Is it possible not to drink at all? How not to drink alcohol at all and return to normal life

How to replace alcohol. What to drink and eat so that you do not want alcohol

The desire to drink on weekdays or weekends can be quickly overcome. To do this, you need to eat or drink something to replace alcohol - doctors have specific recommendations for eliminating cravings for each type of alcoholic product.

How to replace alcohol, understood "Soviet Sport".

Beer

What to replace: the desire to drink beer in the evening is often accompanied by a feeling of thirst, dryness in the throat. Sometimes the thirst is real, but often the body - especially the body accustomed to frequent beer libations - imitates it. So he signals that the time has come to use a new portion of the foamy drink.

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The syndrome of "imaginary thirst" is easy to stop with any other liquid. Have you felt dryness in your throat and imagined a bottle of beer in your dreams? Keep a bottle of carbonated mineral water ready: drink it immediately and a lot - you can have several glasses at a time. Many people complain that the mineral water, which is neutral in taste, does not quench their thirst, and they still want beer. In this case, mix soda with juice in a ratio of 2:1. Drink 1-3 glasses of this drink. You will see that the craving for beer, if not removed completely, then greatly facilitated.

Strong spirits (whiskey, rum, tequila, vodka)

What to replace: 1-2 cups of green tea, strong Chinese Puer tea, less often hot chocolate. Green hour and pu-erh have a bright tonic effect on the body: this reaction - turned on, you feel good - partially replaces the desire to drink strong drinks. In addition, hot tea warms: in the cold season, many drink strong alcoholic beverages in the hope of precisely this “thermal” effect (although biology tells us that after imaginary warmth after drinking alcohol, its increased return will follow, and the cold will return with old power).

Keep a pot of fresh hot tea handy. Drink it in small portions, but often - once every 25-40 minutes. Avoid coffee. This drink can trigger a backlash, and the desire to drink will increase.

Wine

What to replace: milk drinks, protein-based shakes. Modern television series often broadcast the stereotype that a glass of wine in the evening is supposedly good for the nervous system and general well-being. This is not true: even a small dose of alcohol - 150-200 g of wine - will put an additional burden on the liver and cardiovascular system.

Against the backdrop of winter vitamin "starvation", work stress and an epidemic of viruses, even this may be enough to feel sluggish in the morning. It will be difficult for you to wake up and turn on the work mode. Perhaps the appearance of headaches and an increased risk of catching a cold or flu.

Cravings for wine, doctors believe, are well removed by dairy products. Put a spoonful of honey into a glass of warm milk. Or add it and a crushed banana to a protein shake. These drinks have no less "anti-stress" effect than the Italian Chianti.

Gives you nothing. It is a powerful poison that excites the nervous system and clouds your mind. The euphoria of accepting it is false and unnatural. It cannot be compared to enjoying life.

Don't wait for the right moment to stop using. If you have made a decision, you do not need to postpone its implementation until the end, for example, vacation or holidays.

Be confident in your decision to stop drinking. Make your choice in favor of a full, healthy and happy life and close this question. Don't change your mind and don't doubt it.

Do not replace alcohol with anything. Realize that you are simply used to its taste. In fact, there is nothing good in it. To verify this, remember how you drank your first serving. Surely you were disgusted by its taste.

Stop associating alcohol with fun. Go to a meeting with your friends, and you will see that even without previous libations, the evening will be interesting and exciting. However, there will be no negative effects, such as a headache the next day.

Know how to refuse friends who are used to drinking with you. If you are of real interest to them, friends will stay with you. By the way, you will also see with yours whether you have so many common interests or the only thing that united you was addiction.

Don't think that alcohol can lessen mental pain or ease tension. It is a myth. Drinking alcohol will only add negative things to your life. There are many other ways to relax: take a bath, light an aromatic lamp, do yoga, watch an interesting movie, listen to music.

Enjoy life. Do not think that by quitting drinking you will lose something and the world will become smaller for you. You will see that in the very first months of giving up alcohol, the boundaries of the world will expand for you. Your self-esteem will inevitably rise, you will feel more confident.

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Tip 2: How much alcohol can you drink to get the benefits

A lot has been said and written about the dangers of alcohol, but in some cases, alcoholic beverages can be useful. The main thing is to choose the right alcohol and not exceed the norm.

What are the benefits of alcoholic beverages?

All high-quality alcoholic drinks in very limited quantities benefit the body, they help to warm up, improve blood circulation, help fight stress, improve sleep quality, and the digestive system.

How much alcohol can you drink?

Everyone knows that the strength of alcohol is due to the presence of alcohol in it. So, in terms of 96 percent alcohol, women per day are allowed a norm of 15 grams, and men no more than 20. Based on this figure, you can calculate the allowable daily amount of an alcoholic beverage.

Norm of consumption of alcoholic beverages for women:

Strong spirits, for example, vodka or cognac, not more than 50 g;

Wine with a strength of not more than 7.5% - one or two glasses;

Fortified wines, where the fortress reaches 12% - one glass;

Beer - no more than 350 ml.

