How to Cure Alcoholism

The addiction of alcohol is one that many individuals battle on a daily basis. Alcohol is a drug that causes chemical changes to occur in the brain, in turn causing a physiological and psychological addiction. Fighting alcohol addiction is a lifelong battle, but it is a fight that can be won using specific methods.

Instructions

• 1

  Get help through counseling or a treatment center. Alcohol dependence is often brought on by the inability to cope with reality. It is important to find the reasons for the excessive drinking in order to stop. Some people benefit from programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, others need in-treatment facilities and still others find success with individualized outpatient therapy. It is impossible to know which is the best method for you until you try them.

• 2

  Visit with your doctor and try medications specifically formulated to inhibit alcohol dependence. The Mayo Clinic states that the drug disulfiram (Antabuse) acts as a deterrent by making you sick if you drink while taking the drug. However, you really have to want to stop for this to work. A drug that works to combat cravings---Campral (Acamprosate) or naltrexone---might also help when used in combination with therapy.

• 3

  Break the habit by staying away from people who drink. If you have friends who drink, make sure that they understand you are trying to quit. Some may not understand, and you may have to stay away from them completely. Talk on the phone or other by means, but avoid direct contact with drinkers.

• 4

  In addition stay out of places where drinking is occurring. Do not go to bars, and avoid restaurants where alcohol is consumed heavily. Try to go places where drinking is unacceptable, such as a movie theater, church, library, nonalcoholic club, non-drinking restaurant, school, park, with friends or anywhere else where drinking is discouraged.

• 5

  Make friends with those who are going through the same battle. Join a support group online or in your community. Start going to the gym with a group of friends or a gym buddy to keep your mind off of alcohol.

• 6

  Increase carbohydrate consumption to help eliminate cravings. Because alcohol has a high carbohydrate content, your body will crave carbohydrates when you quit drinking. Just be careful to stay away from processed foods with saturated fat so that you will not gain weight.

• 7

  Eat fruit. Because excess carbohydrates are stored as sugar, your body might yearn for sugar when you quit drinking. Try eating fruit, which contains complex sugars, to combat the craving for alcohol.

• 8

  Take a vitamin supplement. According to mothernature.com, alcohol consumption may decrease levels of vitamin A, folate, thiamine, zinc, magnesium and B5 in particular. Taking a vitamin supplement helps to restore normal brain function.

• 9

  Take it day by day. This saying is well-known because of Alcoholics Anonymous books, and it really does work for alcohol abstinence. If you get a craving, just say to yourself that you only have to get through the day. Do not look at it as a lifetime battle, because it can seem overwhelming. Keep a support group of friends and family around you, if possible, who you can call in a time of crisis. Beating an alcohol addiction is never easy, but it is possible if you use the right methods for you.