How do you quit drinking permanently?

Question

I found that drinking alcohol interferes with my life significantly, so I quit. Drinking felt good, but the personal price was too high. How do i make this choice permanent? I'd like detailed ideas from anybody who might know.

Answer 1

Have you ever thought of self-hypnosis? What you have done thus far is probably the hardest step thus far. You have already recognized one of the most important things of all and you have come from such a mature standpoint on this that I would say your chances of quitting for good are already quite high.

Hypnosis is a way to take your conscious messages and put them into the part of your brain that really controls your behavior; your subconscious mind.

Here is one way to do that. After you finish reading this, close your eyes and imagine the following scenes. You will imagine two screens. The first one you will imagine will have a dark frame around it. I want you to spend some time imagining a movie in this dark frame about the negative effects of alcohol; the reasons you want to quit; the personal prices you paid, and how it has interferred with your life, the bad feelings you get etc ...

Now, the other screen, I want you to imagine is bright and illuminated and beautiful. On this screen picture yourself healthy, well, successful, and having quit drinking permanently and all the benefits and positive feelings you have associated with being free of alcohol forever. Imagine the people in your life being proud of you and what you are accomplishing as a result of being free of this problem.

Now, you likely will need support ... however, why not your friends, your family ... some people who care about you. If they don't know that you drank or had a problem, tell them about it and tell them that you want their support. I don't recommend AA. I have seen what these meetings are all about and they, in my opinion, reinforce the negative. Anything that suggests you keep reminding yourself that you are an alcoholic or suggesting that you are "powerless?" this is a lie that many people choose to believe, but I recommend that when you repeat a suggestion to your brain, that it be one that you want, not one that you don't want. I also have an issue with the fact that all these alcholics sit there remembering about all the shame and mistakes they made when they drank or even the good times they had. I realize that for some people this works. But the system very DISempowering.

You are much better off right now to take what you have already learned and apply this through self-hypnosis, reinforcing the positive, and creating your own support system.

Answer 2

It is difficult to stop entirely on your own, regardless of the amount of willpower. The best advise I can offer is the advise (suggestions) that was offered to me go generously- Alcohol is a drug. It is also addictive and used to satisfy certain wants and needs unsatisfied. My advise is to sit in on an AA meeting in your neighborhood or if you prefer more anonymity, travel 20-30 miles away from your comfort zone. You can get a list of times and place for the meetings by searching the web or calling AA, the are meeting throughout the day and night in every city in the world. It is just a start and if you don't like what you see or hear- you can always keep on drinking. Excessive and Uncontrollable drinking is a disease, they say it can't be cured but it can be arrested or put on hold. It is also a shortcoming of spirituality, There is so much to live for and you will see a huge change in your life, for the better- once you get hold of this dilemma,
Good Luck

Answer 3

Rehab is a good choice depending on how serious the problem is. U can also use the support from family and friends. And if u r tempted to drink alcohol then ask urself would u rather risk ur life and have that drink or live on happy with out that martini. Also as for creative decision u can try other choices like fruit smoothies which are both delicious and healthy ; ).

Answer 4

How I did it was I changed all the people, places and things that were associated with my drinking and started hanging out a AA meetings and functions related to recovering people I made new non drinking friends and went lots of places that didn;t involve alcohol and my life has been richer since I won;t say it isn't hard because it is the only thing you HAVE to have is the real desire to not drink again all the other is simple then Best of luck take one day at a time living with one foot in the past and one in the future never makes today any better.

Answer 5

Now that is something you have to do yourself.... it's called will power. Drinking tasted good to me too. At least Budweiser did as I was a beer drinker. I drank up until about 15 years ago when I was told I had an enlarged liver. "Doesn't sound like anything that can't take care of itself now doe's it?" That's what my thoughts were at first too. Well after doing a bit of research on the subject I found out what alcohol can do to your system over a long period of time. I also found that my father had died not from old age but from cirrhosis of the liver. He always drank hard liquor with a beer chaser. I was prompted to try different non-alcoholic beers until I found one that suited my taste. After trying 4 or 5 different types I settled on O'Doul's. Today I only occassionally drink an O'Doul and mostly drink coffee, tea, soda or milk and I'm well satisfied. The main thing still is that you have to have the will power to do it. Try it you might like it like the old saying goes. My liver is in great shape at 71... how's yours and what age are you? Want to try for 71? Will power my boy... Will Power.

Answer 6

First - forget about all the AA crap they just replace one addiction with another -

Second your life may be unmanagelable but you weren't and aren't powerless .

You made bad decisions you made good decisions - you were in control - not powerless.

Now realise you can't take something away without putting somthing in it's place. So find somthing to do with yourself that doesn't involve AA - baseball bowling knitting it does not matter just that you like it it makes you feel conected to a crowd you like.

Then on your own ask yourself what did I get out of drinking - there is/was a positive..............answer that and you will find other ways to get it. Maybe with some soul searching and abstinence you can have a beer with your buddies and thats all it will be for you.

Answer 7

Lots of people have probably mentioned it, but a couple of things come to mind. One - find something positive that you can replace the alcohol with, like a hobby or something. Learn to play an instrument or get a dog or something. Two - get help. I'm not saying that you can't do it on your own, but either counseling with therapy or even just Alcoholics Anonymous is a great start.

It takes alot to admit that something needs to change. Be willing and be bold and find some friends who are non-drinkers to hang out with. Much luck to you.

Answer 8

Throw all the alcohol from your place.Since,it's world cup,avoid going to the pub,stay @home and watch with your family with a popcorn, crisps..hmmnnnn ,icecream, is ideal because its,too humid this summertime.(Sorry, this might work with you if you live in alaska or Uk)huh!
Stay and kiss your girlfriend all the time.If these two ,don't work,
you need cognitive behavioral therapy/psychiatrist,counselling,etc,You should also mention it to your family.No other people can help but family.
Avoid friends who are pushing you into it.They are not real friends if they insist that you will drink with them.If you get ill ,they might or not visit you anyway and besides ,who will pay your medical thing.YOU!Not only that ,you put your job @ risk too.
Anyway,if you are european ,who cares of the bill,you've got free medical services.Then you will have sick benefits.It might not be too much but if you go to Asia ,you'll live like a millionaire there.

Answer 9

Sounds like you have made a good start and wise choices, why don't you check out a 12 Step program. Alot of people start enjoying alcohol is high school or college and when they make the decision that it isn't the course that they want to follow, they have trouble realizing how to have fun without drinking. 12 step programs make a lot of tools available so that you can learn to "live" without drinking.

Answer 10

Many people have been recommending AA to you and I think that it is a good idea. You simply need to be in a support group with people that are going through the same thing as you. You could also see a therapist who can help you deal with the problem. Good luck. I think that so far you have made a great decision that you will thank yourself for throughouth the rest of your life.