Alcohol use disorder affects thousands of people across the country every year. AUD is defined as being unable to stop drinking despite the negative consequences it may cause to your life. Those with AUD struggle to quit drinking on their own and often end up drinking even more alcohol than before to achieve the same high as they build tolerance.
Alcoholism can slowly take over your life, ruining your health and relationships, wasting your finances, and consuming your attention, leaving you with no energy for anything meaningful. Reclaiming your life from AUD is possible but challenging and you’ll have to put in effort, time, energy, and the will to see it through.
Here is a quick guide on how to cease drinking:
Start with detox
Detoxing is often the very first step when quitting alcohol. This gives your body a chance to get rid of the harmful toxins accumulated from alcohol and leaves you with a clear head to make further decisions. Instead of quitting cold turkey, seek help from a detox center. Here you can get medically assisted detox where doctors may give you medication e.g. naltrexone or disulfiram to minimize your cravings.
Get professional help
After detox, it’s recommended that you seek alcohol addiction treatment from a professional rehab. You can choose between inpatient and outpatient treatment depending on the severity of your AUD. In rehab, you’ll attend different types of therapy to help you uncover the root causes of your drinking and how to rebuild a sober life.
Have a solid plan
To quit alcohol, you’ll need to outline your recovery goals and have a plan on how to achieve them. This includes identifying your triggers and knowing how to avoid or deal with them. For instance, when feeling stressed, you could go for a walk instead of reaching for a drink.
Follow through with the plan
Making a plan is one thing, following through is another. You’ll need to be determined and find a way to hold yourself accountable to avoid relapse.
Get a social support group
Finally, you’ll need lots of support from people close to you to stick to your plan. In addition to your family and friends, you could join support groups such as AA to receive the support you need for your recovery journey.
Don’t Let Alcohol Ruin Your Life
With the right support and care, you can conquer alcoholism. At Impact Outpatient Program we have the staff and the expertise to help you. As a rehab facility in Kentucky, we offer both intensive outpatient treatment and outpatient care to those who have a drinking problem.
Our programs are designed to be as accommodative as possible so we also offer virtual telemedicine sessions to those who are unable to attend treatment in person.
Don’t let alcohol ruin your life. Get in touch with us today and let us help you achieve long-lasting sobriety.