1. Avoid contact with places and situations where you might find yourself tempted to drink. Don\’t visit bars and stop socializing with \”drinking buddies\” that won\’t support your efforts and goal to quit drinking.
2. Throw out your alcohol. If you have it in your home, get rid of it. If you have a spouse or roommate who drinks, ask them to support you by not drinking around you. This is a step you must take if you\’re serious about quitting alcohol.
3. Take it one day at a time, and always look forward with a positive attitude, but remembering the negative aspects of an alcohol torn life.
4. Tell friends and family that you want to stop drinking alcohol. Hang around people who will stand by your decision and support you and your goal.
5. Give yourself incentive not to drink. For every day (or even every hour!) that passes that you don\’t drink, give yourself a pat on the back! Give yourself the credit you deserve for having the strength to stop drinking and share those big victories with family and friends.
6. Picture yourself how you would look in the future when you\’re completely alcohol-free. Visualization is very powerful in helping you make the right decisions, and you will feel that reality get closer daily, which will help to maintain your strength to resist alcohol.
7. Keep goals obtainable. Don\’t set your goals so high that you can\’t reach them and leave you frustrated. Maybe you can\’t just quit all at once. At least set a goal of having one less drink today and then one less than that tomorrow. Small steps are better than no steps.
8. Deal with the psychological and emotional issues related to your drinking problem. Many people begin drinking alcohol to get away from problems or maybe alcoholism is something that runs in the family. Find someone you feel comfortable talking to about these problems.
9. Take part in positive and meaningful activities. Community work is a great way to make yourself feel needed too, and there really is no better reward in this world than when you give.
10. You may also find that believing in God helps too. It is some what reassuring that there is a God All Mighty, and that we are just part of his great plan. So trust in him, and things will seem better immediately.
11. Helping others should always be a prime objective in Alcoholics Anonymous, so when you feel strong enough go out of your way to find other people who would be better off without alcohol dominating their lives.
12. Last but not least, never, ever give up believing in yourself, and that you made the right decision for both you and everyone who loves you.
Related Alcoholics Anonymous Articles
Latest Alcoholism Discussion