Alcohol cessation personal experience. How to quit drinking alcohol forever? Causes of alcohol addiction

50% of young people who die between the ages of 20 and 40 die due to alcohol consumption. Medicine classifies ethanol, the main component of alcoholic beverages, as a potent drug.

Overcoming alcohol addiction and recovery of the body takes a long time. But this is quite possible: many people have managed to give up alcohol and return to normal life.

Quitting alcohol

Today you realized that alcohol is ruining your life. An experienced alcoholic is a pitiful creature who does not have a happy future. And you accept the only thing the right decision: complete failure from alcohol.

How to give up alcohol? There are 2 ways.

1. Stop drinking alcohol today. The coming week will be difficult: ethanol has penetrated into everything life systems organism and became part of their metabolic processes. Until the body is cleansed of alcohol, it will experience “withdrawal.”
2. Set a deadline - a week after which alcoholic drinks will be prohibited. Reduce the “dose” by half every day. On day “X”, drinking alcohol completely stops. It's more soft way overcoming ethanol addiction.

How to help your body overcome alcohol addiction

In any case, the body needs to be helped to survive the withdrawal of ethanol. For several months, the body will experience a physiological craving for alcohol, since it has become part of all its life processes.

How to cleanse the body of ethanol?

Drink a large number of liquids
The liquid removes alcohol breakdown products and other toxins from tissues. It is preferable to drink green tea, citrus juices, water, compotes. You should not drink coffee, carbonated drinks, or hot chocolate - they dehydrate the body and prevent it from getting rid of toxic substances.

Eat nutritious and healthy food
Calorie and healthy food fills with energy and lifts your spirits. Hot soups, especially on chicken broth, regular cereal porridges (not instant cooking), fresh vegetables and fruits will be an excellent support in the fight against alcohol addiction.

Physical activity
It is very useful to just walk on fresh air! In a park or along an alley where there is no car smog.
When your body gets stronger, you can go to the gym. Exercising fills the brain with endorphins; the reflection in the mirror will begin to bring pleasure, as will the feeling of your strong, athletic body. New acquaintances with “non-alcoholic” interests will appear.

To sleep a lot
Sleep will help cope with the nervousness that occurs when quitting alcohol.

Water treatments
The first weeks after quitting strong drinks alcohol oxidation products are released through the pores. If you don't shower daily, they re-enter the body through the skin.

Something to chew
Cucumbers, carrots and apples - these helpers in the fight against alcoholism have been known for a long time. Some people use lollipops to distract themselves from “alcoholic” thoughts.

Take your vitamins
Vitamin and mineral complexes, especially B vitamins, excellent helpers in the fight against alcohol addiction and in restoring a depleted body.

Restoring the body after alcohol

Ethanol (ethyl, wine alcohol) – moderate toxic substance, which is addictive and penetrates all organs and systems of the body. Contained in all alcoholic drinks, it causes a feeling of intoxication.

Only 5% of ethanol leaves the body with sweat and urine, the remaining 95% of alcohol penetrates the blood, and then into all organs and tissues, where they participate in metabolic processes and are oxidized.

Comprehensive recovery of the body after quitting alcohol takes about a year. The liver and kidneys, pancreas, brain and nervous system. How to restore these organs?

Liver

The liver protects the body from toxins, which include ethanol. Under the influence of alcohol, the liver decreases in size, its unique cells– hepatocytes – die, the internal blood supply to the organ is disrupted.

The liver is capable of self-healing if you give it a little help:

• give up fatty, fried, heavy foods;
• eat small meals 4-5 times a day;
• take hepatoprotective drugs that restore liver cells (Gepabene, Essentiale-forte, Essliver, milk thistle preparations, etc.);
• eat food rich in fiber(cereals, vegetables, fruits);
• drink vitamins.

Primary rehabilitation takes several months.

Brain

Under the influence of alcohol, the brain shrinks, internal circulation is disrupted, and cells of the cerebral cortex die. Half a month after alcohol stops entering the body, the brain begins to repair itself.

