Treatment of any form of alcoholism involves the patient's complete refusal to drink alcohol. The success of therapy is reduced to zero if the patient does not want a person to live sober. On the contrary, being aware of one's illness is the first step towards achieving remission. Such awareness is the result of very complex work on oneself and requires a lot of time and effort. Therefore, in order to stop drinking, it is best for a person to see a doctor.
Reasons to stop drinking alcohol
There are many reasons why a person may stop drinking. Among the most significant are:
- desire for health;
- deterioration of health and development of chronic diseases;
- a more attractive appearance in people who do not have a problem with alcohol;
- a sane, sharp and impure mind, the desire to properly perceive the surrounding reality;
- high efficiency;
- good work attitude and impeccable reputation;
- saving money (financial expenses on alcohol are always a significant part of an alcoholic's budget);
- high sexuality, no problems with potency in men or menstrual cycle in women;
- the presence of strength and time (after all, the life of a person in an alcoholic web is guided by one desire - drinking);
- excellent state of mind, cheerfulness;
- healthy home atmosphere;
- full, bright and healthy life;
- healthy offspring.
The road to a sober life is very long and difficult. However, a person has a chance to get rid of addiction if he follows the advice of doctors. The most important thing for this is a strong desire to heal and an iron will.
Can a person stop drinking alone?
Doctors warn: there is no such thing as an ex-alcoholic. Alcoholism is an incurable disease. However, the patient always has a chance to achieve a stable remission and stop drinking alcohol. The duration of sobriety varies, from several months to several decades.
Methods of influencing the patient mentally are effective in stopping alcohol consumption. They allow you to encourage the patient to have a negative attitude towards alcohol and thereby prevent a relapse. If you get a positive result, you will have a strong belief that you can live a healthy and fulfilling life without drinking a single drop of alcohol.
Successful treatment of alcoholism depends on many factors. The most significant thing is that the person decides whether to drink alcohol or not.
Spontaneous remission
It is rare for someone to stop drinking spontaneously. A certain factor encourages this: acceptance of one's illness and then the decision to change something in one's life.
The main disadvantage of spontaneous remission is its indefinite persistence and spontaneity.
Motivational remission
In this case, a person consciously refuses to drink alcohol. This happens more often when a person's life is in danger. By consciously rejecting alcohol, a person also raises many financial issues and solves the problem of preserving the family.
Gradually, a person comes to the conclusion that the complete rejection of alcohol will allow him to achieve his life goals and consolidate success. In remission, you are completely convinced that your choice is the right one, and it takes priority, despite the temptation. In addition, each victory over alcohol and the approval of the people around him further strengthens the sober position.
Forced remission
People do not always strive for a sober lifestyle voluntarily. Many people addicted to alcohol do not always understand how harmful their bad habit is. However, circumstances take over. For example, if the principal is at work or the spouse, the child is presented with a choice of a person to obey. Otherwise, the alcohol addict will appear throughout his life.
Forced remission is usually not permanent. In addition, the person is constantly in a state of tension, because he experiences difficulties and discomforts from such compulsion. Failure after such remission usually has very serious consequences.
Somatogenic remission
When someone becomes aware of a sharp deterioration in their health, they usually stop drinking alcohol. The most common situation is when the patient has to give up alcohol against the background of delirium tremens.
In addition, alcoholics fear the consequences of a serious illness (such as a heart attack or stroke). Against the background of negative emotions, they completely lose their attraction to alcohol. The awareness of the harms of alcohol, even if belated, forms a new perspective: survival is more important than alcohol consumption and short-term poisoning.
Psychogenic remission
This version of alcohol withdrawal involves somatogenic remission. When a person finds out what he did while drunk, he experiences a huge shock. Ashamed of his actions, he decides to stop drinking.
There can be many such reasons. Most often it is:
- traffic accidents due to intoxication;
- an attempt on the lives of their own children;
- violence.
Such remission is unstable and short-lived. Sometimes a strong trigger works in the opposite direction and the person begins to drink even more. In the state of alcoholic forgetfulness, suicide is also not excluded.
Postintoxication remission
The nature of this remission could not be fully established. It is typical for people who abuse alcoholic beverages on a long-term basis. One day they stop drinking and don't dispute that decision.
Doctors suggest that poisoning with ethyl alcohol and its decomposition products reaches a critical point at a certain point. At this moment, the biochemical processes of the brain change and an aversion to alcoholic beverages appears. It is noteworthy that the taste and smell of alcohol suddenly becomes unpleasant. Even small doses cause nausea and vomiting.
Remission after poisoning is relatively stable. However, a relapse is not excluded when a person's health condition improves noticeably against the background of a sober lifestyle.
Tips for those who want to stop drinking
Not all people who have abused alcoholic beverages in the past will easily resist sobriety. Some people have a painful craving for alcohol, a desire to quit immediately with a drink or two. For those who are firmly and confidently on the road to sobriety, advice like this can help.
- You need to contact a specialized clinic. Here, specialists select an individual treatment plan and, if necessary, prescribe effective medication. Psychologists and rehabilitation specialists help you recover from intoxication, cleanse your body, and form a permanently negative attitude to the use of ethanol.
- If you want to stop drinking, that's half the battle. The patient must recognize the presence of the disease. If possible, the problem with alcohol should be discussed with loved ones.
- The patient must cut off all contact with people with whom he drank and who were tolerant of his addiction.
- Throw away all alcoholic beverages at home. This will make it much easier to avoid temptation. If they react calmly to people who drink alcohol, it is already a success.
- You should be prepared for withdrawal symptoms when refusing alcohol. At the same time, he will suffer from various psychophysiological disorders. The urge to take them off can be very strong. In such cases, it is important not to succumb to weakness. Withdrawal symptoms are very difficult to treat on your own, so trust the professionals.
- It is worth reading the literature on the various aspects of alcoholism. It is important to avoid sources of dubious origin. Any question can be discussed with the doctor.
- Your daily routine should include different types of physical activity. It is important to eat well and fully, as well as rest. It is ideal to learn how to avoid stress, or at least not react to it.
- For some people, movement and communication with others can help.
- An interesting hobby improves the emotional background. Some are helped by a career change, volunteering, and outdoor activities.
- At meetings and holidays, you have to look for an alternative to alcoholic drinks, which unfortunately have become traditional. Even a cocktail can derail all previous efforts.
There is no one-size-fits-all way to stop drinking. All alcohol addicts need to find the most suitable option. In order to avoid relapses and achieve a positive effect, it is important to contact the professionals.