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Alcoholics promise their families to stop drinking almost every day. Unfortunately, most relatives believe that it is impossible to cope with the disease on their own. So, how to stop drinking alcohol on your own at home, and is it really possible to do it?

Psychology of an alcoholic: what prevents you from quitting drinking?

Without psychological support Quitting drinking on your own is quite difficult, not only because of the strong chemical bond, but also because of a certain type of thinking of an alcoholic. The following psychological aspects prevent a drinker from coping with addiction:

• inability to express love. Under the influence of alcohol, a drinker develops a feeling of lightness in his soul, and he begins to love not only those around him, but also himself. Self-esteem awakens and criticality disappears. After the effect of alcohol wears off, negative emotions, guilt and pity return, which do not go away until a new dose is taken;
• oversaturation negative emotions . Mental pain is the most common companion of an alcoholic. Sometimes, this state can only be suppressed with the help of alcohol. Moreover, the more an alcoholic drinks, the more painful the attacks of mental pain, and the more alcohol is required to suppress it;
• presence of complexes. In this case we're talking about about complexes that are formed throughout life, for example, when parents inspire a child that he will not succeed or that he is worse than other children. Alcohol allows you to “let go” of complexes for a while, a person begins to feel strong, beautiful, successful;
• lack of ability to cope with difficulties. If decisions were constantly made for a person throughout his life, then finding himself in difficult situation, he finds himself in an environment for which he is completely unprepared. It is also common for people to become drunkards who, on the contrary, have been entrusted with too much responsibility.

Is it possible to stop drinking at home?

According to the famous phrase - nothing is impossible in the world! It is possible to stop drinking at home, but according to statistics cited by psychotherapists, only 2-5% of alcoholics succeed. What to do to be among these “lucky” ones who were able to change their lives?

Firstly, you can only stop if you have the support of relatives and friends. It should be understood that any pressure on an alcoholic at a time when he is trying to recover can throw the whole process back.

According to statistics, 2-5% of alcoholics manage to quit drinking on their own

Secondly, it is extremely important to change the environment. It’s unlikely that drinking buddies can be called best friends. These are just familiar people who, by the will of fate, ended up in the same boat with the addict, but nothing more.

The duration of the binge is another criterion that allows us to answer the question posed. If the binge lasted up to 1-1.5 weeks, then it is possible to cope with the problem on your own, however, with longer breakdowns in the initial stages of recovery, you cannot do without the help of a psychotherapist.

General tactics for quitting alcohol

Quitting alcohol requires a complete overhaul of your lifestyle and thinking. In order for this period to pass as comfortably and without complications as possible, experts recommend adhering to special tactics. The main activities include:

• recognition of illness. There is no need to deny the problem; to do this, you can go to the mirror and honestly admit to yourself that you have a disease. This is an important condition not to drink;
• gaining the ability to control the feeling of drinking. If you feel an unbearable desire to take a dose of alcohol, you can start saying out loud the following phrase - “I won’t drink anymore.” In addition, the substitution method is very effective, for example, you can replace drinking with running or reading: as soon as you feel like drinking, pick up an interesting book or go for a run;
• start taking a contrast shower. This procedure can be repeated 2-3 times a day. This way you will strengthen vascular system, and also reduce the desire to drink;
• drink more fluids and avoid spicy foods. It is important to drink at least 10 glasses of clean water per day;
• avoid old companies. This rule applies not only to companies, but also to places where you used to spend time. It is best to change your route and try not to pass by bars.

After you learn to avoid drinking establishments and the craving for alcohol has subsided, you can begin general recovery body. To do this you can go comprehensive examination, take a multivitamin or join a gym. Remember that the atmosphere around you should be positive: walk more, watch comedies and visit cultural places.

Folk remedies that cause aversion to alcohol

Treatment with folk remedies is not a panacea. Before using any recipe, you should consult a specialist. In addition, in no case should you exceed the dosage, since a number of folk remedies for alcoholism are prepared on the basis of poisonous plants.

Puppeteer's decoction and hoofed grass

For the decoction, you need to take the roots of the puppeteer and the hoof. The crushed raw materials are mixed and one teaspoon (no more) of roots is taken, which is poured with a glass of boiling water. The drug should be infused for an hour, after which it must be filtered. In order to cause a persistent aversion to a bottle of vodka in an alcoholic, 10-15 drops of infusion are needed. The product itself should be stored in a dark and cool place. After the addict drinks vodka with infusion, he will experience severe vomiting, general weakness and dizziness. After some time, the patient will develop an aversion to alcohol, and he will be able to not drink alcohol at all.

St. John's wort decoction

To prepare a decoction, pour 4 tablespoons of herbs into ½ liter of boiling water. After this, the broth is placed in a water bath and heated for about 20-30 minutes. When the broth has cooled a little, it must be strained and stored in a cool place. You must drink the product according to a strict regimen - 2 times a day before meals for a month. Usually the drug is passed off as a liver remedy or other medicine. After a month of taking it, the alcoholic will actually develop a feeling of intolerance to alcohol.

Dung mushrooms for alcoholism

To do this, dung mushrooms are collected, thoroughly washed and fried. They can be mixed with potatoes or added to any other dish and served to an alcoholic. Substances contained in mushrooms interact with alcohol, and the consequences for the body manifest themselves in the form of poisoning. You can use mushrooms for treatment until the alcoholic stops drinking. With this remedy you can stop drinking at home in 1-1.5 months.

Raspberry bugs

Our grandmothers used this remedy. To induce a persistent aversion to alcohol, you need to catch two crimson bugs (small gray bugs with unpleasant smell). After this, the insects are crushed and thrown into a bottle of vodka, after which the container is removed for 2-3 days in a dark, warm place. After time, the alcohol is filtered and put away in its usual place. A few glasses of this tincture will cause not the most pleasant sensations in an alcoholic.

An infusion of the root is being prepared as follows- 3 tablespoons of raw materials are poured into a glass of vodka and put in a dark place for 2 weeks. During the infusion period, it is important to shake the mixture once a day. After two weeks, the product is filtered and divided into two parts. The first portion is given to the alcoholic on the first day, and the second on the next. The root causes severe poisoning, stomach pain and diarrhea, against the background of which an aversion to alcohol develops.

Lovage root causes aversion to alcohol

Drug treatment for alcohol addiction

Treatment of alcoholism is carried out both by psychotherapeutic methods, which help to find out the causes of addiction, and by medication. Below are the most effective drugs that reduce cravings for alcohol:

• Colme is a drug that reduces cravings for alcohol, has no taste and odor, and can be easily added to any drink or product. The course of treatment is about 14 days, and the first changes will be noticeable after the first dose;
• Proproten is a homeopathic remedy that reduces cravings for alcohol and has virtually no side effects. However, to obtain a result it requires enough long-term treatment. This the best remedy if there is no willpower;
• Disulfiram is a tablet that slows down the process of breaking down alcohol, due to which the toxic components of alcohol are carried through the bloodstream throughout the body and provoke severe poisoning. In this case, the alcoholic will suffer from headaches, fever, diarrhea, aching joints, etc.

Any medications that suppress the desire to drink should only be prescribed by a doctor.