Helps rehabilitation processes medulla healthy lifestyle: good nutrition, taking vitamin and mineral complexes, walking and moderate physical activity.

Pancreas

This organ is not capable of processing alcohol. When alcohol enters the pancreas, a spasm of the ducts occurs. Own enzymes accumulate inside the organ and begin to digest it. First, the gland swells, then the processes of inflammation and decay begin. Gland diseases: pancreatitis and pancreatic necrosis - can lead to fatal outcome, which is shown by autopsies of people 30-40 years old who abused alcohol.

How to help the pancreas?

• Eat little and often;
• give up fatty fried foods;
• drink a glass of hot water an hour before meals;
• eat foods rich in “healthy” fats (fish, avocado, homemade butter, thin slices of lard).

Kidneys

The kidneys pass through and filter all the liquids you drink. Alcohol dehydrates the body and the kidneys have to work harder. unfavorable conditions– they do not have enough fluid to function fully. The fact that alcohol affects this organ is obvious - after drinking alcohol, the face swells, bags appear under the eyes - these are signs of kidney disease.

Under the influence of alcohol, kidney stones form and begin inflammatory processes, fatty degeneration of organ tissue occurs, and tumors may arise.

Kidney diseases are treated for months with a complex various drugs under constant medical supervision.

Nervous system

Each intake of alcohol kills kilometers of nervous communications. Brain activity slows down: loses interest in the world around him and in everything except strong drinks. Speech becomes poor, incoherent, and confused. At long-term abuse Alcohol disappears shyness, restraint, feeling self-esteem. A person allows himself indecent and cynical antics, cannot control sudden mood swings from joy to aggression, from irritation to tearfulness...

Hand trembling nervous tic, unsteady gait, poor coordination of movements - this is also the result of the destruction of nerve cells.
A doctor treats neuralgic disorders. During therapy, drugs are used to improve cerebral circulation, recovery blood vessels, nootropic medications, antidepressants.

If you give up alcohol, it will take several weeks for the acute craving for alcohol to subside. For about a year, the body will be freed from ethanol breakdown products. Transition to healthy image life will not help cure existing diseases internal organs– in many cases, conservative drug treatment will be required.

More than once I have heard the opinion that the site’s employees are entirely cynical journalists, scribbling notes around the clock while enjoying a cigarette, a glass and a hot dog. In fact, we not only actively pursue very busy experts to convey to readers the rules of a healthy life, but we also put the recommendations into practice - step by step, and the results do not take long to wait.

For example, many people find it unrealistic complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages, although it significantly reduces the risk of various oncological diseases, diseases of cardio-vascular system And degenerative processes in the brain and prolongs life.

This list is already enough to get rid of alcohol from your life, even if you don’t yet have problems with drinking it. That is, really no - according to the list - and you don’t think so, despite all the symptoms.

First steps

I have never had problems with alcohol. The bottles left over from the birthday peacefully gathered dust until the next one, I didn’t drink it alone, I didn’t drown my grief, I could abstain.

The reward awaited the hero

However, why was it worth undergoing changes in lifestyle, change of company and ways of having fun? This list is longer.

1. Appeared free time . Spree in fun company- this is six to eight hours and an attempt to get some sleep on the weekend. Now I go to morning yoga on Saturdays, I know what time and in what condition I will leave a friendly dinner on weekdays, and, without losing my life, I have completed “In Search of Lost Time” - and this is a very, very long text.

2. What connects me with the people around me is sincere mutual interest and sympathy. Alcohol successfully fills awkward pauses, allows you to barely talk and creates the illusion of shared adventures.

However, empty communication is akin to empty calories - it deprives you of flexibility and real pleasure from the process. So after deducting alcohol, only those with whom you really want to be are left around.

3. Nice look at yourself in the mirror. Alcohol worsens the complexion, provokes the appearance of acne if you are prone to it, and accelerates the appearance of wrinkles due to dehydration of the skin. I look better now than I did five years ago, and my photos don't need retouching. In addition, without alcohol, it is easier to control weight and stay slim.

