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5 Tips for giving up alcohol


Thinking of giving up alcohol? It can be a great way to feel better, get yourself out of an addiction or even may be the answer you need to save money. For those that love a drink, going teetotal can be very difficult. Here are just five tips for successfully quitting booze.

Focus on the positives of quitting

Most people find it hard to quit drinking because they focus too hard on the negative changes it brings – it may make it harder to socialise without drinking and harder to relieve stress. Try not to focus on the losses and instead focus on the positive gains – the fact that quitting could drastically improve your physical health, give you more disposable income and make you more responsible. Quitting could make you healthier, wealthier and more motivated to follow personal goals. Focus on this aspect and you’ll realise you’re doing the right thing.

Surround yourself with supportive people

Some people will try to encourage you to drink alcohol and may even buy drinks for you against your will. It may be time to cut off ties with these people – or at the very least avoid social situations with them. Instead, surround yourself with people that support your decision not to drink. This will make it easier to not give in.

Find healthy ways to fill the gap

Abstaining from alcohol will leave an empty gap that needs to be filled. If you used to spend weekday evenings drinking, you may want to find a replacement activity such as going to the gym or taking up another hobby. As for socialising with friends, you may need to find a replacement drink – nowadays there are so many non-alcoholic substitutes that you can try. Alternatively, if you find that these drinks tease you into wanting to relapse, sticking to a soft drink may be a better idea.

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Don’t revert because of a relapse

You may give into alcohol occasionally at first – just make sure that these relapses don’t cause you to revert back to your old ways. Once you’ve fallen off the wagon, get back on straight away. You can click here for more information on what to do when you relapse. By sticking to your goal of not drinking you can stay on the straight and narrow.  

Know when to get professional help

If you were a serious drinker beforehand, you could find that your body has become dependant on alcohol. You may experience shaking, sweating and nausea when not drinking and you may feel a compulsive need to get your next fix of alcohol. In such cases, seeking out professional help could be necessary.

You may also want to seek out professional help if you’re constantly relapsing and unable to find the willpower to stop drinking – even if you’re not physically dependent, you may still be mentally dependent. Professional help could involve seeing a counselor, attending an AA group or even checking into rehab. You can find more information about your options here.





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