Coding techniques

Coding is another way to treat alcoholism. Removal alcohol addiction can happen in the following ways:

• hypnotic effect. The essence of this method is a fairly powerful psychological and hypnotic effect on the psyche and way of thinking of an alcoholic;
• drug therapy. This method acts in two directions at once. The influence is carried out not only on the patient’s psyche, but also on the general condition of the body through special medications.

In addition, there are many alternative techniques that influence a person’s perception of alcohol and allow a man or woman not to drink alcohol at all. More detailed information Read about methods of getting rid of alcoholism in the article “Coding for alcoholism.”

Literature to help you stop drinking

The role of literature in the treatment of alcoholism can hardly be overestimated. The right books are the easiest place to start getting rid of alcoholism. In addition, they allow a person to look at the problem from a different perspective and give the opportunity to give up alcohol on their own. The following works can be cited as examples:

• Alcoholism by Goodwin;
• O.F. Eryshev book on the formation of alcohol addiction “Alcohol addiction: formation, course”;
• Allen Carr easy way stop drinking.

This list can be continued for quite a long time. There is a lot of good literature on this topic on the Internet.

How to organize your time after giving up alcohol?

The emptiness that forms in an alcoholic's soul after he gives up alcohol can force him to drink alcohol again. To prevent this from happening, you need to properly organize your leisure time. The most effective ways in this situation are:

• playing sports. You can start visiting gym, swimming pool or yoga classes;
• communication with people who find themselves in similar situation. Alcoholics Anonymous clubs exist in almost every city; otherwise, such people can be found on the Internet in specialized forums;
• self-education. For self-realization and increased self-esteem, you can go to college and master a profession that you really like. In addition, giving up alcohol best time to make your dreams come true. If you've been dreaming of mastering musical notation, now is the time to do it.

It is important to understand that you can finally stop drinking only after changing your lifestyle and worldview. In other words, you must become a new person. In order not to think about what to do when you quit drinking, it is best to think through an action plan in advance.

Conclusion and Conclusion

Treatment for alcoholism is a long and complex process that must be attended by all relatives and friends of the patient. It is important to give the patient the right attitude and really choose effective techniques. In addition, do not forget about professional psychotherapeutic assistance. A psychotherapist will tell you how to stop drinking alcohol on your own at home.

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Alcohol is not a problem, alcohol is a drug. Alcoholism is a disease and a terrible addiction.

How to stop drinking alcohol on your own if you have no willpower? Let's look at tips and conditions that will help everyone.

Change your attitude towards alcohol

Alcohol is neither a joy nor a buzz, nor a pleasure to sit with friends and chat. Alcohol is poison, period.

What is the joy from: morning headaches, hangovers, nausea and apathy towards the world around you? No!

It’s not enough to have a desire to stop drinking on your own, you need to know why you’re doing it

Try to find a reason for yourself this time "DO NOT DRINK" .

It's hard, I know, but it's real. After all, before you were only looking for a reason and reason to drink, now it’s the other way around.

I'll tell you an easy way.

You can stop drinking for: saving money, feeling good, having energy and vitality, living a good life, and most importantly, for long-term health.

After we have found an affirmative reason “DO NOT DRINK,” we replace gatherings with alcohol with a useful activity

Find a hobby, something you love. It's time to learn how to properly manage your time.

Would you say it’s boring to live without alcohol? I beg you, don't be ridiculous. It’s just that you never really rested as a human being.

There are a lot of interesting things in the world, but you haven’t seen anything except a bottle of beer and vodka.

What to do on a Friday night other than get drunk at another bar?!

Anything: spend time with your family, go bowling, billiards, go-karting, skiing, roller park, cinema, theater, game consoles, etc.

Try it, you will like it!

Learn to develop, not degrade

As long as a person drinks alcohol, he degrades. This is a personal opinion, there is no point in arguing.

While you drink, you do not develop; the brain cannot work to its fullest when it is poisoned by tobacco and alcohol.

Learn to develop as a person, as a person, as an individual.

Expand best features character, new qualities. Read books, become interested in new things, try to master complex programs, start a business.

When you stop drinking, you will have a lot of free time, you need to learn how to use it rationally.

No matter how sad it may sound, you will have to change your environment

Yes, you will have to get rid of your friends, colleagues and acquaintances in misfortune. And that's okay.

If these are “REAL FRIENDS”, they will understand and support, and will not be offended.

Are they offering you a drink? You should not be provoked like a small child.

Have you decided to quit drinking? Drop it! It's not too late to give up alcohol forever!

There is no need to arrange Mondays for yourself, and others “I’ll quit tomorrow, later,” etc. This won't work.

And I don’t think that every alcoholic can quickly get out of binge drinking.

Sport as an integral fight against alcohol addiction

Physical activity greatly helps the body get rid of waste and toxins.

Also, sport develops discipline and improves your physical fitness. I don’t see a single disadvantage that would justify not playing sports!

Some advantages: excellent health, health, great shape, and most importantly, you will be satisfied and proud of yourself as never before.

You can’t quit abruptly - ANOTHER DAMAGE OF ALCOHOLICS!

You need to throw sharply, and this is the only way you can make the right decision.

In general, thinking and making a decision anew every time takes a lot of resources.

You need to decide and do it once, there is no other way! Everything else is bullshit and nonsense, invented by alcoholics.

How do alcoholics know that quitting abruptly is harmful to health? This is funny!

The longer you drink alcohol, the more harmful it is for you; and the sooner you get rid of a bad habit, the better.

Do not be afraid of misunderstanding on the part of the people, the people are stupid and stupid!

Get smarter: not quitting drinking because someone will judge you is stupid, to say the least.

You build your own destiny and have the right to change the scenario of life the way you want.

People who drink are not only stupid, but also don’t understand a lot of things, these are their problems.

You shouldn’t live by other people’s expectations, there is only one life and believe me, it’s not worth it.

Live for yourself, live fulfilling your goals and dreams.

Analyze your life. HELP!!!

After another boozy Friday, get up on Saturday with a sore head and ask yourself one question: is this the kind of life I wanted? Did you dream about this?

Look at the past of your life as if from the outside: what happened over the past 5 years? What useful things have you done – for yourself, for your family? What has changed?

Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years? Do you set goals? Are you confident in achieving them, or are you living with the flow, doing nothing?

The answers may not be pleasant, but they are worth it to understand the direction in which you are moving.

You can quit drinking on a dare, but this is stupid and unreliable.

Reliable drugs

I put it as the last point, because these are extreme measures - coding and

This article is devoted to the very acute and topical issue of alcohol addiction in our Russian realities. Here we'll talk about how to stop drinking forever and do it yourself. I won't talk about emergency measures, like coding: this post is dedicated to those who want to cope with this illness on their own and never return to alcohol again.

The primary goal of this article is not just to help you get rid of alcohol addiction, but to show how to achieve this psychological state, in which no alcohol is needed! This is the qualitative difference between my methods and many others: I will tell you how to live and enjoy life without alcohol, instead of telling how, under the influence of external stimuli, including negative ones (such as coding), stop drinking for some time time, with the risk of returning to the bottle again in the future.

This article is aimed, rather, at young people who are not in the most advanced stage of alcoholism and still have the strength and ability to fight. But, nevertheless, I advise everyone to read it, no matter how strong your addiction is - the conclusions of this article will be useful to you, in any case.