For the stronger sex, the amount of alcoholic beverages increases by about 10%.

The amount of alcohol you drink can fluctuate depending on some indicators, such as metabolic rate or weight.

Is alcohol good for older people?

If there are no health-related contraindications, then people in old age can also drink alcohol, but in much smaller doses.

What kind of alcohol do you prefer?

It's no secret that alcohol must be of high quality, purchased in a specialized store and have an excise stamp.

• Wine is incomparably healthier than a wine product, which is usually made from a dry fruit concentrate diluted with alcohol.
• Light beer is considered healthier than dark or unfiltered beer.
• The liqueur or tincture must not contain artificial flavors.
• The number of stars printed on the label of a brandy bottle directly speaks of its quality. The more stars, the more quality and useful the product is considered.

By adhering to these rules, you can get not only gastronomic pleasure from alcohol, but also improve your health.

There is a common misconception that alcohol use can be controlled. Say, if you do not drink regularly and "little by little", then there is no harm, and sometimes it is useful. This is not entirely true, or even not at all true. A person who consumes alcohol, in principle, cannot control this process. Rather, alcohol controls a person.

Very soon the New Year 2016 will come, which will be celebrated by all mankind. And what is the New Year without champagnes, liqueurs, vodka, cognac and other domestic and foreign alcoholic beverages? What to do: to drink or not to drink? To give the correct answer to this complex question, you need to compare all the pros and cons.

To drink or not to drink: the cons of the drinking business

Consider the most popular consequences that can occur in a person drinking alcohol.

Alcohol: health problems

All those who systematically or often drink alcohol may face such problems as:

• obesity;
• cerosis of the liver;
• poor eyesight;
• subcutaneous edema (bags under the eyes);
• thrombophlebitis;
• improper digestion;
• breathing problems;
• sharp jumps in blood pressure;
• diabetes;
• cardiac arrhythmia;
• stroke;
• atrophy of the cerebral cortex;
• cardiac arrhythmia;
• cardiomyopathy;
• inflammation of the pancreas.

It is worth noting that every health problem as a result of constant alcohol abuse, sooner or later, but for sure it will lead to death.

Alcohol: the appearance of a person

Surely everyone has seen completely drunken people. And most importantly, in addition to the loss of moral character, a person acquires irreversible health problems. But, if you stop the supply of “poison” to the body, then there is every chance for its recovery.

Alcohol: the financial side

If you don't drink, you can save a decent amount of money. It is not at all difficult to calculate all the costs of alcohol. There are many people who do not consider themselves drinkers. They may not drink a lot of cheap liquor, but they often get expensive alcohol in smaller doses. This does not make the cash burden any less.

Alcohol: how the mind suffers

A regular drinking person, by itself, becomes addicted. Every day his body requires a new dose. When he receives it, the mind immediately ceases to function normally. For a drunk person, everything floats in a fog, although from the outside it seems to him that everything is normal. Every drunkenness causes a hangover. Its strength depends on the amount of alcohol consumed. In humans, in fact, there is a strong poisoning of the body.

Alcohol leads to personality degradation

As a result of alcohol abuse, a person also suffers from periodic mental consequences. Due to constant stressful moments, the drinker begins to fall into a depressive state. Naturally, the psyche cannot withstand such great emotional stress, as a result, the personality is destroyed and gradually degrades. These people are suicidal.

Sex after alcohol

There has been an opinion among people for a long time that if you take a certain dose of alcohol on your chest, then sex will be much better than if the partners did not drink at all. Let us then “liberate ourselves” before each sexual intercourse. But few people thought that due to the fact that the processes in the brain of a drunk person are slowed down and he, thus, gets rid of stiffness and shyness.

In addition, it is worth emphasizing the fact that over time, alcohol has a negative effect on erection and libido. If you drink alcohol regularly, you can become impotent.

A drunk person will not be able to feel the full buzz of sexual pleasure, because his senses are dulled. But, there are people who are so shy that without a glass of vodka they are not able to start intimacy at all. Such people should look for other ways to overcome the barrier of their shyness.

Lots of free time and energy

People who drink - without realizing it become slaves of alcohol. Their life is limited by one problem, where to find time for drinking. A drunkard who is constantly intoxicated, after sobering up, needs a hangover. He has no time for sports, family and work. If you don’t drink, then you immediately find time and money for the gym, family and work.

Alcohol is a drug

Alcohol is a drug legalized by the state. Everyone knows about this, but not everyone wants to admit it, especially for drinkers. Liquor manufacturers have adapted to qualitatively mask the unpleasant taste of alcohol with the help of juices, various sweeteners, and so on. After all, there is a difference in taste between pure alcohol and an alcoholic cocktail. But at the chemical level, alcohol has the same effect on the body.

From large single alcoholic doses, you can get very poisoned. There are those who recommend drinking alcohol in “moderate” doses to increase tone or appetite. Let's then use mercury or arsenic in the same small doses. We will, so to speak, temper the body.

Is it more fun to chat after alcohol?