4. Faster cope with stress and problems. Drinking temporarily relieves symptoms of stress, but then makes it worse. If you get rid of the habit of running for a dose at the slightest trouble, then it turns out that you can sit down, calm down, plan measures to solve the difficulties that have arisen and go to bed peacefully. The bartender's lost tips are used to buy a trip to the climbing wall.

5. Last months excellent high spirits accompanies me every day, no matter how tired I am, and even if the day begins with curses about work, the weather or any other suitable reason. Which, of course, is primarily due to sufficient physical activity and a balanced daily routine. But this would be more difficult to arrange while drinking alcohol, which disrupts sleep.

In addition, ethanol stimulates the release of pleasure hormones, depriving them of their presence daily life, which is already less joyful. Now they are not only actively produced, but also issued regularly and in sufficient quantities.

6. Impressions from life became noticeably deeper. Alcohol causes strong but monotonous experiences - a kind of emotional fast food. If you endure the longing for quick euphoria, the same thing happens as with fast food: it becomes tasteless and unpleasant, but a rich spectrum of tastes and emotions opens up in normal life. And the mood is always wonderful.

What not to do

Suppose you have become stronger in your intention to stop drinking too, and are ready to bring the light of truth to the masses. Let's agree that you do this you won't.

A happy, healthy and satisfied person is best advertising giving up alcohol. And someone who is ready to get involved in any online discussion with explanations that those around them are living incorrectly only irritates everyone. This makes the complexion deteriorate noticeably more.

Both a glass of wine and a bottle of beer may seem like the perfect way to unwind after a long busy week or to celebrate special event. But for a growing organism, alcohol creates certain cracks in development.

You don't have to worry about negative impact alcohol if you drink in groups occasionally. Recently, even a moderate attitude towards alcohol has been associated with an increase in the list of health problems, for example, poor immunity, weight gain and cancer. Therefore, let's figure out what the advantages of giving up alcohol are and what happens to the body when we give up extra degrees.

Here are 14 fantastic benefits of living without alcohol:

1) Lose weight

One of the benefits of quitting alcohol is weight loss.

There are several reasons why weight loss occurs. First, alcoholic drinks tend to be very loaded with calories. A can of beer contains about 154 calories, about the same as rum and Coca-Cola. Pina Colada contains a whopping 425 calories per drink!

And because they are "empty calories", devoid of nutrients, we still need to eat as much food as we need to get the full amount of vitamins and minerals.

Alcohol also tends to encourage overeating! The American journal Nutrition emphasizes the role of alcohol as a strong factor excess food intake. Women who drank the equivalent of two alcoholic drinks ate 30% more than those who drank a saline solution.

Researchers suggest that this happens because alcohol enhances our feelings and, accordingly, lowers all our inhibitions!

2) Build muscle

If you are an avid athlete, then your work will not matter if you regularly indulge in alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol reduces protein synthesis and makes it harder to build new muscle. Animals that were given a lot of alcohol experienced a significant decrease in muscle mass.

And most importantly, alcohol reduces the production of human growth hormone by up to 70%, and this hormone is a key component in the process of muscle growth and recovery.

3) Lower cholesterol

A glass of red wine a day for four weeks increases “good” cholesterol by up to 16%.

Drinking more than a couple of glasses a day or going over your weekly limit will do much for your cholesterol levels. more harm than good.

When mice were given the equivalent of two drinks per day based on their body weight, bad cholesterol levels dropped by 40%. However, mice given the equivalent of seven drinks twice a week experienced a 20% increase in levels.

4) Balance blood sugar

Maintaining balanced blood sugar levels – key moment to the solution general condition health.

Drinking alcohol increases blood glucose to incredible levels.

As a result, you can expect cravings for carbohydrates and sweets, headaches, dizziness, poor concentration and much more. Looks a lot like a hangover! This is not a coincidence. If this continues in long term, your weight will increase and your risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

Give up alcohol and see if you notice a difference in your mood and energy.