Even if you think you don't have a drinking problem, I still recommend that you familiarize yourself with the conclusions presented here. It often happens that the absence of a problem is an illusion that has arisen due to established social stereotypes: after all, in Russian realities, drinking from time to time is considered normal, and no one thinks about it until this habit turns into terminal stage. Although, apparently, you need to think about it much earlier.

If you drink “on holidays”, “to have a reason”, “to relax”, then you are still at risk: almost all alcoholics started out this way, very few people suddenly and abruptly sank to the very bottom of the alcoholic abyss.

This is a very long article, it may be more convenient for you to read it in several sittings. But I assure you, the volume of this text is the very minimum volume that is needed to consider this acute problem.

It's worth thinking about if

• You drink more than once a month
• If you drink, then you bring yourself to a drunken state (the matter is not limited to one glass of wine)
• Without alcohol you cannot relax, have fun or relax

The presence of at least several of the above factors indicates the danger and risk of alcoholism (if it has not already occurred). An alcoholic is not only a person lying drunk on the street who plaintively asks for money for a bottle. Alcoholism occurs much earlier than this stage, and the prerequisites for it are formed even earlier.

The phenomenon of drinking alcohol is shrouded in many myths and misconceptions within our culture. I will break these myths, so many of my conclusions may seem radical and even, in some way, offensive, since they do not correspond to the usual ideas about alcohol. But if you want to quit drinking, then you better find out about it.

My personal alcohol experience is approximately five years. During this period, I drank alcohol almost every day, including in the morning. And each time I brought myself to a very drunk state. Many people with a long history of drinking alcohol will say that this is not such a long period. But believe me, this was enough for me to understand from my own experience all the features of alcohol addiction, to understand what the psychology of an alcoholic is. And I managed to get out.

For last year I only drank alcohol a few times (but I still think it's not the best result), in the future I'm sure I won't drink at all. Update 10.24.13: I haven’t drunk at all since New Year 2013. I consider myself a non-drinker. I am a non-drinker, not only because I don’t drink, but because I don’t feel the need for alcohol: I feel good without it, wherever I am, at home or at a noisy party in a drinking company. I don't feel any sense of loss, I don't feel like I'm missing out on any special fun or relaxation by not drinking, because I already feel comfortable and relaxed.

(To forestall a possible question, I will immediately say that I do not use other drugs, that is, I do not replace the absence of alcohol with anything.)

In short, “non-drinker” is a state of mind, coupled with the fact of complete abstinence from alcohol. How to achieve such a state will be discussed in this article. Let's start by destroying the myths that accompany the drinking culture and the perception of this disease.

7 myths about alcohol

Myth 1 Alcohol is not a drug

“According to observations for the period from 1990 to 2001. more than half of Russian males aged 15 to 54 died from causes directly related to alcohol abuse” - wikipedia

No, friends, alcohol is a drug, and one of the most dangerous in the world. Based on a survey of leading drug experts, the medical journal The Lancet placed alcohol in fifth place among other drugs, ranking them according to the degree of harmful effects on the body and the danger of addiction. The “leaders” on this list are heroin, cocaine, methadone (an opiate, like morphine and heroin) and barbiturates (a type of all sorts of sedatives). After alcohol, you can see ketamine, amphetamines (central nervous system stimulants) and tobacco on the list.

And it doesn’t matter that alcohol is legal, and that drinking drinks from beautiful glasses is much more aesthetically pleasing intravenous injection, know that when you empty your fourth bottle of beer in the kitchen, according to your daily ritual, you are not much different from a heroin addict pumping another dose of a solution with powder into his vein. Yes, addiction to heroin seems to happen faster (but it is also not instantaneous; the belief that after the first injection you will immediately run to the pawn shop to sell your things to get a dose is a myth. It also takes time for physical dependence to form) and addiction is, in its consequences, more destructive, although not by much.

You've seen complete alcoholics who will do anything just to drink, because the desire has become unbearable, it can be stronger than the need for sleep and food! You know about broken families, alcohol-related murders. Why do you think that this will not affect you, since you supposedly know when to stop? Do you believe that a young man who acquires his first dose of heroin simply dreams of how he will start stealing and commit all sorts of humiliating acts because of the drug? Of course not! He is sure that all these horrors that everyone is talking about will pass him by, because he is smart, controls himself and will never allow trouble to happen. The funny thing is that almost all beginning drug addicts think this way, and you know what happens to this majority...

Of course, alcohol will not lead to this so quickly: someone who started drinking has a better chance than someone who started using opiates. But, according to statistics, alcoholism in 76% of cases begins before the age of 20! Active alcoholics are not just some social elements who have always been antisocial and culturally limited and therefore began to drink. For many of them, it all started with “harmless” beer on weekends and Fridays. Moreover, alcoholism begins much earlier before that the moment when you are lying drunk on the street. It can continue for a long time in a more “moderate”, “civilized” phase, when you are not on social day, but you still drink quite often.

Alcohol = legal heroin

An alcoholic is not much different from a heroin addict. In terms of your attitude to pleasure, certainly nothing! Both are ready to sacrifice their health, the comfort of their loved ones, children for the sake of momentary pleasure and a sense of comfort! The basis of any addiction is acute egoism: “I don’t care about anything except my own pleasure!”

There are many more similarities between alcohol and heroin. I drew this conclusion from my experience of drinking alcohol and others’ experience of heroin addiction. One person who used to use heroin and was addicted to it told me how it happens that decent, intelligent people suddenly they slide to the very social and moral bottom, being under the influence of addiction.

The biggest insidiousness of addiction is that it does not come immediately, but is formed smoothly and gradually, and, therefore, unnoticeably. After the first drug experiences, a person usually does not feel the so-called “withdrawal” and addiction. Everything turns out to be much easier than what all sorts of anti-drug fighters on TV promised him. This gives him false optimism about his drug future, and he confidently embarks on new heroin adventures.

Then, as a result of addiction, some kind of awareness, critical perception of oneself and the things around them gradually begins to disappear: what previously seemed immoral, unacceptable, is now seen as self-evident. The addict can no longer remember the moment when he began constantly asking to borrow money from friends. It passed unconsciously, as if by him, and he himself didn’t notice how he stopped seeing something reprehensible in being constantly in debt: he needed money and that’s it, although he couldn’t even think about it before. This is the most dangerous moment!

The addict thinks that everything is normal, although everything is no longer normal at all! He feels like he has everything under control, even though he already uses the drug every day! And all this is due to the fact that addiction occurs unnoticed by consciousness. It is not at all accompanied by remorse: “Oh, what am I doing, it’s time to stop!” Although such repentance would be very helpful.

I noticed the same effect in myself and other people from systematic alcohol consumption. If I drank before my strong alcohol addiction, I did it no more than once a month. And there was no question of drinking every weekend! But after some time it began to seem to me that drinking every Friday and Saturday was not just something, not often, it was just something that God himself commanded! It’s like you don’t drink at all! (Psychological effect associated with misperception I’ll touch on the frequency of drinking ethyl alcohol later.)