For some reason, in the lives of many people there is such a stereotype that without alcohol, communication with friends is boring. Maybe drug addicts are bored in communication until they get a new drug dose. It immediately becomes more fun and there are topics for communication in my head.

80% of drunken companies end up with a hangover or vomiting. Good pay for "fun conversation", isn't it? And why in the company it is impossible to communicate in a sober way. It's not hard to check. It is enough to get together once or several times without drinking.

Try this experiment: go to the company with a bottle of some alcohol, let one person drink, and everyone else should not drink. Then talk a little and see how much communication with a drunk person will be boring and uninteresting.

Alcohol leads to depression

All people who drink often walk around feeling sad. Alcohol dependence burdens their lives. Constant impotence, illness, and even withdrawal, like drug addicts.

Alcoholics are aware that they are heavily addicted to alcohol, so their suppressed protest often causes a bad mood. In addition, health, family and work problems are pushing to take a new dose of alcohol. A person thinks that if he drinks, he will make his life easier, but in reality it only aggravates it. You can do away with alcohol once and for all, you want it badly enough.

Conflicts in the family due to alcohol

In almost all families where there is a drinking husband or wife, scandals cannot be dispensed with. Sometimes the wife does not allow her husband to drink, but he still manages to get drunk with work colleagues, or, simply speaking, with his drinking companions. Wives don't usually spend decades fighting this. A year, maximum two, and a divorce. The opposite happens when the wife drinks. Women get used to alcohol faster, so they should not even sniff alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol is so quickly becoming a part of our lives that many do not even notice its constant presence and at the same time do not consider themselves addicted. If it is not difficult to live a day without alcohol, then it is already more difficult to talk about a week, a month and more.

It is believed that it takes 21 days to completely cleanse the body after. Some who wanted to “clean up” after a short-term passion for alcohol were surprised that it was quite difficult to pause.

Few people realize that drinking alcohol a couple of times a week is already household drunkenness. This is not alcohol addiction yet, but it is already a well-formed problem, the solution of which requires serious efforts. .

The best way to talk about how not to drink alcohol in general is the reviews of those who have already managed to abandon the influence of alcohol.

Sober living experience

According to the subjects, the first days are the hardest. All thoughts during this period revolve around alcohol. Gradually, the desire to drink recedes, and vigorous activity allows you to distract from the problem.

The matter is complicated by the fact that friends and acquaintances, out of habit, continue to invite to drunken parties, holidays and Sabantu. It's hard to say no, especially when loved ones start to play pranks and discredit the idea of ​​a sober lifestyle. If you manage to resist, then it will be easier. Really good friends won't turn away if you tell them they're quitting alcohol. Some will begin to respect even more for at least the same willpower. And if friends start to scoff, then why are they needed at all? It turns out that they see you not as a friend, but as a drinking companion. Parting with them will be an additional bonus to a healthy life without alcohol.

What can a person who has spent thirty sober days expect:

• taste sensations change - familiar dishes become tastier, food ceases to be a “snack”, but begins to be an additional source of positive emotions;
• concentration increases - after 30 days without alcohol, brain activity improves by almost 18%, which affects not only concentration and attention, but also memory, the ability to make decisions quickly, etc .;
• sleep normalizes - someone begins to have vivid dreams, and someone just sleeps like a log all night, and in the morning feels well rested;
• stress resistance increases - contrary to popular belief, alcohol is a strong depressant, which means that drinkers are more difficult to endure blows of fate and force majeure. Already after 35 days of a sober life, the solution of complex life tasks is easier, and stressful situations are not taken to heart;
• physical performance improves - those who play sports note that the complete rejection of alcohol gives a good impetus to physical development. But even those who are far from physical education admit: it becomes easier to climb the stairs, walking is pleasing, and physical labor brings pleasant fatigue, and not excruciating weakness.

Those who dare not drink alcohol for a month eventually realize that there is neither desire nor need to start drinking again. Comparing a drunken and sober life, many choose the latter and become pathological teetotalers.

Is it possible to live without alcohol at all

Fans of experiments often set themselves a deadline of one month, but after this period, there is a desire to continue a positive experience. What happens to the body if you do not drink for 41 or more days? This is already a fairly long period for which the body is fully restored. A person can lose weight if he had extra pounds, or gain weight in case of exhaustion. Many smokers note that after giving up alcohol, the need for nicotine decreases. And this is also a big plus for health.

After a hundred days of sober life comes the understanding that alcohol is not needed at all. Acquaintances stop joking and already perceive a sober friend as a person with an iron will and unshakable principles. There is a desire to improve the result, and proper nutrition, a well-thought-out daily routine, sports and active leisure activities are usually added to a sober life.

But all this can be said only if a person does not have a real dependence on the beginning of alcohol abstinence. Chronic drinkers can take up a bottle even after 7 months without alcohol, and they can undergo coding or other treatment to help overcome alcohol cravings. So that such a person does not break, it is necessary to conduct a supportive anti-alcohol course. In this sense, drugs for the treatment of alcoholism sold on the Internet are useful. They are natural and non-addictive.

