In early sobriety we might struggle just to stay dry for another 24 hours at a time. We might struggle to stay sober for a 24 hour period and in order to make it through this tough time we might have to focus on networking and getting help from the fellowship. This is alright but as you maintain sobriety you'll see that there is a shift towards self-motivated growth. This does not mean that you are permanently healed of alcoholism or that you no longer need others to recover, but only that there is a shift in what you focus on. Recovery is fueled by passion and purpose and the striving for personal growth, whereas early recovery is more about learning and networking with others. Both stages have all of these attributes in them, but the focus is a bit different for those who are successful in living a sober life.
So you want to know how to stop drinking? My first suggestion is that you do so in a medically supervised facility. This is crucial because not consuming alcohol can actually kill a person if they stop it abrubtly and without supervision. There is also a plus side to attending rehab that you will meet a ton of peers who can help you on your journey. The networking that you get from your peers in early recovery is of vital importance, and going to a treatment center will automatically introduce you to these types of connections. Because of these 2 reasons I highly recommend attending a treatment center if you are serious about quitting drinking.
Now at this point many people think that their job is done when they walk out of the treatment center but in fact it has not even started yet. The real challenge in recovery is in living your life sober without resorting back to resentment and anger and eventually relapsing. It is not always the drinking that got us in trouble but also the lifestyle itself. If you leave rehab and try to remain sober but go back to the same old life situation then you might have a hard time with sobriety. We have to make large, sweeping change in our daily routine if we are going to maintain recovery. This is not unachievable but it takes some real work on your part.
Most of those who leave a treatment center don't follow through on their aftercare plan. If you want to make recovery work for you then you need to approach it with overwhelming force. We put a lot of time into our alcoholism so we should put a lot of time into our sobriety. Most people underestimate what it will take to stay sober. The answer is to go further than what you think it will take in order to remain sober.
And that is the bottom line right there: If you want to know how to stop drinking then you have to take action. At first your goal in recovery will be very concentrated on staying sober one day at a time and figuring out how to live again without drinking. But after a while in sobriety your focus must change to that of caring for your self and trying to grow. In early recovery your networking and support from others is critical. In long term sobriety your drive for personal growth and holistic health is what is key.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
How you Can Stop Drinking and Start Living Recovery
Many people get mixed up about recovering from drug or alcohol addiction, because they think it is all about elminating the chemicals. They think that the primary focus is on eliminating drug use and then on avoiding all of those triggers and urges that might pop up in our lives that might make us relapse.
If recovery were truly this simple then we would probably see much higher success rates. Unfortunately we don't, as getting good outcomes in sobriety takes a ton of motivation and work.
One of the hard truths about recovery is that it takes a monumental effort in the beginning. If you want to make it in early recovery and build a new life for yourself then you have to make a tremendous effort at first. Most people learn as they go through life that putting forth a modest effort will give them modest results, but this is not the case with addiction. If you don't put in an absolutely 100 percent effort at early recovery then you are headed for trouble.
This can be somewhat tricky because as newcomers in early recovery we will usually seek guidance from oldtimers in the program who have been around for a while and try to copy their strategies. This will not work for the newcomer and it will cause them to relapse. If your sponsor has 10 years of sobriety and as a newcomer you try to copy his lifestyle exactly then you are going to relapse. Why? Because we progress and change as we stay clean and sober. The things we did to stay clean and sober at 30 days in the program are not going to keep us sober at the 5 year mark....we have to keep changing as we go along. If we want to understand how to stop drinking then we need to realize that we will change as we progress in recovery.
Not only this, but the level of dedication and hard work you must put forth as a new person in recovery is extremely large. Don't imagine that you can find some magic loophole to get to the serenity and peace that your sponsor has. That serenity was earned. This is not some free ride that any addict can just achieve without hard work.
If recovery were truly this simple then we would probably see much higher success rates. Unfortunately we don't, as getting good outcomes in sobriety takes a ton of motivation and work.
One of the hard truths about recovery is that it takes a monumental effort in the beginning. If you want to make it in early recovery and build a new life for yourself then you have to make a tremendous effort at first. Most people learn as they go through life that putting forth a modest effort will give them modest results, but this is not the case with addiction. If you don't put in an absolutely 100 percent effort at early recovery then you are headed for trouble.
This can be somewhat tricky because as newcomers in early recovery we will usually seek guidance from oldtimers in the program who have been around for a while and try to copy their strategies. This will not work for the newcomer and it will cause them to relapse. If your sponsor has 10 years of sobriety and as a newcomer you try to copy his lifestyle exactly then you are going to relapse. Why? Because we progress and change as we stay clean and sober. The things we did to stay clean and sober at 30 days in the program are not going to keep us sober at the 5 year mark....we have to keep changing as we go along. If we want to understand how to stop drinking then we need to realize that we will change as we progress in recovery.
