How to Deal With Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse destroys lives. An alcoholic unable to acknowledge and deal with his problem may lose his job, his family and even his life. The steps are never easy, but they are clearly defined, and numerous organizations stand ready to assist you. It requires commitment and a willingness to fight for the things that matter in your life; in the process, you may discover strengths you never knew you had.

Instructions

• 1

  Look for symptoms of alcohol abuse in your life. Alcohol abuse differs from alcoholism in that you are not yet totally dependent upon drink, but many of the signs are the same. You may find yourself drinking excessively, with an inability to limit your alcohol consumption. You may drink in secret and hide evidence of your drinking from your spouse or family members. You may require an excessive amount of alcohol to attain a level of inebriation. Most important, you may experience difficulties at work or at home due to your drinking.

• 2

  Acknowledge the truth of the situation, and resolve to seek help. This is often the most difficult part of dealing with alcohol abuse. It's easy to explain or excuse the drinking, and difficult to admit that you have a problem. But until you do, the alcohol abuse will continue, along with the problems it creates.

• 3

  Ask your doctor to recommend a good treatment program in your area. Depending upon the level of abuse, you may not require residential treatment; therapy and counseling may be a better fit. But alcohol abuse often entails physical changes to your brain chemistry, which means you cannot simply will your way to reducing alcohol consumption. Treatment programs can address any physical dependency, and counseling and therapy can help you develop techniques to reduce the cravings for alcohol.

• 4

  Develop coping mechanisms for dealing with alcohol. Once you've stopped drinking, your goal is to practice abstinence. A therapist or a group like Alcoholics Anonymous can teach you specific tactics. Developing a hobby or a pastime is a good one: something you enjoy and that can fill the space in your life formerly occupied by alcohol. In addition, learn to recognize "danger zones" where you might be tempted to drink. A danger zone can be a former hangout, a set of circumstances or a specific time of day in which you used to indulge. Once you identify those danger zones, take steps to steer clear of them, or have a coping plan in place whenever they roll around.

• 5

  Separate yourself from anyone who may enable your drinking. Friends who can't respect your decision to quit or support you in your efforts will do more harm than good. Make it clear that you can't go out drinking with them anymore, and tell them to curtail their drinking in your presence if it makes things more difficult for you. If they can't do that, you need to cut them out of your life.

• 6

  Take it one day at a time. Recovering from alcohol abuse is often a lifelong endeavor, and there will always be moments when you struggle. But the road has its rewards as well as its difficulties. Don't expect to recover overnight; just know that each step is a step forward.