Experts are sure that if a person could live 100 days without alcohol, then the old settings have already been destroyed, and there is no need to start re-accustoming yourself to alcohol. In the process of searching for motivation, a person discovers new opportunities, new hobbies and interests, and alcohol often contradicts them. A teetotaler is more often successful at work, he has stronger relationships in the family, others are drawn to him. Many are not ready to lose all this for the sake of alcohol, so a short-term experiment quickly turns into a way of life. But do not think that everything will be fine right away if at the time of giving up alcohol the person was a chronic alcoholic. In this case, you will have to deal with exacerbation of chronic diseases and depression, which require serious medical treatment.

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In short:

Narcologist Maxim Kirsanov tells how to stop drinking. List of drugs to reduce cravings for alcohol and psychological techniques. Folk recipes, confirmed by science.

How to deal with the desire to drink, if you are still sober

What are the psychological techniques for alcohol cravings

1. Avoid alcohol:

• The first thing to do is to ask relatives or household members to hide all the alcohol in the house. Try to somehow distract yourself from the growing desire to drink.
• Avoid situations in which you are likely to overdrink. Do not attend events where alcohol is likely to flow like water. If a friend encourages you to drink, even if you didn’t plan to, or persuades you to drink more than you want, stop communicating with him.
• Find clubs where you can have fun, but where alcohol is prohibited. Search the Internet, there are such establishments in your city.

2. Take a break from thoughts about drinking:

• Come up with any hobby, especially take a great interest in something. Think back to what you were fond of as a child. What they wanted to learn, but there was no time for everything: taking pictures, riding a skateboard, playing a musical instrument, anything else. Sign up for classes.
• Learn to relax without alcohol. Meditations, spiritual practices work well, or you can just take a walk, breathe fresh air, watch nature - learn to distract yourself from the eternal rush and information overload.
• Someone finds a solution in the fact that they go headlong into work. Studies show that those who have a full life are less likely to return to alcohol and drugs:
  • Job,
  • hobby,
  • Friends,
  • family.
  Therefore, try to change and fill your life as much as possible. Moving to another country or at least a city will work very well.

3. Look after yourself:

• Make a strict daily regimen so that there is no place for drinking from nothing to do, so that you do not want to kill time. Mode is a very powerful thing because the brain responds very well to repetitive actions. Sleep, food, work - everything happens better and easier when you do it at the same time. It can be difficult at first, but it usually takes 2-3 weeks to form a habit. We recommend the book "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg.
• Lead a generally healthy lifestyle: eat right, exercise, sleep enough, walk in the fresh air. Then the mood and well-being will be better.
• Keep a strict record of cash expenditures, leaving no room for spending on alcohol. Get yourself a program for accounting finance in your smartphone.
• If you decide to drink - determine in advance exactly how much you can drink, and do not drink more than planned. Clearly track how much you drink: get yourself a calendar or notebook, mark the amount of alcohol you drink on your phone or other gadget. At the same time, pay attention to the alcohol content in the drink. This will make it easier to track doses weekly, monthly. Do not allow gradual increase in doses.

4. Be patient and become your own psychologist:

• Remember why you decided to stop drinking alcohol last time. When the desire to drink appeared, only the pleasant sensations associated with alcohol are remembered. Remind yourself that alcohol has never made anyone better, that it created a lot of problems for you during the previous drinking bout, made you go through several painful days. It is time to admit that there is a problem, to admit to yourself that alcohol controls you, your actions, and not vice versa.
• Do not waste your time and energy on fighting it (the problem), just get away from it, distance yourself, perceive it as something alien, contrary to your model of the world.
• Make a list of reasons why you'd be better off not drinking alcohol rather than drinking too much. Set yourself a daily reminder on your phone to re-read this list. Leave this reminder on for at least three weeks.
• Always remember that dissatisfaction, irritability, despondency and other components of a bad mood are symptoms of addiction. You need to go through them - and then over time you can get rid of addiction, the mood will be "natural". And if you give in, break loose and get drunk, you will have to start all over again. Good help in this can be provided by antidepressants selected by a specialist.
• Mark on your calendar every day you have lived soberly. Congratulate yourself and reward yourself with something (but not alcohol). If it’s scary to plan a sober week right away, then you can hold on to “now”: right at this moment I don’t drink and somehow manage, in the next 5 minutes I won’t run for alcohol either - and so on.

For example, here is how a reader of our site restrained herself from drinking:

Opening the last can of beer. After a glass I crawl to the pharmacy.<…>

On the road, it’s tempting to go into the general store to take a hundred and bang around the corner. If my husband was at work, then probably would have done so. Yes, not a hundred, but a couple. Or a bubble. But she resisted, she didn’t want a scandal from her husband either.<…>

I'm cooking dinner. And the essence does not let go: "Go, go to the general store, you will roll at night"<…>I tell my husband that the garlic is over, I go to the general store and buy ... garlic.