5) Keep your liver healthy

British scientists highlight the benefits of even one month without drinking!

102 regarding healthy men and women under forty years of age abstained for four weeks, which was reflected in a decrease in liver stiffness (indicating disease) by 12.5%.

Insulin resistance and diabetes risk decreased by 28%, which shows the best general feeling well-being.

Of course too much great use alcohol has negative impact on the liver in various forms. This is the risk of fatty disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer.

6) Reduce the risk of disease!

Red wine lowers cholesterol levels and is one of the scientifically backed drinks for lowering blood pressure. Many scientists claim that moderate consumption alcohol reduces your chances of heart disease and stroke.

However, giving up alcohol means you will be less likely to develop oral cancer, liver and breast cancer, and colon and rectal cancer.

7) Improve sleep

Give up alcohol and you will immediately notice that you begin to sleep like a baby.

Even if alcohol helps us fall asleep faster and enjoy deep sleep for a while, a review of 27 studies says drinking alcohol reduces rapid eye movement, and truly deep, restorative sleep is when our organs are functioning properly.

Even one drink can have this effect; the more you drink, the more sleep is disrupted.

Alcohol also causes and aggravates a serious condition - sleep apnea, characterized by the suspension of shallow breathing during sleep.

In a 1981 study, people who did not usually suffer from sleep apnea experienced it after drinking alcohol. What's even worse is that these people didn't just suffer from sleep apnea once, they also experienced it the next night.

Alcohol reduces the level of melatonin in the body, a hormone responsible for regulating internal clock body and drowsiness.

8) Increase feelings of happiness

It's no surprise that alcohol and depression are closely linked. Quitting alcohol improves your mood and outlook on life, and who doesn't want that?

Many people feel sad after drinking alcohol. This is most likely caused by alcohol's effect on levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps us feel great.

In 1991, a study was conducted and looked at the level of serotonin in the blood 45 minutes after drinking alcohol. What they found was truly amazing. Serotonin levels were significantly reduced and were at the same level as serotonin found in patients with depression!

And if you still think depression is making you drink the bottle, think again. Based on a 30-year study published in 2013, it is believed that people become depressed because they drink heavily, not because they drink in response to depression.

If you abstain from drinking alcohol, depression will soon disappear.

9) Reduce stress

How wonderful it is to come home after a long day of work and drink two glasses of pleasant wine! But if you often overdo it, you will soon start to get nervous.

This is because alcohol releases the stress hormone cortisol, especially in older people. dangerous level. Each additional unit of alcohol per week increases cortisol levels by 3%.

10) Improve memory

If you become forgetful, take note that this is all your drinking!

One study of more than 5,000 middle-aged men and 2,000 women found that heavy drinkers experienced declines in memory, attention, and reasoning skills by 6 years of development.

And it’s not just middle-aged people who suffer. Spanish scientists studied 122 university students, ranging from abstainers to drinkers.

Drinking students had reduced logical memory, visual and verbal memory, and the ability to learn new verbal information.

The good news is that abstaining from alcohol for a few months to a year can reverse Negative consequences for thinking skills, including solving problems of memory and attention.

But we have not listed all the advantages of quitting alcohol, because the positive changes in the body do not end there.

11) Stronger immunity

After giving up alcohol, regular colds, sore throats and other infections will go away much faster.

This is because alcohol has a profound and almost immediate effect on our immune system.

Drinking begins to affect the immune system within just 20 minutes of ingesting alcohol! After giving up alcohol, scientists observed an increase total number circulating levels of some white blood cells, and therefore immune defense accelerates.

Excess alcohol deprives the body of some important substances and reduces the ability of white blood cells to multiply (they cannot fight bacteria and viruses as quickly or effectively).

12) Healthier teeth and gums

Alcohol contains huge amounts of sugar, which is bad for hygiene. oral cavity. In fact, alcohol is included in the !

