Following detox, a physician might also prescribe a medication to discourage alcohol use. Antabuse, for example, makes people ill when they consume even the tiniest amount of alcohol. Once your loved one has identified their potential triggers, learning how to avoid them is an important part of relapse prevention. Your relationships and friendships are likely to change as you overcome your addiction. However, it can also take time and effort for trust to be re-established if you have hurt friends or family while you were actively involved in your addiction.
An important first step is to learn more about alcohol use disorder and your treatment options. Below are samples of e-health tools developed with NIAAA funding. Each of these fee-based tools has a research base that shows its potential to help people cut down or quit drinking. Evaluate the coverage in your health insurance plan to determine how much of the costs your insurance will cover and how much you will have to pay.
Distance yourself from people who don’t support your efforts to stop drinking or respect the limits you’ve set. This may mean giving up certain friends and social connections. Let friends, family members, and co-workers know that you’re trying to stop or cut back on drinking. If they drink, ask them to support your recovery by not doing so in front of you. Are you ready to quit drinking or cut down to healthier levels?
You’ll get a 100% custom plan, then daily texts to track your progress and help you stay on target. Remind yourself of why you want to cut back, talk to a friend about it and distract yourself with a hobby or exercise, the NIAAA suggests. Instead of aiming for complete abstinence, for instance, aim to drink fewer than seven days a week. “Try sober Mondays or sober Mondays through Wednesdays,” he says. You’ll get a 100% custom plan, then use daily texts to track your progress and help you stay on target.
But in some alcoholics, withdrawal is not just unpleasant—it can be life threatening. Some people are able to stop drinking on their own or with the help of how to overcome alcoholism a 12-step program or other support group (see below for links). Others need medical supervision in order to withdraw from alcohol safely and comfortably.