I didn't notice that I stopped seeing something very bad in what I drink every day. I didn’t notice how much I gained weight from the beer, how my face became swollen. It seemed normal. It began to seem normal that I was very drunk every evening, and even in the morning, that I was annoying my friends and people close to me with my obscene behavior. I didn’t even think about whether this was normal or not. All my physical, mental, moral metamorphoses along the path of degradation eluded my consciousness! The process of self-development occurs consciously, in contrast to degradation: a person notices how to become better. But when you get worse, you don’t notice it!

What is the pleasure of alcohol?

There is another similarity between heroin and alcohol addictions. The fact is that, contrary to popular belief, the effect of heroin does not bring a feeling of unearthly pleasure, an unbridled high, which drug addicts chase after, wanting to get a new dose every day. Judging by the reviews of former addicts, the whole effect boils down to some kind of stultifying feeling of animal comfort, which many do not even give any pleasure at the first experience of use. What is the secret, you ask. Why do people continue to use and die from it?

And the secret lies in severe addiction and the withdrawal symptoms that accompany it. A person gets a high not from heroin itself, but from satisfying an intense desire and instantly relieving symptoms of severe physical and psychological discomfort (withdrawal). Imagine that you have a severe headache, almost unbearable. Suddenly you are injected with some harmless painkiller intravenously, the effect of which in itself does not give any pleasure. But your head instantly goes away! How do you feel? Pleasure!

Only a heroin addict has pain not only in his head, but in his whole body, and the desire to get a dose stronger than thirst and hunger! In short, the “high” from heroin comes only when people are already “hooked” on it and use it to relieve the pain caused by withdrawal and satisfy their strongest desire.

The same thing happens with alcohol. Remember your first experiences of drinking alcohol. Did you have a lot of fun? Perhaps you managed to evoke unusual sensations of altered consciousness for the first time, you were probably drawn to adventures, which you then discussed for a long time with friends, so you probably remembered this experience. But I’m not talking about this, but about the very effect of a narcotic substance called ethyl alcohol. Did you enjoy the effect that much? As for the physical symptoms, you felt dizzy, lack of coordination, heaviness in the head, and the psychological effect was reduced to the appearance of looseness in communication, confusion of thoughts, dulling of some feelings, increased mood...

Tell me, is there so much fun in this? I don’t think so, especially if you compare the pleasure with the consequences. People get real pleasure from alcohol when they satisfy an already developed addiction or other desires (for example, to relieve nervousness, heartache etc.). The effect of alcohol is actually stultifying and uninteresting, but when you want to drink because you're used to drinking, you're on edge, you're nervous, then downing a few bottles of beer brings real pleasure. Or maybe you are experiencing alcohol withdrawal (hangover) and feel relief when you take it off with a drink.

Alcohol itself doesn't have much of a high. To get this buzz, you need to get hooked on alcohol.

Unfortunately, many drinking people they miss this moment and therefore it can be difficult for them to quit drinking. They think that since alcohol brings such a feeling of pleasure and relief, how can I live without these feelings?

Many people are unable to stop drinking, not because they lack the willpower to stop drinking, but because they become afraid when they try to imagine a future without alcohol. But these feelings are caused only by the addiction itself, both psychological and physical. Once you get rid of your addiction, alcohol will no longer give you pleasure; on the contrary, its use will be accompanied by a feeling of discomfort and wasted time, health and strength. This is something you need to keep in mind if you want to quit drinking.

Alcohol and heroin are among the most dangerous drugs that humanity knew! They cause severe addiction and withdrawal and lead to severe personal degradation!

And a strong desire turns a person into an obedient animal, which meekly obeys its instincts, without the right to choose. First-hand information about the characteristics of heroin addiction had a much stronger effect on me than any anti-drug propaganda, in terms of developing an aversion to heroin and understanding that a person who drinks is not much different from someone who is addicted to opiates.

That's why I think people need the truth about drugs, not the exaggerated truth. The real truth is always scarier, since it is more logical and more in line with the realities of life. And the truth is not only that addiction to heroin does not form immediately, but also that the latter is not much more dangerous than alcohol, which, in turn, is extremely dangerous and is also a drug! For some reason, our valiant media do not touch on this fact. This may be due to the fact that no tax is paid on the sale of heroin, while a huge quitrent is paid to the state on the sales of alcoholic beverages.

Myth 2 - There is a reason for drinking

We are accustomed to the fact that any joyful or sad event is accompanied by collective drinking of alcohol. This is how traditions develop in our culture, the expediency of which we don’t even think about. But as soon as we try to abstract ourselves from the way of thinking imposed on us by culture, the entire utter absurdity of these traditions catches our eye. Well, what could be the connection between some joyful event and the use of alcohol in drinks?

Try to mentally step outside your culture and grasp this connection. If you manage to abstract yourself from traditions, then you will not be able to find a connection, because there is none! There are no reasons for alcoholic libations; we invented these reasons ourselves to justify our weaknesses, wrapping them in the tinsel of pompous rituals! Perhaps the desire to drink arises in grief, as a result of the need to dull the pain. But this is also not the best solution, since alcohol will only temporarily eliminate suffering. After which, they will return with renewed vigor.

Traditions are an extremely relative thing and different cultures they vary greatly. For example, in India, the culture of drinking alcohol is not as widespread as here. Yes, the problem of alcoholism exists there too, but people’s attitudes are completely different. When my friends tried to buy rum as a gift in this country and began to ask the locals where they could buy it (the stores there didn’t sell alcohol, at least in the place where my friends were (not GOA)), they were somehow reluctant to go towards. One of them nevertheless agreed to help and took them to some gloomy basement without a sign, without any identifying marks.

The guide himself nervously looked around, demonstrating with all his appearance that it was as if he was not with the Russian tourists and had ended up in that place by accident. It was clear that the Indian was very ashamed and was afraid that he would be seen next to a point selling alcohol. In that basement there was a store where rum was bought in a plastic bottle.

This example demonstrates the very relativity of culture. Somewhere, alcohol is treated completely differently than in our country; using it in any form is a socially condemned action, just like in our country using illegal drugs! Completely unusual for Russian man attitude! In our country, drunkenness is disguised with the words “occasion”, “feast”; we are accustomed to believe that no holiday can be complete without alcohol. But we think so because this is how traditions developed, and these traditions developed spontaneously, arbitrarily, they initially had no meaning except to justify themselves! After all, somewhere they treat it differently!

Do you really want to be the bearers of such absurd traditions and, moreover, pass them on as inheritance to future generations, to your children? After all, the logical connection “holiday - celebrate - drink” (as well as “tired - drink”, “upset - drink”, “met with friends - drink”) is laid down in us in childhood, when we see our drinkers, “in honor” some event, parents. And already in a more conscious life, this begins to manifest itself as a social reflex, leading to the worst consequences.

Drinking regularly is not normal! The tradition that justifies this is a barbaric tradition.

Myth 3 – Alcohol helps you cope with stress and relax

I have already written an article on this topic. You can read it later, I will give a link to it below when we look at what reasons lead to alcoholism. Briefly, I will convey its main content here. Stress is defined not only external factors, but our sensitivity to it. After all different people experience the same stimuli differently. Some people will easily survive a quarrel at work, but for others it will be a blow. So, alcohol can drown out the symptoms of stress, push the problem into the background, that’s true.

