Evidence-based addiction treatment uses the current and best research-based evidence to make informed decisions about your rehab care. When reaching out to family and friends for support, it’s important to choose wisely. In fact, your journey to sobriety will likely involve strengthening some relationships and purging others. You may find yourself leaning on your trusted support system a lot and breaking ties with those who do not aid you in your recovery. If you’ve been curious about how to stop drinking alcohol and get sober, you might be wondering where to start. Keep reading to learn about steps you can take to stop drinking, take back control of your life, and how to get sober from alcohol to start the path to recovery and long-term sobriety.
Stuck at Day 0? Here’s How to Stay Sober and Avoid a Relapse
- The fly slides deeper and deeper, eventually finding itself trapped in a place where escape seems impossible.
- Medications also can help deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk of a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member).
- For many, continued follow up with a treatment provider is critical to overcoming problem drinking.
- Alcohol use can factor into mental health symptoms that closely resemble those of other mental health conditions.
An exciting part of this period is that it can lead you to a happier life full of welcomed change and constant improvement. If you think you may have a drinking problem, you’re definitely not alone. In 2021, researchers estimated nearly 30 million people ages 12 years and older in the United States had alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Starting With a Primary Care Doctor
As each person’s experience is different, it’s important that patients stay in close touch with their doctors to manage their condition, Zewude said. While no one she knows has had alcohol levels reach that level, many people can function at blood alcohol levels of up to 30 millimoles per liter or 40 millimoles per liter, Cordell said in an email. He sees the approach as a valuable tool to get addicts into recovery and eventually abstinence but realizes the backlash it can evoke. The notion of a famously liberal city providing free drinks to alcoholics has made for easy fodder in some conservative circles, with “taxpayer-funded’’ vodka played up in headlines. Slurred speech, a key sign of intoxication, happens because alcohol reduces communication between your brain and body.
Learn More About A.A.
It may seem that relapse is the last thing that could happen to you, but the truth is they are very common for people new to recovery. Along with these benefits, 12-Step programs and other forms of mutual-help groups can increase the likelihood of achieving and maintaining recovery from substance misuse. Research from the Department of Veterans Affairs demonstrates that people who participate in 12-Step programs tend to have better outcomes than those who don’t. For many, returning to daily life after treatment means returning home to family, which is why family can be the strongest social support system.
- But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions.
- An exciting part of this period is that it can lead you to a happier life full of welcomed change and constant improvement.
- If you don’t have a family or strong social circle to return to post formal treatment, a personalized plan may include interpersonal therapy, which can help you build a healthy social network.
- People who get professional treatment for longer periods of time have longer periods of recovery, so therapy can help promote sobriety.
- The best way forward for your recovery from alcohol or substance use is to incorporate a wide variety of strategies that will help foster success.
Habits for a Healthier Mind!
- Instead, focus on things, experiences, and activities that will support your new, healthy lifestyle.
- It’s important to develop a structured daily and weekly schedule and stick to it.
- Experts recommend avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol if you have diabetes or hypoglycemia.
- Your BAC will remain high until your liver has time to process the alcohol and get it out of your blood.
- Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group.
- The most common ones include fatigue, mood swings, and depression.
With the advent of the “sober curious” movement, more companies, restaurants, and bars have been offering various non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails that are tasty and appealing alternatives to alcohol. You might also prefer to drink coffee, tea, a seltzer with fresh fruit, or a soda with sober alcoholic fresh lemon or lime. Once you start to reap the benefits of not drinking, it may be easier to opt for alternatives since your body may be feeling better without alcohol. Keep in mind that self-help strategies are helpful tools, but you may need additional help to remain sober long-term.