Have you noticed how your mouth is completely dry in the morning after a few drinks? This is because alcohol reduces the production of saliva, which is the mouth’s main defense against bacteria. Without sufficient quantity saliva, we may suffer from excess bacteria and unpleasant odor from the mouth, gum disease and even tooth loss.

13) Glowing skin

Suffering from dry or damaged skin? Alcohol is one of the possible reason psoriasis, eczema and rosacea.

Medical advice regarding alcoholism problems: unhealthy skin (especially superficial infections) - early sign alcohol abuse.

Alcohol does not cause rosacea, but it does significantly worsen the skin condition.

Two out of three rosacea patients experience a flare-up of facial redness after one alcoholic drink.

Besides, the sugar in alcohol will not make your skin beautiful.

14) Increase libido and fertility

Alcohol affects everyone differently, but when it comes to libido, the impact on everyone is negative in terms of future fertility.

Chronic alcoholism and infrequent but excessive consumption of alcohol ignites desire but reduces productivity in men. However, alcohol increases sexual desire, arousal and pleasure in women.

For both sexes, alcohol has Negative influence on long term. In men, impotence is due to erectile dysfunction after alcohol abuse, it can persist even after several years of sobriety. The problem is considered physical rather than psychological or hormonal, meaning the damage may even be permanent.

According to a Danish study, for women, drinking 1 to 5 drinks per week (within recommended limits) can reduce a woman's chances of conceiving.

Bottom line: if you want to create healthy family, better drink white tea instead of white wine.

The ultimate goal of overcoming drunkenness and alcoholism involves a complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. I would like to think that the next generations will learn to live without alcohol. In the meantime, the problem remains quite acute. A significant proportion of alcoholics need treatment, while others need only their own willful efforts to first minimize the consumption of alcoholic beverages and then get rid of them altogether. Probably, significant assistance in this regard can be provided by special rules, which will be discussed below.

If you are not yet abstinent, then it is better to give preference to natural grape wines (including champagne). All kinds of low-grade wines, including “fruit and berry” wines, various surrogates, moonshine, in addition to the harm caused by alcohol as such, are toxic due to all kinds of impurities, artificial dyes, and poorly purified products. Beer is not at all harmless. Many people have developed the habit of drinking beer in large quantities, sitting for hours with friends in pubs. In addition to the fact that the total amount pure alcohol After huge portions of beer are quite large (0.5 liters of beer corresponds to 60-80 grams of vodka), we must not forget that beer is very high in calories. Beer regulars quickly get fat, and the walls of their stomachs stretch from beer. Drinking beer too often is the first step towards alcohol abuse. German psychotherapist E. Kraepelin wrote that 45 percent of his patients became alcoholics as a result of drinking beer regularly and a lot.

It is impossible not to mention the settings for correct behavior, for reliable self-control. The famous Soviet psychotherapist Vladimir Levi wrote:

“Some people get outrageously drunk only because they are irresponsible with their behavior. And this irresponsibility consists not only in violating the dose, the rules of snacking, but also in the fact that these people do not want or are not able to carry out advance self-hypnosis, self-tuning, which, at the same concentration of alcohol in the blood, would keep their well-being and behavior at the proper level.”

And now the reader is offered some rules that should help reduce consumption alcoholic drinks to a minimum.

1. Do not drink any alcohol until you are 25 years old.

Unfortunately, too large number cases this remains not the rule, but only good wishes. Until approximately the age of 25, when the body completes its physiological formation, alcohol can cause irreparable damage to its condition.

Alcohol is especially dangerous in adolescence, during rapid growth and development of the body. During this period even small doses lead to extremely undesirable changes in the nervous, endocrine and genitourinary systems.

3. Don't drink on an empty stomach; don't drink when feeling unwell; do not drink if you have to drive, work, or train.

When a person driving a car has 0.8 ppm of alcohol in their blood, the likelihood of an accident with fatal increases fourfold. 0.8 ppm is found in the blood of a person who drank a glass of beer, a 20-gram glass of vodka or half a glass of champagne. Most often, the driver of the car drank at a party or in company. Anyone who drinks with him fully shares moral responsibility for everything that may happen to this person on the road.