I console myself with the fact that tomorrow I will take my husband to work and drive for a beer.<…>

Slept 9 hours. I got up happy that I don’t want to buy anything from alcohol. Site visitor hangover.rf

5. Enlist the support of others:

• You can talk to someone whom you unconditionally trust, who is an authority for you, that you do not want to break into a binge, that you ask him to help you stop drinking. It can be a non-drinking friend, a relative, a psychologist or someone else who is ready to listen, distract and support you.
• Enlist psychological support wherever you can. Read scientific articles about alcohol on our website, join Alcoholics Anonymous, or join some other anti-alcohol program.
• "Help a friend stop drinking." When you educate someone and take responsibility for him, it is much easier to do the same yourself. You can start a blog on the Internet, where you give advice to stop drinking, talk about your experiences and about overcoming difficulties. You can chat on the forums, it helps a lot.

Here is what our guests write about what thoughts help them stop drinking:

I lie down and understand that you just need to decide with whom you are: with a glass or with your family. Relatives do not have eternal patience. And the vodka will never run out. Site visitor hangover.rf

Thank God that I had to go to work on January 3 - this stopped me, otherwise I could still get drunk, or maybe I would have thrown off my hooves! Another visitor to the site hangover.rf

Slowly stop drinking and change yourself, create a different personality. If I don’t die tomorrow, then I will die next time or become disabled.<…>Stop disfiguring yourself and rejoice that you can do something better, appreciate your calmness and do everything slowly to be calm, change yourself first, then maybe your wife, job, place of residence, or just yourself - make yourself a gift in the form of yourself who you would love.<…>So far, it's not all that bad. Site visitor hangover.rf

How food can help you stop drinking

Some people benefit from a hearty, tasty meal. Firstly, eating is distracting, secondly, it allows you to enjoy the irritation of taste buds and indirectly increase the production of endorphins (for simplicity, they are sometimes called hormones of pleasure), thirdly, it physically takes up space in the stomach, which in itself causes everyone the familiar feeling of drowsiness, banishing thoughts of drinking. The wife of one patient of the author of the article meets him from work with a sandwich in her hand. While he chews it and unties his shoelaces, the desire to drink his legal evening 100 grams disappears).

Our readers also noticed that food helps to distract:

Yes, I noticed, by the way: after a tasty and satisfying meal, alcohol does not climb, advice should not be given to men rather, but to women, feed your men from the doorway, tasty and satisfying! I really liked your tips, I will definitely try to follow them. site visitor hangover.rf

How exercise helps you stop drinking

Another way to defeat the craving for alcohol is physical work or physical activity that enhances the production of dopamine (remember A. Celentano in the film The Taming of the Shrew). If health allows - cross to the seventh sweat.

From regular physical activity, doctors especially recommend slow running every other day. When running for a long time, pleasure substances are produced: phenethylamine, beta-endorphin and anandamide (a strong endogenous cannabinoid), and this greatly reduces the desire to drink.

The pleasure of running is built into us evolutionarily: when our ancestors lived in Africa, a long run was necessary for hunting and gathering in large spaces. And evolutionarily beneficial behavior is reinforced by a positive reaction of the psyche, and a person feels an upsurge in mood and a surge of strength. For the best effect, it is recommended to run a little faster than what you are comfortable with: not overly straining, but still somewhat through strength.

Here is how our visitors comment on it:

If I went in for sports, I might not have slipped into the second stage of alcoholism. When I have already quit drinking, sports really help to get in a good mood, but not running, powerlifting helps me a lot - both interesting and useful (the main thing, of course, is to do it correctly), and after training, the mood of the flight for several hours. site visitor hangover.rf

Medications to help you stop drinking

How Acamprosate (Campral) Helps You Stop Drinking

If you were able to realize in time that you can’t drink anymore, that one day of drinking is enough, and drinking is completely useless to you, then it’s best to contact a specialist. The doctor will help you cleanse the body and smoothly end the booze, without unnecessary physical and mental problems.

If you feel that you can handle it on your own, then try one of these folk recipes, the effectiveness of which is confirmed by modern doctors:

• The first day of treatment: every 1-1.5 hours put 2-3 tablets of biotredin under the tongue.
• The second day of treatment: if there are no pronounced manifestations of a hangover, continue taking Biotredin 2 tablets 4-5 times a day. 5-7 minutes after Biotredin, take 3-4 tablets of glycine each time.
• If internal tension, irritability begin to grow, internal tremors appear - take glycine 1 tablet every 3-5 minutes until calm. You can also use any sedative herbal preparations.

How to stop drinking on your own

If you feel that you can manage without a drug specialist, here are some tips on how to stop drinking on your own:

1. Take your phone or just a notebook. Start keeping track of income and expenses writing down expenses in different columns: "Products", "Gasoline", "Utilities" and so on. Enter the "Alcohol" column, let it remain empty. Write down all the money received and spent right from today, and do it right after the purchase, because it's easy to forget later.

• Firstly, this way you will once again think about why you again automatically take a bottle from the store shelf, because you promised not to drink.
• And secondly, accounting of finances is useful in any case: for example, it is more convenient to save money for large purchases, it is easier to track what you spend too much on and what you can do without, and so on. There are special apps for smartphones.

