large an area is involved? Notice the sensations and describe them to yourself. Notice the changes that occur in the sensation. “Well, my mouth feels dry and parched. There is tension in my lips and tongue. I keep swallowing. As I exhale, I can imagine the smell and tingle of booze.”

3. Repeat the focusing with each part of your body that experiences the craving. Pay attention to and describe to yourself the changes that occur in the sensations. Notice how the urge comes and goes. Many people, when they urge surf, notice that after a few minutes the craving has vanished. The purpose of this exercise, however, is not to make the craving go away but to experience the craving in a new way. If you practice urge surfing, you will become familiar with your cravings and learn how to ride them out until they go away naturally.

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Alcohol treatment & recovery step 8: Don’t give up!

Changing problem drinking habits takes time, especially if your social life has revolved around alcohol or you’ve used drinking to cope with stress and numb your emotions. There is no quick and easy fix. Alcohol recovery is a process—one that often involves setbacks.

What to do if you slip:

• Get rid of the alcohol and get away from the setting where you lapsed.

• Remind yourself that one drink or a brief lapse doesn’t have to turn into a full-blown relapse.

• Don’t let feelings of guilt, blame, or shame keep you from getting back on track.• Call your sponsor, counsellor, or a supportive friend right away for help

Learn from your drinking relapse:

Don’t give up if you relapse or slip. A drinking relapse doesn’t mean you’re a failure or that you’ll never be able to reach your goal.

Recovery isn’t hopeless—even if you’ve relapsed many times. Each drinking relapse is an opportunity to learn and recommit to sobriety, so you’ll be less likely to relapse in the future. Think of relapse as a detour on the road to recovery, rather than a derailment. You can choose to get back on the main path and continue travelling in the direction of positive change.

Call us for the individual counselling session on 02 9542 4029.

We provide a professional service with fully qualified counsellors.

Source: Alcohol Addiction Treatment and Self-Help, http://www.helpguide.org/mental/alcohol_abuse_alcoholism_help_treatment_prevention.

Power of "I AM" in a Recovery Journey for Alcoholic and Other Drug Issues

Power of  "I am" - when you say "I am", followed by any statement, and you add certainty to it, it becomes your reality.. in many cases, your identity. When you combine these two powerful words with emotion, everything around you moves to support that statement.

I drank from the time I was 13 to the time I was 24 and I drank heavily. I avoided any responsibility for years, and I had a very strong Identity that defined me.For years I thought, "I am being punished". Because of that Identity, I took all the terrible things that were happening to me and placed the blame on God. And there finally came a point, based on many experiences that opened me to new possibilities, that I created a new Identity.
A point came where I had to say with certainty, "I am an alcoholic". And when I said those words, things shifted, and on an unconscious level, I no longer was able to make excuses for why I was drinking. I now had the identity of being and "alcoholic".

By acknowledging these things, it gave me a starting point, to begin correcting my life. By making the statement that I was an alcoholic, everything I knew on an unconscious level came up to support me in that statement:"OK, if you'are an alcoholic, you need to act, think and be like this." So when I reached a certain point, and Identity that used to serve me, no longer did and began to limit me.

Let me explain conscious and unconscious for the moment. Your conscious mind acts as a filter. It filters things through your beliefs, rules and values. Your unconscious just absorbs everything like a sponge. Your unconscious is called to action by your conscious mind based on how you direct your focus.

I started taking actions that supported me in becoming a recovering alcoholic. The identity changed from ,"I am an alcoholic" to "I'm recovering. I am no longer drinking." With this shift of "I am" and adding the certainty to the new statement, my unconscious started pulling different references and resources to support this new Identity.

Every time you put something after the two most powerful words "I am" and you say it with certainty, your unconscious will accept that as your Identity and do things, millions of things, within nanoseconds to support you in that moment.

Understand that we can change our identity at any point. Most people don't even realize how they create identities for themselves and change them. People walk around all day long, making excused and complaining saying, "I am lazy." Or,"I'm a procrastinator." But, when we say things with certainty, our unconscious mind does everything it needs to do to support us in that statement. The things that get us into trouble and that we take for granted are the simple statements. We make a mistake and say,"I am a failure." And we say it with completely certainty based on the mistake we made without even thinking about it. The more times you tell yourself something using powerful words like these, the more certain you become in it being true. When it you gain that certainty, it becomes your truth, it becomes your Identity.

Keep track, how many times do you say, "I am____", something that empowers you and how many times are you saying "I am______", something that is dis-empowering or tearing you down. Become aware. Then start changing how you address yourself.  A small change in your Identity can make a major shift in your reality. 

by Willard Barth

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Peer managed, self help group to help with recovery and relapse from alcohol and drug use
Smart Recovery Group
www.enoughisenough.org.au

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For information about Enough is Enough Anti Violence Movement visit: www.enoughisenough.org.au

Alcohol & Other Drugs - A Journey of Recovery

Alcohol and Drug issues are in constant view through media and news stories, with these come a lot of miscommunication and misconception about the issues of Alcohol and Drug use.

These issues underlie and create our most important problems as a society. Crime, road trauma, domestic violence, mental health, family/relationships – these issues are complex and often not easily understood by those affected.

Alcohol and drug use can increase and decrease at different times in people’s lives depending on what happens in life – there can be long term or short term alcohol and drug problems and these can be equally problematic. There may be little or no awareness or understanding about underlying or ongoing issues. Often these issues are intertwined with other life problems.