But when we get used to relieving tension in this way, firstly, we lose the ability to relax on our own, without alcohol, as a certain habit is developed. Secondly, because of our habit of easy and quick relief, our sensitivity to stress increases, and this also happens due to the destructive effect of alcohol on the nervous system - people who drink are more nervous and sensitive. Thirdly, instead of working on ourselves and solving problems, we, through drinking, push them into the background, which is essentially ignoring the problem.

I have often heard complaints from my acquaintances that the daily stress created by work and the atmosphere of life in the city is to blame, which is why they resort to alcohol. This is wrong. The more you drink to relax, the less able you are to relax without alcohol and the more often you have to drink - a vicious circle. It's all about someone's individual sensitivity, which determines how much tension and stress a person will experience. If he knows how to relax on his own and not let stress in, then he won’t care!

But for this you need to work on yourself. How to learn this will be discussed in this article.

Alcohol suppresses any desire to find the right and reliable ways to relax and feel better. Imagine that all alcoholic drinks suddenly magically disappeared from stores. And everything that could replace them disappeared: poppy and hemp no longer grow. What will you do? At first, many will find it difficult without the usual means of relaxation. But then, the smartest ones will understand that they need to look for other ways to feel better, relieving fatigue and stress. They simply have no choice but to find these methods.

Someone will find it wonderful property sports, relieve tension and fatigue. Others will realize that in order to feel good they need to work on themselves and will discover things like yoga and meditation. In short, lack of access to lungs and quick solutions will make people look for something else, something beneficial, not harm!

But if you know that you can always, without any effort or work, relax and cheer yourself up by simply drinking a couple of glasses, then you lose the incentive to look for other, more effective, but less easy solutions! You don’t think about how to strengthen your nervous system, how to make sure you don’t worry about trifles, what methods there are to calm your mind and be cheerful and cheerful. Why think about it? If you can always have a glass! In this regard, alcohol acts as a strong “inhibitor” to self-development, and the point is not only that it is harmful, but that drinking is the path of least resistance!

This is also why alcohol leads to personal degradation: a person gets used to the lungs and quick ways, sees no incentive to work on himself and this is reflected in many aspects of his life.

Also wrong is the idea that you are “relaxing” when you drink. This is not true; the body spends a lot of resources to combat the consequences of drinking alcohol. The functioning of the brain, heart and nervous system is disrupted. It drains you and takes away your strength. You don’t rest at all, but on the contrary, you become exhausted.

Myth 4 - Alcohol helps me feel confident. Alcohol promotes communication

If you cannot look without alcohol, then this means that you need to work on yourself, and not resort to “social lubricant”. And the same as in the previous paragraph: when you start drinking to gain self-confidence, your ability to pull yourself together sober decreases.

Perhaps you are used to drinking in company, and without drinking you become bored. The issue may lie with the company itself. Or maybe it’s just you, the fact that you don’t know how to enjoy socializing sober. Or maybe both at the same time.

For example, after I stopped drinking so often and learned to enjoy socializing sober, it became interesting for me to have long conversations with many people without drinking alcohol, even if these people themselves drank in front of me! Previously, this was unrealistic for me. But in the company of some people I still felt out of place. As if something was missing.

This happened due to the fact that the purpose of meeting some people is to drink, and not to communicate: they meet then to fill the pauses between sips with routine conversations and jokes. Drinking is always more interesting with someone...

My need for such “communication” disappeared after I stopped drinking. But with other people, I was still interested, even if they were drinking... It depends on the people themselves, on what they want from communication: to find a company of drinking buddies or to talk, communicate and exchange opinions. In short, I want to say that not every “drinking” company gathers just to drink.

But every person who likes to drink in a group risks crossing the line when friends gradually turn into drinking buddies. When you are frantically looking for company for the evening, just so that you have someone to drink with. Personally, I failed to notice when I crossed this line during my passion for alcohol and began meeting people just to “give in.”

But, fortunately, since then, I stopped communicating with some acquaintances who were exclusively drinking buddies, and with others I began to learn how to have an interesting time without beer.

Remember how interesting it was for us to communicate with friends in childhood without any “doping” or “social lubricant”! What intimate and interesting conversations we whiled away the whole day! Why doesn't this work for many people now?

I was incredibly happy when I was able to rediscover the joy of direct communication! I assure you that communicating soberly is easy, exciting, interesting, frank, and beneficial for yourself.

The fact that we have forgotten how to communicate this way is a consequence of habits and social complexes, and children are more spontaneous and less shy, so it’s easier for them. Anything is characterized by moments of mutual awkwardness, but you just have to overcome yourself a little, stop being afraid to be frank, and everything will go like clockwork.

Yes, alcohol helps to cross the line of awkwardness, but this is the easiest way. You need to learn to cope with your complexes on your own and overcome the barriers that hold you back. This shows the strength of your personality.

Alcohol, after all, is a drug and changes perception. The communication underneath is not entirely real. You may become more frank and relaxed under the influence of alcohol, but at the same time, confusion of thoughts has appeared, a craving for exaggeration, a desire to impress everyone, suppressed critical ability - in short, all the symptoms of a drunken state that shroud your conversations in a haze, making them unnatural, grotesque, exaggerated and comical.

Myth 5 - I drink rarely (how often can you drink)

This is more of a personal delusion than a public myth. But this misconception is based, after all, on the peculiarities of our culture. It’s customary for us to drink often, therefore, compared to everyone else, it seems to us that drinking on weekends is normal and not so often.

And the longer the experience of addiction to alcohol becomes, the more the ideas about the “normal” frequency of drinking alcohol become distorted in the wrong direction. For example, if someone is used to drinking every day, then it will seem to him that drinking alcohol twice a week is very rare, it’s generally “hardly drinking,” although some time ago, before he got used to drinking regularly , he might have found the idea of ​​drinking twice a week unacceptable!

This conclusion is based on my example and the example of people I know. Let me tell you one story from my life. To pass the military department at the institute, I had to pass medical examination in a number of dispensaries, including drug treatment. In the latter, I was seen by a doctor, and to her question about whether I drink and how often I do it, I answered: “yes, I drink, once a week.”

At that time I drank almost every day, getting myself quite drunk. Naturally, I decided not to talk about it, and, so as not to lie at all, I said that I drink once a week. I didn’t even think that such an answer would cause any reaction, because drinking alcohol once every seven days really seemed to me rare, episodic and “normal”, against the backdrop of my actual “schedule”.

But the doctor was not satisfied with this answer. She asked me: “why so often? Why are you drinking? I didn’t expect such a question and answered: “Well, how can I say... there’s just an occasion.” She: “What is the reason once a week?” Me: “well... I’m meeting with friends.” She: “young man, this is not a reason! There are no reasons for drinking, don’t you know how many people die from it?”

As a result, I received the necessary certificate, but left the dispensary with a heavy heart: this reaction of the narcologist left an unpleasant aftertaste in me. I’ll say right away that I didn’t stop drinking after that, but I had some doubts about my lifestyle. Indeed, when many friends drink regularly, it seems that this regularity is the norm, but here I was faced with the opposite opinion about the “norm”, which I did not expect at all...