• You will see firsthand the benefits of a sober lifestyle that you might not otherwise notice.
• Spend the money you save on something nice: go to the movies or the gym, buy yourself a new gadget, anything that will help you fight your bad mood while you stop drinking.

• If, because of your sobriety, you don’t sit gloomily in a corner, but actively communicate, as usual, then your friends will probably not mind that you drink mineral water, not vodka.
• And over time, they will see that it’s even better this way: after all, after mineral water, you don’t get into a fight, don’t lose things, don’t force your comrades to drag you home, and so on.

• exercise regularly;
• eat healthy food;
• observe the regime of work and rest, do not stay up late, get enough sleep;
• walk more outdoors.

These are not on-duty tips: if you lead a healthy lifestyle all the time, then it will become a habit and begin to give pleasure. The mood, reduced due to the lack of the usual doses of alcohol, will even out. Therefore, thoughts about drinking will occur less and less.

What can be done right now

Moving to another city to change the environment is not the easiest way to deal with addiction, you need to find time and opportunities for this. Sports should be regular, once doing exercises is clearly not enough. Therefore, you can endlessly dream about how you will one day get together and still stop drinking.

However, there are some things you can do right now while you are reading this article. Start quitting drinking right now:

1. Grab a piece of paper or create a note on your smartphone. List all the worst things that can happen to you because of alcohol: delirium tremens, liver failure, disqualification for drunk driving, job loss, divorce from a loved one, and so on. Do not be lazy, write in detail. Carry it with you. Set a daily reminder on your phone and carefully re-read the list, supplement it.
2. Take a piece of paper or, again, a phone. Think over and write down your daily routine: getting up, having breakfast, getting to work, and so on. Plans for the evening also write in detail, not just “Rest”. Don't leave a loophole to go out for a drink because there's nothing else to do anyway. Separately plan a weekend routine: watching your favorite TV show, visiting relatives, classes with a child, a trip to nature, and so on. Hang the schedule on the wall and stick to it strictly.
3. Now is the time to make your dream come true. Yes, right now!

• Surely in your daily routine there is an extra hour, which is not clear what to spend on. Write in there what you have wanted to do for a long time, but somehow your hands didn’t reach: for example, go in for sports, learn how to take beautiful pictures with your camera, start a video blog, get on skates or roller skates (it’s even better if your friend or son joins you ), read the books you once wanted, get a dusty guitar from the closet or paint left over from art school.
• If classes are held near your home on a topic that interests you (yoga, swimming, photo lessons, dance workshops, a mountaineering or fencing section), sign up for them. Let it be a frivolous occupation, but let it be to your liking. Put it in your daily routine. We have already agreed that the regime must be strictly adhered to.
• So expect dramatic progress in your chosen case! It will inevitably be, once you practice regularly. According to science, alcoholism is a habit, so it makes sense to replace one habit with another.

How to stop drinking beer

Beer is an ancient alcoholic drink known to man since the Neolithic. Some historians believe that it was the invention of beer, and not bread, that marked the beginning of the active cultivation of cereals. Of these, by fermentation, a drink with a low percentage of ethanol was obtained. It has become ubiquitous.

It was consumed by adults and children, which was not regarded as drunkenness. On the contrary, beer has become a universal product for the poor. It saved from hunger, quenched thirst, healed, helped relieve stress and cheer up. And even excessive abuse of foam during feasts or in everyday life did not cause censure of society and was perceived as something natural.

An almost reverent attitude to the drink has become so firmly entrenched in the minds of people that to this day its regular use does not cause serious concern either for the drinker or for his environment. Say, this is not vodka, this is beer, there is no particular harm from it to the body.

Due to the low strength, the danger of the drink is simply not taken seriously, and its use is associated with a pleasant stay, stress relief, mental company. And gradually, completely imperceptibly for himself and his environment, a person becomes a hostage to beer alcoholism.

beer alcoholism

In fact, neither in medical science nor in the International Classification of Diseases there is such a thing as "beer alcoholism". Official science and narcologists do not see much difference between the abuse of beer, vodka, wine or other alcoholic beverages. After all, the outcome of all addictions is the same: mental and physical dependence on ethanol with subsequent damage to all organs and systems.

However, the concept of beer alcoholism has become widespread to refer to the abuse of beer and its consequences. At the same time, without exception, narcologists are unanimous in their opinion: addiction to beer develops imperceptibly, is difficult to treat, and in most cases leads to relapses.

Difficulties of beer alcoholism

In addition to harm to the body, beer abuse has a number of characteristic features. Because of them, addiction is quite difficult to understand, correct and treat:

• A frivolous attitude to the drink and its frivolous use leads to the rapid formation of mental dependence.
• A low ethanol content reduces the risk of serious intoxication of the body, but at the same time provokes a constant increase in the dose of alcohol.
• Due to the fact that beer has a complex composition, the withdrawal from beer binge and the detoxification process is more difficult and lengthy.
• Intellectual and moral personality changes in beer alcoholics are poorly expressed, which is why they are perceived by society without condemnation, which makes it difficult to understand the problem.
• Regular (not excessive!) The use of foam helps to fill the deficiency of substances vital to the body, which also provokes the development of addiction.