4. Strictly control your condition. After the first symptoms of alcohol exposure (excessive looseness, talkativeness), immediately and categorically stop drinking.

5. Remember that nicotine dramatically enhances the effects of alcohol. Remember that in stuffy room and when it's hot, the effects of alcohol increase significantly. Accordingly, the removal of alcohol from the body slows down under the same conditions. In the cold and clean air metabolic processes go faster, which means alcohol is removed from the blood faster.

6. Don't drink when you don't feel like drinking. Most often, violation of this very rule ultimately leads to alcoholism. A person should not, under any circumstances, allow someone else’s will to be imposed on him: if he does not want to drink, then neither persuasion nor a falsely understood sense of solidarity should force him. A democratic law should reign at the table: whoever does not want to drink, does not drink.

Following these rules will help you stop drinking alcohol altogether over time.

Practice shows that it is of great help in getting rid of the tyranny of alcoholism. It is especially effective in the initial stages of alcohol addiction. The lower the degree of a person’s dependence on alcohol, the more successful the impact of auto-training. Therefore, the help of autogenic exercises should be resorted to immediately as soon as a man experiences the fear of getting used to wine. Psychotherapists and narcologists note that the most effective impact of auto-training is on novice drinkers, as well as on experienced alcoholics, immediately after inpatient or outpatient treatment.

I am completely calm, confident and free.

Alcohol doesn't matter to me.

I'm glad to be sober.

Vodka is disgusting. The taste of the wine is disgusting.

I'm glad that alcohol doesn't appeal to me.

A drunk man is disgusting.

I am completely calm and confident in my abilities.

I hate to even think about alcohol.

I am firm and adamant in my aversion to alcohol.

I can handle.

Since a man who begins to succumb to the habit of alcohol noticeably weakens his will, he may not be able to cope with the misfortune that has happened to him. Help can be provided close person fully trusted: wife, mother, father, friend. It is easier to master the above formulas of self-hypnosis together, and the effect of such joint exercises is very significant. There are a huge number of cases where, after two or three weeks of constant self-hypnosis, people developed an aversion to alcohol. strong immunity against a dangerous habit.

Action program

It is set out above in the “six rules”.

It is appropriate to note here that for many men, a program to improve their health should begin with giving up alcohol. Without eliminating alcohol from their lives, or at least minimizing its consumption, they will not be able to take advantage of the advice given in previous articles. Yes and moral attitude drinking man not the type to seriously take up the task of “improving oneself.”

Anyone who has achieved success here should certainly go further: take on board a tool that will consolidate the first success and fill life with new content.

The problem of alcoholism is pressing not only for our country. Alcohol abuse has long been a global scourge. According to WHO statistics, ethanol mercilessly kills about 2.5-3 million people every year. Almost 60% of deaths in at a young age accounts specifically for problems associated with alcoholism.

The saddest thing is that these numbers have a steady upward trend. The fight against growing alcohol consumption is becoming one of the most pressing and difficult issues. Alcoholism, which completely subjugates the human personality, is not so easy to get rid of. How to give up alcohol on your own and is it even possible to cope with addiction on your own?

To quit drinking on your own, you need proper motivation and willpower.

A significant part of people, knowing full well about the evil that alcohol brings with it, moreover, judging and condemning those who drink, they themselves regularly drink intoxicating drinks. And you can understand them. Even knowing the mortal threat, it is extremely difficult to completely give up alcohol. Ethanol causes a particularly persistent dependence in humans, based on the physical and mental level.

If the idea of ​​getting rid of drunkenness has appeared in your life, you should understand that a sober life will bring much more more benefit and joy than living under the yoke of alcohol addiction.

To successfully quit drinking, you need to be aware of the benefits that complete abstinence from alcohol will bring. For example, you can arm yourself with some proven arguments.

It is very important to avoid breakdowns in the process of parting with alcohol.

