How To Tell Your Friends You Dont Drink Anymore

Before the conversation, consult with a trusted person who can offer some tips, such as a faith leader, health professional, or a substance abuse counselor. When someone you know or love has a drinking problem, talking to them about your concerns can be a hard but necessary first step on the path toward recovery. The following pointers may help, starting with some good reasons to talk with an individual about their drinking problem in the first place. You may be at risk for symptoms of alcohol withdrawal if you stop drinking suddenly.

steps to quit drinking on your own

For women, it can increase the risk of breast cancer, impair bone health, and lead to mood changes. While these areas may take the greatest hit from regular drinking, they aren’t the only ones affected. Alcohol’s inflammatory properties don’t just affect the liver — the stomach can also become inflamed, which, along with the dehydration, can affect digestion and lead to constipation. While your liver and stomach can usually rebound if you stop drinking, with inflammation comes an increased cancer risk over time. For more resources and support groups that you can physically attend, Al-Anon and Alcoholics Anonymous offer local chapters where you can get the support and guidance you need. These are not just for the one struggling with addiction but for their family.

• Your body’s systems bounce back over time, but after about 30 days, you’ll start seeing a difference.
• The reactions of other people don’t matter, and you don’t owe an explanation to anyone.
• Depending on whether you’re a light or heavy drinker, your strategy around cutting back will be different.
• Multitasking for the alcoholic means making many messes at once.

signs it’s time to quit or cut back on drinking

• Constantly seeking to empower yourself by learning how to not only strengthen your brain when it comes to turning to alcohol but also shore up any other areas that might contribute to a desire to drink.
• Instead of worrying that people will leave you behind for your bad behavior, you’re afraid that people will do it because now you seem too good.
• Regular drinking raises estrogen levels and reduces testosterone.
• The better approach is to calmly state your concern and then ask if you can talk about some of your other observations and research findings in a day or two – and then be sure to set a date/time to talk.

There are many factors that influence our relationship with alcohol, including social factors, genetic predispositions, mental health conditions, and beyond. There are many scenarios in which a few drinks with your friends can quickly lead to excessive alcohol consumption, which has both short- and long-term effects on your physical and mental health. Learning how to stop binge drinking is possible, and may involve reshaping your relationship with alcohol by making behavioral why can’t i control my drinking changes, setting goals, and seeking effective treatment. Reaching for a glass of wine or a beer may feel like an instinctual way to wind down the week. However, for some, one drink can quickly become three or four. Plus, the physical and mental effects of binge drinking are just as dangerous as any other type of unhealthy drinking behavior even if you don’t consume alcohol on a daily basis.

Stress and Alcohol

• The first signs of alcoholic liver damage can include swelling or pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, and yellowing of the eyes or fingernails.
• For example, a cheater might say he or she was working late or at the gym, but not admit to an adulterous rendezvous.
• From weight loss to better sleep, the long-term and short-term side effects can be noticeable.

Sadly, well intentioned folks try to protect the alcoholic from him/herself (enabling) or try to predict what they will do next (no crystal ball available). There are hundreds of wise sayings amongst alcoholics in recovery. Some are meant to make you think and some are meant to be taken very literally.