As for the last point, the composition of the beer is rich in potassium, calcium, silicon and phosphorus. The drink contains a large amount of fiber and phytoestrogens, the source of which is hops.

Phytoestrogens are natural non-steroidal hormones characteristic of the female body. Therefore, when women abuse beer, a stronger psychological addiction occurs, since phytoestrogens can increase the secretion of vaginal mucus, causing sexual arousal. Therefore, when taking beer, women feel more liberated and sexy.

While in men, the opposite reaction to beer is observed: a decrease in hormonal activity and sexual functions.

An important point is the abundance in the composition of beer B vitamins and magnesium. This is truly a miraculous combination that reduces the excitability of nerve cells and helps to neutralize the negative effects of stress. The body perceives the next dose as a real “balm for psychological and mental wounds”, thereby becoming addicted to the drink.

This is a kind of drug that begins to be required daily to maintain a stable psycho-emotional state. And the hops that are part of beer are a natural sedative. It consolidates the achieved relaxing effect, which further enhances addiction to the drink. The components of hops calm the nerves because they act on special receptors in our nervous system.

The benzodiazepine tranquilizers act in the same way: phenazepam, Valium and others. They are called MDR (benzodiazepine receptor) agonists. And if you take them for a long time, it can be very difficult to quit: without the usual sedatives, a person begins to worry, sometimes even panic. That is why you need to stop taking tranquilizers gradually and under the supervision of a doctor.

Beer is the same story. Sometimes its calming effect is even a plus: for example, non-alcoholic beer effectively helps relieve hangover anxiety.

But if you drink beer regularly, then you develop dependence not only on alcohol, but also on benzodiazepines (such dependence is even more difficult). Therefore, it is more difficult to stop drinking beer than any other alcoholic beverage. In this case, it is best to seek help from a narcologist.

In addition, the carbohydrates and proteins that make up beer are a source of quick energy for the body. The daily intake of a drink in the form of 2 - 3 bottles of beer allows a person to feel cheerful, energetic and full of strength, which provokes the development of dependence on a new dose. In its absence, the beer alcoholic immediately worsens his mood, he feels overwhelmed, loses interest in what is happening and suffers in his own way.

Thus, the abuse of beer resembles friendship with an insidious friend who at any moment will stab in the back and betray. Getting rid of such a friend is difficult, but possible. To do this, you need to realize your problem, make a firm decision to "tie up" and undergo treatment with a narcologist. It is very difficult to get rid of an addiction on your own, without contacting a specialist.

After realizing the problem and making a firm decision to “tie up”, it is recommended to try the following algorithm of actions:

1. Gradually reduce the daily dose of the drink. For example, from 3 bottles a day to 2 bottles. Hold on to what has been achieved for 1 week - and switch to 1 bottle per day. Then 1 cup, then 1 cup every 2 days, etc.
2. Fundamentally change the ritual of drinking. For example, if you are used to sipping foam in the evenings while watching TV, then try to give it up in favor of seeds, fruits, and drink beer in a different setting.
3. Find an alternative. With every desire to drink, switch your interests to something else: for example, walking, sports, hobbies, communication with relatives.
4. Reward yourself. Start accumulating the money you save on buying beer. And, say, once a month, spend them on something useful or for fun. You yourself will be surprised at how many good things you can buy for "drunk" money - this will be a good incentive for your further development towards sobriety.

It is very important during the period of sobriety to abstain not only from beer, but also from all alcoholic beverages, even on holidays. Otherwise, this will lead to a relapse: after a dose of ethanol enters the body, you will not be able to control the situation and resist your “favorite beer”.

Going to the finish line of sobriety, try to pay attention to the state of health and strengthening the body. Take vitamin-mineral complexes, exercise, practice baths, saunas, SPA salons, etc. The main thing is to taste life without beer.

The first time will be very difficult for you. Sometimes you don't even want to live. And not only because it's bad physically, but because it's sickening in the soul. Apathy, insomnia, nightmares, some senselessness of being, irritation - all this will indicate that you are on the right track.

Your body has already begun to wean from foam. Just be patient a little, but rather help him: switch your attention, find yourself a hobby, a new meaning to life. When the brain is working on something interesting, it is easier to find a common language with it and agree not to be friends with beer.

Pay attention to motivation

Hereditary alcoholics often have congenital problems with motivation. They are more likely to choose to have fun right now, but then have problems later - instead of suffering a little and gaining later. John Crystal, a professor at Yale University (USA), spoke about this in his article.

For example, if a person is driving today, then you should think: “I will not drink, so as not to get a fine, not lose my license, not get into an accident.” Instead, the alcoholic thinks, "I'll drink and enjoy right now - and there may not be any bad consequences at all. So you don't have to think about them."

It turns out that the body fails a person twice:

1. the brain decides in favor of drinking,
2. and the body is also in favor, because hereditary alcoholics often inherit a lighter hangover than most people. That is why they are not afraid to drink more and more often than others - and as a result, they drink too much.