Physical harm

Brings alcohol to the human body complete destruction. Alcohol abuse mercilessly destroys physical health personality. Particularly affected:

• brain functions;
• reproductive sphere;
• the cardiovascular system;
• organs of the gastrointestinal tract (in particular, the stomach itself, liver, pancreas).

Alcohol is the cause of many fatal dangerous diseases, some of which are incurable. For example:

• oncology;
• pneumonia;
• tuberculosis;
• pancreatitis;
• gastrointestinal pathologies;
• cardiomyopathy;
• strokes and heart attacks;
• mental disorders;
• cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis.

But even if these facts do not frighten a person, it is worth thinking about problems of an intimate nature. Alcohol deals a crushing blow to reproductive system personality, leading to infertility and complete impotence.

It has been proven that with regular consumption of alcoholic beverages (even in small quantity) a man already after 30-35 years old faces significant problems in the sexual sphere of life.

Appearance

The face of an alcohol addict is easy to determine, because all the signs of boundless love for alcohol are immediately reflected on the face. Swelling, cyanosis and purpleness skin. Decayed teeth, general exhaustion of the body, unpleasant smell of fumes, puffy face, swollen eyes. All this direct influence alcohol.

The fact that a person drinks is noticeable in his face; alcohol has a particularly detrimental effect on a woman’s appearance

Mental problems

Alcohol is a powerful, highly toxic poison for the human brain. Constant consumption of alcoholic beverages provokes attacks of aggression and the development of severe depressive states.

Ethanol completely destroys normal functioning brain and leads to personality degradation.

A drinking person's tendency to commit criminal and immoral acts increases, and the sense of self-control disappears. It is against the background of intoxication that a large number of crimes, robberies, murders and rapes occur. While intoxicated, a person poses a threat to himself, from accidents to suicide attempts.

Alcohol has an extremely negative effect on the nervous system

Social life

Needless to say, alcoholism is main culprit destroyed family happiness. According to statistics, 90% of divorces occur due to alcohol addiction of one of the spouses. The attitude of friends also suffers. Not only close people, but also friends gradually turn away from the drinker.

A person rapidly falls down the social ladder, losing Good work, earnings, friends, relatives. The ultimate road for an alcoholic often ends on the street, among the homeless and antisocial elements. Would anyone really want such a fate for themselves or a loved one?

That is why the fight against drunkenness should be started as early as possible, without starting the situation. And the main condition that helps to abstain from alcohol is the presence of your own attitude towards a happy and healthy life. But a person should definitely get help with this.

What does alcohol abuse lead to?

Proper preparation

When personality for a long time maintains close contact with intoxicating drinks; a sudden refusal of alcohol can provoke inappropriate behavior. Therefore, you should prepare yourself for a sober life long before giving up alcohol. And above all, prepare mentally.

It is better to designate in advance the “hour X”, after which all alcoholic drinks will be removed from the house. Until this moment comes, you need to systematically reduce your usual dose of alcohol. And with the beginning of a new stage, strictly keep the promise you made to yourself and your loved ones. And in order not to violate it, adhere to the following guidelines:

• think more often that making such a decision will help significantly improve all aspects of life;
• do not indulge in explanations with friends about the fact that you have stopped drinking; if your friends insist on drinking, it is better to refuse communication with such “friends” and restore a good relationship with friends who don’t drink;
• after each day that has passed without alcohol, praise and encourage yourself;
• enlist the support of your loved ones, communicate with them more often, spend time together;
• During the entire period of struggle with craving for alcohol, try not to attend various entertainment events;
• remove from the house absolutely everything that reminds you of alcohol;
• get a separate wallet and put money there that you usual time would go to buy alcoholic drinks;
• Every month, spend the entire amount saved on your own needs (nice things, hobbies, books, activities), this is very stimulating and encouraging;
• change your daily routine, try to get up earlier, walk more, watch your diet.

Remember that you have entered a new stage of your life, where there is no hint of former drunkenness. It is very difficult to give up alcohol; you need to constantly educate and train your willpower. Prepare for the fact that the desire to grab a glass will visit you for a long time.

