Many people don't realize that they have a drinking problem. Sometimes drinking a bottle of beer after a hard day at work, meeting friends at a bar on Friday, raising a glass for your health on vacation - is this really an addiction? No, but this behavior can turn into alcoholism. Even a rare alcoholic beverage causes great harm to your health. How to stop drinking? In this article, we will share effective and easy ways to stop drinking quickly.
Signs of alcoholism
- Non-alcoholic parties are not fun.
- The person starts drinking alone.
- When sober, you experience constant feelings of anxiety and discomfort.
- Refraining from alcohol for several days in a row is agony.
- Non-drinkers are baffling.
- After severe poisoning, a person does not remember anything.
If you find two or more signs, you should think about possible problems.
Stages of alcoholism
First stage
Main functions:
- The amount of alcohol consumed by an alcoholic is constantly increasing. The body becomes resistant to high degrees.
- The gag reflex disappears.
- The person starts drinking alone.
- There is a desire to drink at the wrong time.
- Memory is running low.
- A person makes scandals at home, quarrels with colleagues.
- Interest in important matters disappears.
- If you do not drink for a while, the desire to drink alcohol disappears.
- It's hard to keep track of how much you drink.
The second stage of alcoholism
At this stage, the alcoholic becomes more loyal to strong drinks and increases the dose without realizing it.
Main functions:
- The behavior of an alcoholic becomes difficult to predict, sometimes even dangerous for others and for himself.
- Physiological dependence is increasing. In the morning, a person suffers from a severe hangover, it is more difficult for him to work during the day.
- Nausea, blood pressure increases, heart rate increases, arms and legs shake, fever increases.
- Finds it difficult to accept external stimuli, such as bright lights or loud noises.
- The alcoholic experiences a dark mood, constantly feels tension.
- He begins to raise his hand towards those close to him.
- Intellect diminishes, concentrating attention becomes problematic.
- The patient realizes that he is getting worse from drinking alcohol, but cannot fight the addiction.
The third stage of alcoholism
What changes are characteristic of the third stage? Key functions:
- An alcoholic drinks alcohol almost every day.
- Remarkable degradation of personality.
- Pathological mental changes.
- Grade 3 alcoholism is also accompanied by the following diseases:
- Liver cirrhosis.
- Alcoholic indurative pancreatitis.
- Alcoholic gastritis.
- Alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
- Alcoholic neuropathy.
- Psychic changes manifest themselves in hallucinations and delusions.
An easy way to stop drinking on your own
Find a substitute for alcohol
To do this, you need to take some time off. It is recommended that the hobby has nothing to do with alcohol. This is the easiest and most effective way to stop drinking on your own. The best thing you can do is find an activity that completely envelops you: sports, dancing, acting. If you find something to your liking, after a while it will become clear to you that even if you drink just a little, the next day will be difficult. Then you will want to get rid of this discomfort and forget about alcohol.
Chat with other people
Are you mostly friends with fun-loving people who don't mind having a few drinks on Friday and beyond? Think if there is something more than the parts that binds you to them. Otherwise, nothing catastrophic will happen to the loss of these people in your life.
According to reviews, communication helps to get rid of alcoholism. Reach out to friends who don't drink, preferably those who are an example to you. Then, looking at them, you will want to be the same, and this is an incentive for change.
Don't put your will power to the test, don't agree to sit in a bar with your friends with sodas when everyone else is drinking. You will definitely be offered a drink, and you, in order not to look bored, will probably agree.
Congratulate yourself
Alcohol is expensive. Therefore, if you abandon it, you can save a lot of money. With them, buy something that you dreamed of, but could not afford. This will be a reward for kicking the bad habit.
Stop Smoking
When you're sad, you just want to sit on the windowsill, smoke, and drink a glass of wine. Smokers must also give up nicotine. Tobacco and alcohol always go hand in hand.
Don't give up alcohol forever
Be light about what's going on. Don't say goodbye to alcohol forever. Otherwise, you run the risk of rapidly slipping into depression and, in a moment of weakness, letting go.
Make sure you are reducing your addiction, but this abstinence is not forever. You can drink again when you have the situation under control.
What do you need to remember when fighting alcoholism at home?
- Alcoholism develops slowly. The disease can be noticed in the early stages and stops immediately.
- With alcoholism in the second and third stages, health, freshness, beauty, youth are lost. Alcoholics begin to spoil relationships with others.
- With the proper fight against alcoholism, it can be completely overcome. The ex-patient will be able to afford a couple of glasses on vacation without breaking.
- If an alcoholic breaks loose, he shouldn't blame himself. Don't get depressed or hate yourself. Everything happens gradually, next time it will be easier.