What to do with it?

There are many techniques that allow you to train the habit of focusing on large targets without being distracted by the “titmouse in hand”. Read books on psychology, in particular on "cognitive behavioral therapy"; contact a psychologist.

Cognitive psychology or something similar really works. Here is what a guest of our site writes about how she manages to keep from drinking:

I go to the bathhouse or swimming pool, just walk around the city or talk on the phone, remember that I don’t get any buzz, but only drink and sleep, drinking a lot of money. I read articles on the Internet about sanogenic thinking, about getting rid of cravings

Quitting Drinking Is Easier Than It Looks When You're Drinking

It can be difficult for a person to start getting out of a binge. It seems to him that as soon as he stops drinking, he will be tormented by the desire to drink again. However, scientists tell us that this is not the case. The experiment was conducted by Kevin A. Hellgren and other American scientists from the University of Washington (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) in 2071. Within 12 weeks, they observed 78 people (more than 80% were men). They were divided into three groups depending on when they stopped drinking:

1. Already stopped drinking before the start of the experiment.
2. They stopped drinking already during the experiment.
3. So they didn't stop drinking.

All were treated for alcoholism with the drug prazosin.

Participants in the experiment regularly reported how they felt and how much they wanted to drink.

So, in the subjects of all groups, the craving for alcohol gradually decreased. Moreover, those who have just stopped drinking (the second group) have a craving for alcohol disappeared abruptly. Those who continued to drink were even more attracted to alcohol during the experiment than those who stopped drinking relatively long ago. The researchers also looked at how people's moods were: Those who abruptly stopped drinking experienced mild improvement, but there was no dramatic improvement in mood. But those who quit a long time ago and those who didn’t quit didn’t experience any changes at all.

This study is designed to support those who are just planning to stop drinking. The first step seems scary, but practice shows that withdrawal is experienced more often by those who continue to drink, and not by those who “tied up”.

Do you have a drinking habit?

Also, scientists note that alcoholism is partly a habit. The same as brushing your teeth in the morning or shaking hands with a friend. It may seem strange, but the same mechanisms work in the brain when we take the keys out of our pocket without hesitation, approaching the door, and when we open a bottle of beer in the evening.

Habits are formed according to the principle:
signal → action → reward

For example:
came home, saw the sofa → turned on the series → enjoyed

Woke up → lit a cigarette → enjoyed

Saw the logo of a fast food chain → took a bite of french fries → enjoyed it

Saw sneakers → put on, went for a run → enjoyed

When our brain receives a "reward" for an action, it remembers this pleasure. If this process is repeated for at least 2-3 weeks, then we form a habit. And when we see a signal, we begin to strongly want to take the action that follows the signal. Sometimes this desire can be very difficult to fight.

Moreover, a ingrained habit can live on its own: even if the action does not bring you pleasure, you will still perform it. This is very familiar to smokers.

It happens that a person does not experience much pleasure from alcohol and does not make a conscious choice in favor of drinking. But he starts drinking automatically when he gets into the usual conditions for this:

• came for a birthday, a wedding;
• came to a nightclub;
• met with friends;
• it is February 23 or March 8, corporate at work;
• stress happened, a loved one left, someone died. In general, grief happened and you want to fill it;
• and so on.

It happens that a person mechanically enters a familiar tavern after work, orders alcohol and starts drinking - before he realizes what he is doing at all. Out of habit!

What to do with it?

If a person decides to stop drinking forever, then he needs to get rid of habits. The good news is that this can be done not on willpower, struggling with desires, but relatively simply. If you approach the matter wisely: a habit can be thrown in the same way as it can be acquired.

Doctors advise alcoholics not to attend events and places where there will be alcohol. Even if a person has firmly decided not to take alcohol in his mouth, such a promise will be difficult to fulfill when everyone around is drinking and he is also encouraged to drink.

Are you invited to visit on March 8? Will your son-in-law offer you a drink? Do not go. It's better to be offended by you for not coming than to be offended by a week-long binge.

Corporate at work? Don't come. Even if you get fired for it (which is unlikely), you will survive the dismissal. Drinking, maybe not.

This does not mean that you should stop communicating with family and colleagues. You just have to firmly refuse when the meeting involves drinking. But with friends who are constantly pouring, you can break forever.

Scientists suggest that society first affects us, and then alcohol: first, it is the habit of drinking alcohol in certain situations that is formed. And only then physical dependence develops. Alcoholism as a habit and alcoholism as a disease develop in different ways and are also treated differently. Some people need to consciously reduce their alcohol intake, while others need to reduce their physical cravings for drinking. Based on these findings, scientists hope to develop more effective remedies for alcoholism.

If it seems to you that these are all empty theories, and alcoholism is really just severe chemical changes in the brain, then read about how people become addicted to ear cleaning sticks. This is a real addiction, but without the drug.

People who quit drinking: real stories

To show that it is possible to stop drinking, we have published several patient stories from narcologist Maxim Kirsanov.

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