Useful tips for quitting drinking

When quitting alcohol, a person will have to face withdrawal syndrome. It's pretty hard times filled with painful symptoms and powerful desire drink up.

The main thing at these moments is not to give in to temptation and not return to your previous state. Know what it is normal reaction an organism that is accustomed to working under the influence of ethanol. It takes time for internal systems to restructure themselves in a sober manner..

It is very important to form and constantly think about new goals and life priorities. See yourself as already perfect healthy person, not persecuted constant desire drink up. A number of the following tips from a psychologist will help maintain sobriety.

1. If you have a party you can't refuse, drive. This will help you stay away from alcohol and protect you from an accidental drink.
2. Make new acquaintances from among non-drinkers. You can meet them at work, among mutual friends, at the gym/swimming pool. This strengthens faith in own strength and will help you thoroughly and once again reconsider your past life.
3. Be sure to get involved in sports. Physical activities will contribute quick cleansing the body from the remains of alcohol and will soften the course of abstinence. Besides, sports activities have a very positive effect on mood and self-esteem; such loads stimulate the production of dopamine (the “joy” hormone).
4. If the desire to drink alcohol intensifies in the evenings, after hard everyday life, curb the craving with a good, hearty dinner. The feeling of satiety perfectly suppresses the desire to drink. By the way, a contrast shower effectively relieves the need to sip a glass.
5. Try to quit smoking. It has long been known that these two deadly habits go hand in hand. After all, remember, as soon as alcohol is consumed, the desire to smoke immediately arises. You shouldn’t provoke yourself again and it’s better to get rid of two addictions at once in one fell swoop.
6. Enrich your home music library. Listening to your favorite music helps avoid stress and prevents you from becoming depressed.
7. Take a massage course. This therapy helps relieve excess tension, activates blood circulation well, and, therefore, helps to quickly cleanse the body of alcohol residues.

Psychologists strongly advise having pet. Especially the dog. She requires constant care and walks, which greatly increases her responsibility. Thus, it helps to improve the quality of life and its duration.

A proper diet is a good helper on the path to a sober life

If you are concerned about how to give up alcohol forever, in addition to taking the necessary medications and advice from a psychologist at this time, special attention should be paid to your diet. Nutritious food, filled with vitamins, helps prevent the development of a number of somatic and nervous problems that will have to be encountered during this difficult period.

When to think

So, what you should pay attention to when developing your menu:

1. Remove sugar from your diet White bread and rice, pasta.
2. Include nuts, wild rice, millet and barley products in your diet.
3. Bananas, dates and sunflower seeds will be useful.
4. Greet the morning natural juices, ideally from carrots, lemon, oranges and apples.
5. Drink a fortified cocktail daily, made from crushed dates (4-5 pieces), diluted in water (200 ml). It should be consumed in the mornings and evenings for 1-1.5 months.
6. Great for relieving the urge to drink healing mixture. It’s easy to make: dilute the juice from pumpkin leaves (45 ml) in kefir (200 ml).
7. It is necessary to significantly reduce the amount of sugar and caffeine you take. Such products have a stimulating effect on the central nervous system and will provoke the desire to drink alcohol.
8. Eat more oatmeal. This cereal effectively helps cleanse internal systems body from waste and toxins.
9. But a special grape diet cleanses the liver well. It consists of consuming grapes alone three times a day in small portions for 25 days. But before you try it, you should definitely consult your doctor. This diet has a number of contraindications.

Stock up on candies, crispy vegetables, and fruits. Consume them every time you feel the urge to drink.

By the way, our ancestors also saved themselves from alcohol addiction by replacing alcohol with prolonged chewing of carrots, a strong apple or a cucumber.

Be sure to take a course of vitamin therapy with a predominance of B vitamins. And devote more time to a good night's rest. It’s not for nothing that they say that a dream is best medicine. Try to get through this very difficult time with dignity, calling on your loved ones for help and awakening the will in yourself to become a healthy and sober person.