Not only this, but the level of dedication and hard work you must put forth as a new person in recovery is extremely large. Don't imagine that you can find some magic loophole to get to the serenity and peace that your sponsor has. That serenity was earned. This is not some free ride that any addict can just achieve without hard work.
How to Quit Drinking if You Have a Drinking Problem
If you suspect that you have some sort of trouble with your drinking then the first thing you should do is to figure out the extent of that problem. What is the true nature of your problem and what is the extent of it? Is your problem really with drinking too much or does your problem really get nasty when you actually stop drinking?
If you have a tendency to drink way to much at times but can leave it alone when you have to, then you are probably a problem drinker.If you can't leave the bottle alone for several months on end without becoming antsy over it then you are likely suffering from alcoholism.If you don't know whether or not you just have an alcohol problem or a true alcohol addiction, then you can always do the following 2 challenges to find out:
1) Have one drink every day for the next six months; never to exceed the amount of one drink per day. No exceptions.
2) Abstain from alcohol entirely for 6 months. No sneaking an extra drink in here or there allowed.
If you can get through both of those experiments without cheating at all then you are probably not addicted to alcohol. But if you find yourself struggling with the experiment and actually resenting it then you might be suffering from alcoholism. If you're a problem drinker then you will screw up the first trial and won't be able to curtail your drinking at some point in time. If you are an alcoholic then you will fail at the second experiment and not be able to abstain for six months without some sort of recovery program.
If you decide that you have a drinking problem of some sort then you should ask for help. If you happen to be suffering from alcoholism then you should find a rehab with a medical detox area to help you through it. This is highly advisable because coming off of booze is a serious condition that can result in death if not monitored properly.
On the other hand, if you have a drinking problem, then you might seek counseling or therapy in some way. This can show you if you want to take action towards either reducing or eliminating your alcohol intake altogether.
If you have a tendency to drink way to much at times but can leave it alone when you have to, then you are probably a problem drinker.If you can't leave the bottle alone for several months on end without becoming antsy over it then you are likely suffering from alcoholism.If you don't know whether or not you just have an alcohol problem or a true alcohol addiction, then you can always do the following 2 challenges to find out:
1) Have one drink every day for the next six months; never to exceed the amount of one drink per day. No exceptions.
2) Abstain from alcohol entirely for 6 months. No sneaking an extra drink in here or there allowed.
If you can get through both of those experiments without cheating at all then you are probably not addicted to alcohol. But if you find yourself struggling with the experiment and actually resenting it then you might be suffering from alcoholism. If you're a problem drinker then you will screw up the first trial and won't be able to curtail your drinking at some point in time. If you are an alcoholic then you will fail at the second experiment and not be able to abstain for six months without some sort of recovery program.
If you decide that you have a drinking problem of some sort then you should ask for help. If you happen to be suffering from alcoholism then you should find a rehab with a medical detox area to help you through it. This is highly advisable because coming off of booze is a serious condition that can result in death if not monitored properly.
On the other hand, if you have a drinking problem, then you might seek counseling or therapy in some way. This can show you if you want to take action towards either reducing or eliminating your alcohol intake altogether.
Some Advice for Quitting Alcohol
If you have decided that you want to go beyond merely trying to control your drinking then it is time to make a decision and attempt to quit drinking entirely. Now this might sound like a death sentence at first but it really is not so bad once you get past the initial detox and start living a real life again.
Just realize that actually quitting drinking is pretty dangerous from a medical standpoint and can be life threatening, so be sure to find a full medical treatment center if you really want to stop. It is actually safer for someone to keep consuming alcohol than it is for them to stop suddenly because it is in suddenly stopping that seizures can occur.
If you are serious about quitting drinking altogether then one of the best choices you can make is to go attend a local rehab in your area. There are a number of positive aspects to going the route of rehab
1) Medically supervised detox
2) Residential program - to learn about recovery
3) Peer support - you will be in treatment with a group of your peers that are all on the same path as you are and so you can gain strength from these relationships
4) Professional help - The trained professionals at a treatment center can help you work through issues and guide you in your early recovery
5) Medical help - the facility might be able to introduce addicts to medications that can help them overcome cravings and withdrawal symptoms.)
6) Aftercare - the treatment center can provide you with additional programs and tools for after you leave to help you out in the "real world".
So do consider treatment if you are truly want to stop drinking.
An option for anyone who is hesitating on quitting drinking can always try some more moderation and see how that works for them too. There is nothing wrong with this if you are careful about it. But be realistic with yourself about how well you really are able to moderate over long periods of time. If you can control your drinking for a week that is no real victory. If you can go a whole year without getting into any real trouble with alcohol then that is very good.
