The fact is there is no such thing as the best ways to quit drinking. If it was easy for you to stop drinking, then drinking was never a problem in the first place. If there was a list of best ways to quit drinking then the world would be a much better place today. However, psychologists such as Dr. Phil McGraw (i) have identified key steps in the process.
NAME IT: Clarify your reasons and your purpose.
The best way to quit drinking is stop taking alcohol. But why would do so? In the first place, why do you drink? What does alcohol bring to your life? Dr. Phil says, “What purpose does the behavior serve for you? If you’re an alcoholic, you’re not just drinking because you’re thirsty. Admit to yourself: ‘I’m medicating myself for anxiety, depression and pain. It numbs me to life.’” How about you?
CLAIM IT: Own it by thinking rationally and logically.
Denial gets you nowhere. Claim it: you are an alcoholic. You are an alcohol abuser. You have a problem with alcohol. To deny is to trivialize your problem. If you can’t think rationally, you may need others to help you do so. Claim that you gave in to alcohol before; and claim that there are ways to quit drinking alcohol that you too can use to quit.
TAME IT: Use other coping mechanisms.
There is no other way to stop a bad habit than to replace it. Accept that alcohol had a purpose in your life. As Dr. Phil said, “It calms you. It takes your anxiety away. It lifts your spirits. It numbs you to the pain of your life. If I take that away from you and then don’t put anything in its place, then you’re just there stripped of your coping mechanisms and you’re going to go back to what you were doing before.”
What are other coping mechanisms that are beneficial rather than harmful to your body? There are thousands of possibilities – breathing exercises, artistic expressions, meditation, volunteer work, missionary involvements, gardening, photography. The list is endless. But what is important is you have to do something. Take note that when you drink, it occupies a lot of your time. When you stop drinking, what will you do with that free time?
MAIM IT! Identify your danger zones.
Identify and dismantle those danger zones. These could be trigger factors, a specific time of the day, a specific day of the week, a particular place along the street. Know them and disempower them.
REFRAME IT! Make lifestyle changes.
“It’s not willpower, it’s programming,” Dr. Phil said it well. Program your life for success by making key changes. Reroute your way home so you won’t pass by that pub. Clean your house of anything remotely alcoholic. You may have to go out with a new set of friends. Create a support system – a group of people who care for you so much they will stand by you throughout your ordeal, through thick and thin. It is important that you have a group of people that you can go to when the temptations are strong.
RECLAIM IT! Reward yourself.
Learn to put some milestones in your journey. When you recognize that you have reached a significant milestone, celebrate it. Give yourself credit for reaching that far. Make sure the reward is memorable so that it motivates you to reach your next milestone.
As we say, there are no failsafe ways to quit drinking. But, there are steps that you can follow. Several people before you have found these steps helpful, so there is no reason why shouldn’t at least give them a try.
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- http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/173