Often people faced with these problems do not know where to get help or what options are available; some services have their limits of availability, or only work in specific areas.

At Enough is Enough we have developed a holistic program to liaise and network with health services in the area (Sutherland Shire). We offer an initial assessment to clients which includes a counselling program, referral to other medical/social services if and when needed and ‘relapse prevention’ support. These are based on the initial client assessment.

We work individually with each client for the best outcome, using different counselling modalities, psycho-education, harm minimisation and/or abstinence strategies. We offer counselling, psychotherapy and psychology within our program.

If you are concerned about your level of alcohol or drug use and would like an assessment or information about Alcohol and drugs or about our program please don’t hesitate to contact our counselling service. We offer a confidential, professional, non judgmental service and our counselling fee is kept to a minimum so that it is available to all members of the community.
Deborah Rollings
Community Development Officer and Cousellor

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If you are interesting in finding out more about Enough is Enough and our service please call 02 9542 4029 or contact P.O. Box 799, Sutherland, 1499

or email: counselling@enoughisenough.org.au

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How the hell am I ever going to stop!!!?

For years I asked myself that question and every morning I would wake up, out of my alcohol and drug induced sleep and say to myself……“Today I will not drink or take drugs”. Within minutes I was taking some form of substance to get me going and I just did not stop, because I couldn’t!
How did I end up like that, I don’t know, but it was horrible and I never ever want to go back there.

Let me tell you a bit about me, what happened to me and where I am at today (sounds a bit like a self-help group meeting doesn’t it, well read on).
I did not drink until I was 18 years old and used to drink at a hotel in West Sydney, NSW. I remember my first schooner as if it was yesterday, bloody beautiful, cold, wet and best of all it made me tingle and feel different. After a couple I did not have a care in the world and I quickly worked out that the more I drank the less it mattered what was going on around me…………….from there the journey began.
I joined a major bank and drank my way through a 20 year career, finally drinking and taking drugs my way out of that career, at management level. “How did that happen, how could I become a BANK MANAGER, but lose that job because of my addiction? What do I do next?”
I started a lawn mowing business as it allowed me time to feed my habit, lots of grass available, ha ha, I even told people I was dealing heavily in grass! But when the grass don’t grow no money comes in and I landed a night shift job packing yoghurt, not bad eh from a Bank Manger to a factory worker (nothing against factory workers) but all my skills I had acquired over the years had been removed by my addiction.

One Saturday night I asked my wife a question and she answered me with a no!!!! I went psycho and punched 4 holes in the kitchen wall, thank God it was not my wife’s head and she called the police and I was taken away. I was suicidal and rang a counselling group who suggested I may have an alcohol and drug problem (as if I did not know that) and I should get help. “Where the hell do I get that?” I said, as I wanted it right then and there not in a week’s time. It was suggested I commit to a safe plan and go to the counselling group the next day. That did not happen. I went to my doctor and he referred me to a hospital in West Sydney. I was assessed and it was suggested I go to detox…”What the hell is that?” I said, as I had no idea. They gave me a few names of Detoxification Centres. “No way” I said, “I am not going there as they’re for bad alcoholics and addicts, not for me”. Then they uttered the magic words of two psychiatric facilities in West Sydney. “Hallelujah” I said, “when can I go?” as I was that insane I knew what the Hospital was and wanted to go there because I was crazy, not for anything to do with my addictions.

I will never, ever forget the feeling of absolute fear that was in me when I stood at the door, waiting to enter and be admitted. I thought I would never come out and that I would be strapped to the bed and drip fed for the rest of my life. Absolutely insane, I entered and was greeted by an admissions nurse who asked me such questions as: Have you seen spiders crawl up the wall? Who is the Prime Minister? And others I cannot recall.
Why is she asking me these stupid questions I thought. Today I know why, she was measuring the degree of damage I had done to myself! We are starting to get to where my story differs from the run of the mill who do detox and go to self-help groups or whatever and here is why.
I attended the compulsory group sessions (great idea otherwise I would not have gone) and compulsory self-help group meetings. It was during that time I worked out that I was not alone in the world and there were other people just like me who wanted to stop, but could not. I started to go to a self-help group because I liked it and I found it good for me, but I also was coming to the Detox 3 or 4 times a week for meetings and started to talk to the patients.  If an alcoholic or addict is forced to stop by family, friends, courts or whatever, they will not until they have had enough and want to do it for themselves.

What am I doing today?
I am a Logistics Manager for a large Pharmaceutical Company. I have a manageable debt, have restored my relationship with my wife and children. I have two loving grandchildren and I live a wonderful, wonderful life, a life far removed from the pathetic existence of the addict, lying, cheating and scamming on a daily basis just to survive.
Today I do not survive, I live a life beyond my wildest dreams and all the fears from back at day one in detox at the Psychiatric Hospital are long gone. There is no fear today, only a sense of hope that life can only get better on this 10th year of my journey of life.
Anonymous
http://www.positivestories.org.au/index2.html#
IF YOU HAVE PARTICULAR CONCERNS REGARDING YOUR OWN DRINKING OR DRUG USE & ITS EFFECTS ON YOU OR YOUR FAMILY, CALL US TODAY FOR INITIAL ASSESSMENT 02 9542 4029.  Please download Alcohol and Other Drugs Individually Planned Programs Brochure. (PDF 770 Kb)