Many people who drink regularly mistakenly consider themselves moderate drinkers. As soon as a person stops drinking every day and starts drinking only on weekends, and not limiting himself to a glass of wine, he beats himself in the chest with the words: “I hardly drink at all.” Know that this is an illusion born of the habit of drinking alcoholic beverages. Below I have provided a graph that illustrates this psychological effect. The graph is conditional and does not claim to be accurate or have any scientific value. This is just an explanation. The vertical axis is a scale of drinking experience. The horizontal axis is subjective ideas about how often drinking is normal.

Of course, the actual relationship between these quantities is not linear and it varies from person to person. But the graph is just an example that shows how much our views are distorted when we get used to drinking. These views are wrong.

Drinking on weekends is not normal, this is very common! To be honest, I find it difficult to say how often it’s normal to drink, since I think it’s better not to drink at all. I think “drinking rarely” means drinking a few times a year. But, as a rule, if you drink with such frequency and can do without alcohol the rest of the time, then most of the meaning of intoxication is lost for you, since, as we saw above, the “meaning” of drinking ethanol appears only when you you get used to it and/or satisfy some of your needs with its help and cannot do without it.

Myth 6 – Drinking alcohol in moderation has health benefits

To understand how fair this conclusion is, you can sometime read the Wikipedia article called “Toxicology of Ethanol.” It comprehensively examines the situation that has emerged in academic circles around the issue of the “usefulness” of moderate doses of alcohol. I see no point in retelling this article in detail here; I will only give the main conclusions.

So, in scientific circles there is no certainty about whether alcohol in small doses is beneficial or not. Firstly, those studies that supposedly prove this benefit are actively criticized. Criticism is mainly directed at the research methodology. That is, the benefits of alcohol have not been proven with certainty and unequivocality. Secondly, even if there are some health benefits, they are accompanied by harm (for example, if a glass of wine a day has beneficial influence on the vascular system, it also contributes to an increased risk of ethanol-related diseases). And thirdly, and most importantly, moderate consumption drinking alcohol threatens to become regular and chronic. There is always this risk!

And, as we found out earlier, a drinking person may not always realize that he has turned from a moderate drinker into a drunkard.

As a result, doctors agree that if you do not drink alcohol, then you do not need to start drinking it just because you are concerned about your health. And those who drink are advised to adhere to established medical standards regarding daily consumption rates.

Myth 7 - I drink because I'm an alcoholic

This is the last myth we will look at in this article. It consists of belief in some kind of irresistible force (in this case, alcohol addiction), which a person cannot always cope with. This misconception lies in the perception of alcoholism as some kind of disease, the development of which does not depend on the person. Of course, alcohol cravings can be very strong and manifest themselves even at the level of physical need (in advanced cases). But every person is able to cope with it, this is confirmed by examples of many who have recovered from addiction (not only alcohol).

The fact that you drink and cannot stop is not the fault of your friends, parents, your living conditions, or your “alcoholism.” Only you yourself are responsible for this! This should not be a depressing discovery for you; on the contrary, it follows that it is in your power to get rid of addiction, since you yourself are to blame for it! There is no need to attribute responsibility for your weaknesses to some kind of alcoholism: if you want to quit, you will quit, if you don’t want to, then it’s only your fault...

Addiction is not only caused by the fact that you drink, drink and get used to it. It also lies in the fact that by drinking ethanol you satisfy some of your desires, paralyze fears, kill doubts! The roots of addiction are formed both in the physical mechanism of addiction itself and in the psychological structure of your personality. The latter can play a more significant role in the development of painful addiction, since no matter how much you stop drinking, until you get rid of psychological reasons love for a drug, you will not get rid of addiction, but will return to it again and again, after each failed attempt to quit.

How to find these reasons and get rid of them will be discussed further. This is the main idea of ​​this article, that you need to get rid of not the addiction itself, but the reasons that caused it. And eliminating these causes lies only in your power, you can!

Stop drinking

If you read my article about this, then it will be easy for you to grasp this idea. But I think you will understand very well that you need to fight the cause, not the effect. The consequence is the use of ethanol itself, but what about the cause...? Let's figure it out. Why do many people tend to use any drugs, one of which is alcohol? If we find these reasons, then we will understand what we need to work with in order not to feel the need to use drugs.

It is a mistake to believe that the tendency to self-intoxication is inherent in human nature itself. If this were so, then everyone would drink, but we see a different picture: someone gets along just fine without it (although in many countries the overwhelming majority of the adult population drinks). There are several common reasons for addiction to alcohol. I will analyze each of them and give advice on how to get rid of these reasons.

But before that, to keep things consistent, let me tell you about the things you should be aware of if you're planning to quit drinking (I've written about some of them before, including in an article on how to quit smoking, but I haven't. I see no point in not mentioning such important things again)

What you need to know before you stop drinking

Don't be afraid of the prospect of life without alcohol!

Don't be afraid that you will lose something important and very interesting if you stop drinking. I know that many people are afraid of living sober and this is the main reason why they cannot stop drinking. Well, they’ll quit, well, they’ll tolerate it for a while without drinking, but then what? What about the holidays? What about barbecue, they think... This used to scare me, back when I drank every day. Sometimes I took breaks and tried to live, for example, a month without alcohol. Rarely have I been able to keep my promise to myself and I would break down on the second or third day. But it also happened that I managed to last several weeks without drinking.

But this time was not very fun, I tell you. “Free” evenings immediately appeared, and I did not understand what I could do with this time. I tried to read, watch movies, but it didn't bring any pleasure. I was nervous and constantly thought about how good it would be to open a bottle of beer, drink it and follow it with another seven bottles of foamy drink... Then everything would immediately acquire both meaning and purpose - the evening would be lived with pleasure.

At those moments I wondered if this was really how everything would go sober life, in such eternal dissatisfaction and boredom? After all, if so, then why stop drinking? Yes, alcohol is harmful and dangerous, but how can you live without it? This turns out not to be life, but some kind of existence, devoid of moments of habitual pleasure and desired comfort. It’s the same as giving up sex forever, it seems feasible, but you’ll have to live in eternal dissatisfaction.

That’s what I thought then, and after a break I started drinking again. At the same time, at first, with a vengeance, because I believed that since I took such a “big” break, I didn’t drink for two whole weeks (then it seemed to me that the time spent without alcohol was an astronomical period!), then I have earned every right to go on a binge for a few days.

What was my mistake, which manifests itself in many drinking people who now reason the same way as I reasoned then? It lies in not understanding that this discomfort without alcohol is partly a consequence of addiction.

Addictions are not only in terms of addiction to the narcotic substance itself, but in terms of the habit of spending time in a certain way: all sorts of get-togethers in bars, intimate conversations from the “do you respect me?” series, wild holidays, barbecues, a cozy bottle of beer in a cozy kitchen, dating colleagues at corporate events, pleasant relaxation after a hard day at work and everything that we are used to getting from alcohol.

You become very attached to these things and for a while you don’t even know what to replace them with when you deprive yourself of booze. In general, it will take some time to feel good again without alcohol. Not a month or even two. Firstly, the body itself, accustomed to ethanol, must be rebuilt. Secondly, you must change by rediscovering the pleasure of life without alcoholic beverages.

You had this skill as a child, and then lost it.

