Tips for Quitting Alcohol

People who drink too much will improve their health and life if they cut their alcohol intake. Healthy men younger than 65 should drink no more than four drinks per day and no more than 14 drinks per week. Healthy women younger than 65 and men older than 65 should limit themselves to three per day and a maximum of seven per week. Avoid drinking two days in a row, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends.

Admit You Have a Problem

• The first step to quitting alcohol is to admit that you drink too much. Although help such as Alcoholics Anonymous is available, you don't necessarily have to seek it to get better. Because realizing you have a drinking problem usually is a gradual process, you might find yourself sometimes making excuses for your poor habits afterward, too. Simply accept that this ambivalence is normal, and start listing the costs and benefits of drinking. Benefits such as forgetting about your problems and having fun when drinking often pale when realizing that drinking often affects your job performance, family responsibilities and relationships, says helpguide.org. Write down your reasons for wanting to quit alcohol.

Set a Goal

• Set a drink limit for yourself. It can be no drinks at all or a certain number per day and week. If you cut down, stay within one drink per day if you are a woman, and two if you are a man, says the College Drinking Prevention website. Remember that one drink is considered a 12-oz. bottle of beer, a 5-oz. glass of wine, or a 1 1/2-oz. shot of liquor. Because people are different, these limits might be too high for certain individuals, especially for those who have medical problems or are older. Consult with your physician to determine your limit. When you are sure of your drinking goal, write it on a piece of paper. Put it on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror to be sure you see it often.

Keep a Diary

• Keep a diary of your drinking to make sure you stay on track. Because you should always have your diary with you, consider using your PDA or Blackberry for diary entries. You must keep your diary for at least three weeks, preferably longer, and carefully record each drink for best results. Doing so will show you exactly how much you drink and when, as well as keep you accountable. Having to write down each drink might deter you from drinking, according to helpguide.org.

Get Support

• Tell everyone around you that you have decided to change your drinking habits. Support is crucial for success, and it can come from friends, family members, people from your church or other recovering alcohol abusers. It is much easier to recover from alcohol addiction when you have people you can lean on for guidance, encouragement and comfort, helpguide.org reports