There is a ton of information to be learned on your journey to getting well and if you are motivated about stopping then I would encourage you to explore some more as the upside of quitting is just enormous.
Just realize that actually quitting drinking is pretty dangerous from a medical standpoint and can be life threatening, so be sure to find a full medical treatment center if you really want to stop. It is actually safer for someone to keep consuming alcohol than it is for them to stop suddenly because it is in suddenly stopping that seizures can occur.
If you are serious about quitting drinking altogether then one of the best choices you can make is to go attend a local rehab in your area. There are a number of positive aspects to going the route of rehab
1) Medically supervised detox
2) Residential program - to learn about recovery
3) Peer support - you will be in treatment with a group of your peers that are all on the same path as you are and so you can gain strength from these relationships
4) Professional help - The trained professionals at a treatment center can help you work through issues and guide you in your early recovery
5) Medical help - the facility might be able to introduce addicts to medications that can help them overcome cravings and withdrawal symptoms.)
6) Aftercare - the treatment center can provide you with additional programs and tools for after you leave to help you out in the "real world".
So do consider treatment if you are truly want to stop drinking.
An option for anyone who is hesitating on quitting drinking can always try some more moderation and see how that works for them too. There is nothing wrong with this if you are careful about it. But be realistic with yourself about how well you really are able to moderate over long periods of time. If you can control your drinking for a week that is no real victory. If you can go a whole year without getting into any real trouble with alcohol then that is very good.
There is a ton of information to be learned on your journey to getting well and if you are motivated about stopping then I would encourage you to explore some more as the upside of quitting is just enormous.
Helping Alcoholics to Stop Drinking
There are many struggling addicts who have continuously relapsed and keep returning to a 12 step program, completely mystified as to how they can not "get it." They think that they are failing to grasp a key concept of recovery, but in fact what they are doing is failing in terms of execution. It is not lack of wisdom that causes relapse, but rather a lack of application.
Addiction help comes to those who seek it. If you want to know how to stop drinking it is not going to happen if you are sitting at home on the couch and trying to wish your problem away. There are several choices when it comes to pursuing a recovery program but the most common choice is a 12 step fellowship group such as AA. Regardless of what system of recovery you are following, the secret is in taking positive action.
None of the recovery programs out there are special or have the secret sauce that the other programs are lacking--it doesn't work that way. If you are wondering how to help an alcoholic or addict then the key is in applying a program; not in choosing one. The answer is in taking positive action. You must make a supreme effort if you expect to get awesome results.
One of the key components in early recovery is to network with a peer group that can offer you strength and support. Many will do this and still relapse, but the support you get from networking with others in recovery cannot be denied. If you are serious about making it through early recovery then you are going to need help and the best way to do this is to find others who are on the same path. Regardless of whether you really believe in the 12 steps is not an issue because nearly anyone can gain strength from the fellowship and the people in it who are willing to help you.
So this process of making friends in recovery is crucial for new people in early recovery but as you go further along then a change needs to happen. This is because the strategies and tactics that you used in early recovery will become less useful as you stay sober for longer. The strategies you employ for early recovery are only useful up to a point and then you will have to make a change to pushing yourself for holistic growth. If you do this then you can enjoy a lifetime of recovery instead of becoming dependent on meetings and possibly relapsing.
Addiction help comes to those who seek it. If you want to know how to stop drinking it is not going to happen if you are sitting at home on the couch and trying to wish your problem away. There are several choices when it comes to pursuing a recovery program but the most common choice is a 12 step fellowship group such as AA. Regardless of what system of recovery you are following, the secret is in taking positive action.
None of the recovery programs out there are special or have the secret sauce that the other programs are lacking--it doesn't work that way. If you are wondering how to help an alcoholic or addict then the key is in applying a program; not in choosing one. The answer is in taking positive action. You must make a supreme effort if you expect to get awesome results.
One of the key components in early recovery is to network with a peer group that can offer you strength and support. Many will do this and still relapse, but the support you get from networking with others in recovery cannot be denied. If you are serious about making it through early recovery then you are going to need help and the best way to do this is to find others who are on the same path. Regardless of whether you really believe in the 12 steps is not an issue because nearly anyone can gain strength from the fellowship and the people in it who are willing to help you.
So this process of making friends in recovery is crucial for new people in early recovery but as you go further along then a change needs to happen. This is because the strategies and tactics that you used in early recovery will become less useful as you stay sober for longer. The strategies you employ for early recovery are only useful up to a point and then you will have to make a change to pushing yourself for holistic growth. If you do this then you can enjoy a lifetime of recovery instead of becoming dependent on meetings and possibly relapsing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