Our brain gets used to associating the feeling of pleasure and a whole range of other positive emotions with certain things, in this case, drinking. It will take time to break this imaginary connection.

Gradually, you will learn to find this pleasure and do without drinking, you will begin to be able to relax in a sober way, you will discover a lot of ways to have fun and have a great time! But it won’t come right away, you’ll have to be patient. It will take time and some work on yourself.

I will talk further about what needs to be done for this.

An alcoholic, like any drug addict, develops an acute dependence on pleasure, on a feeling of comfort. If an ordinary person, not a drug addict, as a rule, more steadfastly endures moments when he does not feel very well, then a drug addict is much more delicate and sensitive to the lack of psychological comfort. In such situations, he tries at all costs to get rid of this feeling and resorts to the most familiar means. A drug addict does not know how to endure and wait.

This is why it is still so difficult, at first, to be content with life without the usual narcotic substance. The absence of the usual high seems to the addict like something terrible, some kind of critical problem that needs to be gotten rid of immediately, otherwise something irreparable will happen and the day will be lost! Get ready for this, you just need to wait it out and stop focusing on your pleasure.

I have learned from my own experience that life without alcohol is much more joyful and happier than life under the yoke of addiction. It’s very good to wake up fresh and full of energy, and not exhausted, with fumes in your mouth and a headache. Great to have good health and a lot of strength. It is wonderful to have a clear mind and control over yourself and not regret your words and actions. It's great to spend time on self-development, education, or just good rest, and not for stupid, animal pleasure!

Don't be fooled by yourself

If you decide to get rid of addiction, then you need to learn to keep the promises you make to yourself. Let's take a familiar scenario as an example. You wake up with a wild ringing in your head. From scraps of memories you begin to reconstruct what happened to you the day before when you were drunk: you did a lot of stupid things, said nasty things, etc. etc.

You can repent and lament, promise yourself that this will not happen again. A decisive impulse begins to mature in you, a noble inspiration, under the influence of which you make a bold promise to yourself: “I will not drink again.”

At this moment, it seems to you that the power of your will will crush everything and everyone, since your desire to get rid of a bad habit, strengthened by disgusting health and moral repentance, is very strong. A feeling of some new life awakens in you, and you give yourself over to this feeling with all the pleasure, forgetting about yesterday’s incidents. Everything would be fine, but only after a few days the memories will become more faded, the feeling of shame will dull, the hangover will pass, and the feeling of new life and that very noble inspiration will begin to evaporate, since they were only phenomena of the current moment. And, as a result, almost nothing will remain from the past impulse.

You will again find yourself alone with a boring evening. Thoughts will begin to creep in: “why not drink a couple of beers, I haven’t drunk for several days, but what’s the use of a couple of bottles, no big deal.” You will already forget about the promise, everything is in the past, because your memory cannot for a long time supply you with experiences of past shame and disgusting well-being and, thereby, constantly feed your impulse.

Well, it’s not worth saying that “a couple of beers” turns into X bottles, where X equal to that an amount that makes you quite drunk. And again everything is as usual.

What conclusion should be drawn here? Don’t count on inspiration; this is a temporary, transitory phenomenon. When you are inspired, everything seems easy to you, but you need to tune in to what will be difficult. Therefore, you made a promise - keep it, no matter what! You can’t get rid of addiction with inspiration alone: ​​it will pass, and you will again have thoughts like “why not have a little drink, it’s a holiday, it’s an occasion, it’s been a long time since I drank.” And there will be no emotional fire left to easily resist these thoughts. I talked about this in an interview with Yulia Ulyanova’s “sober blog”.

Eliminating the causes of addiction

“Long-term alcohol consumption can lead to a decrease in brain volume. With prolonged alcohol consumption, organic changes in neurons are observed on the surface of the cerebral cortex. These changes occur in areas of hemorrhage and necrosis of areas of the brain substance. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can cause rupture of brain capillaries."- wikipedia

So, now we come to the main part. You decided to quit drinking and have read this far. I hope that you are convinced that you don’t need to be afraid of a sober life, prepare for the struggle and start working on yourself, getting rid of the psychological causes of addiction. What this work consists of, I will now tell you.

Learn to relax

The ability to independently relax is one of the most valuable life skills. I never cease to be convinced of this. When you are relaxed and not tense, you feel good and calm, you are comfortable with yourself and your mind works well. When you are stressed, your body burns a lot of resources, your thinking rushes from side to side, unable to stay on one subject, you feel the need to run somewhere, do something to relieve this tension or direct it somewhere.

By relaxation I mean something broader than what is commonly understood by it. Relaxation is serenity and peace of mind, it is self-sufficiency, it is freedom from emotions, fears and worries. The ability to put yourself in such a state will relieve you of the need to drink, since you will already feel good without it. People drink, among other things, to relieve stress, feel calm, and stabilize their emotional well-being.

If you learn to relieve stress on your own, you will have fewer reasons to drink alcohol. And the inability to relax is perhaps the main cause of alcoholism, in my opinion. We all get tired, worried, stressed and need some kind of release and reassurance. The easiest thing comes to the rescue and accessible remedy. You don’t need to learn anything, make any effort, just drink and that’s it, you feel better. This is the path of least resistance that attracts people. The social roots of alcoholism, in my opinion, lie in the fact that society, within the framework of general education, does not teach people any science of relaxation.

Well, let’s say a person stopped drinking. What should he do when he is tired, when he is experiencing nervous exhaustion when he's stressed? He doesn't know, so he goes back to the bottle. This is not taught in school. But since childhood, we have seen films in which a heartbroken or tired person whiles away his time drinking a glass. Some people look at their parents and see what they do when they want to relax - drink. As a result, having reached adulthood, we know only one remedy that we can use if we want to relax.

This, in my opinion, is a big problem with the entire education system: schools and institutes teach academic knowledge, in addition, they instill some kind of morality, concepts of good and bad. But we are not told what we need to do to be happy, not to experience stress, to maintain wellness and mood.

This is a huge gap that I want to somehow fill with information on my blog. How to learn to relax on your own, relieve stress and stop being nervous? The articles on my website will teach you this, which you can read after reading this article.

There is not much information. But, take your time, you don't have to read it all in one sitting. Today, let's say you decide that you will no longer drink. And now read an article a day, learn to relax, use the suggested techniques and gradually develop the skill of getting rid of stress without the help of alcohol. With these techniques it is much easier to cope with alcohol withdrawal, I assure you!

If you need some consistency in doing the exercises, I recommend starting with. It tells in detail, step by step, with examples, what you need to do to live a happier and more conscious life. True, these exercises are aimed not only at getting rid of addiction, but they will also help you with this. What could be their meaning if you decide to quit drinking?

These exercises will help bring some positive changes into your life. And these new trends are like bread necessary for someone who quits drinking, because this person needs to feel and understand that there is joy and peace on the other side of alcohol. You can’t stop drinking without changing your life, otherwise you will return to the bad habit later. And my recommendations will help you gradually and smoothly begin to change your life, your attitude towards things and, thereby, help old destructive habits gradually die off.

