How to stop drinking: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

That way, they can help you manage the discomfort and respond quickly in case of a medical emergency. The severity of your withdrawal symptoms and how quickly they progress determine whether you have mild, moderate, or severe withdrawal syndrome. Without proper treatment, your symptoms may advance to the point that the effects are irreversible. Methods like these can help you quit alcohol in a safer, more-timely manner. Importantly we help you understand that you are not giving anything up.

Mental Health Support

• These tips can be helpful for those making changes in their drinking on their own and not in an alcohol use disorder treatment program.
• By the first week after stopping alcohol, you will be more hydrated.
• If I couldn’t first accept this, then there was no chance I would ever fix it.
• Replace wine glasses with new drinkware to break visual associations.

To determine whether—and where—you fall in the alcohol use disorder (AUD) spectrum, answer the following questions. Write your goals down, post them where you’ll see them and remember that each small win builds toward big lasting change. It might also be worth checking out a 12-step program in your area, like Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery, to see if it feels like something that might be useful for you.

Set Realistic and Achievable Goals

Try to commit to at least two days each week when you won’t drink at all. Consider tracking and analyzing your urges to drink for a couple of weeks. This will help you become more aware of when and how you experience urges, what triggers them, and ways to avoid or control them. As you go through alcohol withdrawal, let your doctor know how you’re feeling, both physically and mentally. This will help them understand how they can help you.

“Isn’t taking medications just trading one addiction for another?”

A recent New York Times piece covers this movement well. Alcohol can worsen depression and be an emotional crutch, making it difficult to experience true happiness outside of drinking. Stopping alcohol can make you feel happier by allowing you to experience positive emotions without alcohol.

Alcohol Problems: How to Stop Drinking

Ask yourself, “While these reactions may be unpleasant, will I really go out of my mind if I don’t give in? ” Note how these reactions vary across time as you respond passively to the urge. The intensity of urges increases and decreases over time. Think about these ebbs and flows as though they were waves in the How to Stop Drinking ocean.

Tell trusted family and friends about your plan to quit or cut back on alcohol. When those around you are in the know, it can help them know not to offer you drinks. It may even help if you spend time with other nondrinkers for a while so you can support each other. Tapering can be easier to manage than quitting cold turkey. When you quit alcohol cold turkey, you quit drinking completely and suddenly.

You feel like your friends and family won’t understand or support your decision to stop drinking. There are withdrawal symptoms, environmental temptations, and outright stress. If you put down the bottle for 30 days, but you slip up and have a drink on day 31, this doesn’t undo the 30 days before. You learned something, made progress, and put yourself in a better position for success.

How Can a Doctor or Therapist Help Me Stop Drinking?

• You don’t have to leave the house to get support from other people who understand and respect what you’re trying to do.
• This article describes how to determine if you have a problem with alcohol use and offers advice on how to decide to quit drinking.
• I’m a writer, competitive chess player, Army veteran, physicist, and former professional heavyweight boxer.

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Joining support groups helps you stop drinking by providing accountability, shared experiences, and practical coping strategies. Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), SMART Recovery, and online sober communities offer guidance and encouragement from those who understand addiction challenges. Benefits include peer support, relapse prevention strategies, and long-term motivation through regular meetings or check-ins. Faith-based groups like Celebrate Recovery provide Oxford House spiritual encouragement. Engaging with a support group fosters connection, motivation, and commitment to lasting sobriety. Communicating your decision to quit alcohol helps build a supportive environment for recovery.

Beyond the safety considerations, medical detox is a more comfortable, pleasant experience. Your healthcare team will help treat each symptom as soon as it develops and equip you for success. This can help you avoid much of the unpleasantness that can occur as withdrawal symptoms develop. While it may not be something you perceptibly notice, one huge health benefit from stopping alcohol will occur by your third week of not drinking.

If you tend to drink too much whenever there is any alcohol in the house, get rid of it altogether,  the NIAAA recommends. Food can absorb the alcohol in beverages, so eating before or even while you drink can dampen the effect and may make you want to drink less, says Crews. You might reach for alcohol when you’re really just thirsty, says Crews. Drink a cup of soothing tea or a tall glass of water before you imbibe—once your thirst is quenched, you may not feel the need for as much—or any—alcohol. If you identify with any of the scenarios above, try the expert tips below for reducing your alcohol consumption (or even eliminating it altogether).