Personally, I didn’t stop drinking overnight: I drank and drank, and then suddenly stopped. Everything was not exactly like that, but I’ll tell you how now. Due to problems with one’s psychological well-being (attacks of blues, sharp changes mood) I decided that I needed to change something in my life. By that time, I had stopped drinking every day, but I still drank quite often and it seemed normal to me. I never thought about stopping doing this at all. I started practicing meditation.

Practice taught me to relax and, after some time, I felt better. Some kind of feeling began to awaken in me, I began to understand what exactly I needed to change in my life and how to do it in order to find harmony and get rid of suffering. I realized that it was possible to live without alcohol and gradually, with practice, I discovered new methods of relaxation and achieving a state of inner comfort. Previously, this state of mind had only been brought to me by drinking.

Gradually I drank less and less and began to control my cravings for alcohol better and better. I didn't get as drunk, and I didn't enjoy it as much as I used to. When I woke up with a hangover and walked around exhausted all day, the thought rushed through my head, not giving me peace: “was it really worth it? This stupid pleasure cost me a whole lost day!” When you drink constantly, you somehow get used to a hangover, but the less often this happens, the stronger and more intolerable the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal seem and the less pleasure from ethanol becomes.

My need for alcohol simply began to die away: I found a lot of other joys that were simply incompatible with drinking, I began to feel very good, psychologically, so the desire to drink disappeared. It used to be nice to have a beer and relax when you were nervous and tired. But when I'm so calm, relaxed and I have good mood, then why drink? Why kill this mood with stupefying intoxication? If I'm tired, I can meditate, go for a run, listen to music, take a relaxing shower and feel good, why would I ruin my health and put myself in some unpleasant altered state?

For me, the very meaning of alcohol simply disappeared. I realized that I didn't need it. Of course, this did not go without resistance; at first it was hard for me not to drink on holidays and birthdays, but then I learned to have fun and relax without alcohol.

Play sports

Physical activity promotes the production of endorphins, which give you a good mood. Go out for a skiing trip on some forest track, pay attention to other athletes, how they smile and how pleased they look. This is how the effect of sports loads on the biochemistry of our brain manifests itself. This will allow you to feel joy without any drug intoxication. In addition, sport is a great stress reliever: an evening jog will give you good spirits and calmness. This is also a good way to relax and at the same time not harm your health, but create only benefits.

Of course, sports alone are not enough to eliminate addiction, but physical activity can significantly facilitate alcohol withdrawal and put the body into a mode of independent production of substances responsible for the feeling of pleasure. Going in for sports does not mean setting records and exhausting yourself; it is enough to start small: with morning exercises and daily short runs or pull-ups on the horizontal bar. It’s not so difficult to start doing this, even if you are not used to exerting yourself physically, drinking and smoking.

Get rid of boredom

One of the reasons for addiction to drugs is boredom, the desire to occupy oneself with something. An ordinary sober life seems dull, gray and uninteresting to many people. And when they drink or use something, everything immediately makes some sense. Evenings and weekends pass quickly and calmly while drinking alcohol, which otherwise would turn into boring and monotonous periods of time.

The feeling of boredom is getting pretty dangerous phenomenon when it turns into an unhealthy, extreme form. And it turns into this form when it turns from a harmless search for interesting activities into a fanatical, convulsive need for any activity, which is aimed only at not being left idle, alone with oneself.

If you can't long time to be alone, constantly looking for something to do, you can’t live without work, because it keeps you busy with something, even if it’s not your favorite, then this is not normal and says this about the internal emotional and nervous tension, which do not allow you to sit still and force you to constantly look for some kind of activity for yourself.

This activity results, among other things, into drug addiction, a special case of which is addiction to alcohol. This pathological boredom can have several causes.

Lack of any interests or hobbies

There is little that interests you other than drinking. You don't know how to enjoy other things. You don't know what else to do with yourself when you have free time. Alcohol is your main pastime.

How to get rid of it?

Find useful hobbies and activities. This could be books, chess, or some sport that interests you. Do you like football? Stop drinking beer in bars while watching matches, better get involved in this interesting sport!

But, I warn you, at first, your new hobby may not be a substitute for alcohol. You will still feel bored and need to drink. It takes time for your brain to get used to new ways to spend time, relax, and have fun.

So be persistent and patient in learning new hobbies. It may be that they will not immediately bring you joy, but you need to endure this moment.
It is better to look for hobbies that are incompatible with alcohol.

Internal tension and bustle

You are bored because it’s like you have some kind of small motor inside you, you can’t sit idle for a long time, you need to constantly run somewhere. This should not be confused with energy, it is rather a symptom severe tension, inability to relax and stop the inertia of an excited organism.

In this mode, the body quickly wears out, and you are in constant nervous tension. Alcohol helps you calm down, and when you drink, you are finally able to relax and feel calm.

How to get rid of it?

Stiffness, shyness, lack of self-confidence

This is not as common a cause of alcoholism as the ones listed above. But it still occurs among young people. You are shy, timid in front of people, and you can communicate normally only when you are “drunk.” It may not even be the main reason why you drink, but alcohol makes it easier for you to connect with people and makes it more difficult for you to quit.

How to get rid of it?

If so, then read this.

Causes of “beer alcoholism”

What is beer alcoholism? What is its peculiarity? It is a mistake to believe that the cause of beer alcoholism is only an insane love for a foamy drink. It happens, but this phenomenon is not only due to this.

I myself was a “beer” alcoholic and I know why I drank mostly beer and not something else. The fact is that beer, unlike more strong drinks, you can drink, constantly drinking from the bottle and gradually getting drunk. If you drink something stronger at this rate, you will get drunk very quickly.

This is the essence of drinking beer, it allows you to constantly occupy your hands, mouth and attention with something (especially if you eat it with something and also smoke in between). This desire is based on the need for constant stimulation of the senses. Nicotine addiction is often associated with this. I think there are more smokers among beer drinkers than among beer drinkers.

But, nevertheless, despite my love for beer, I did not refuse other drinks if I was at some kind of holiday and everyone was toasting and clinking glasses. It’s just that between toasts I continued to drink beer and, mixing drinks, I got drunk faster than anyone else.

Why did I do this? Because I was bored in the intervals between toasts, I experienced some discomfort and a desire to constantly maintain a drunken state, fiddling with something in my hands and taking sips. Beer came to the rescue.

Actually, this, in my opinion, is the essence of beer alcoholism and the difference from other types of this disease.

How to get rid of it?

You need to get rid of the need for constant stimulation of the senses. You will find a lot of useful information for yourself in the article about attention deficit disorder (I gave a link to it a few paragraphs above), even if the main subject of the article is not entirely relevant to you.

These, in my opinion, are the main reasons for human love for drugs and drinking, among other things.

If you have read up to this point, you may think that this is a huge article, in which I also ask you to read other articles, isn’t that a lot? No, not much, not even enough. Getting rid of addiction involves a lot of work on yourself and personality change.

Without this, you will not be able to get rid of the need for self-intoxication. You will quit for a while, and then return again or replace one bad habit with another (for example, start smoking marijuana instead of drinking beer), since you will not get rid of the main reasons for your addiction.

In this case, the addiction will remain, it will just lose its object for a while! But it will continue to pester you and attract other objects to it.

But if you work on the causes of your addiction and eliminate them, then you don’t have to worry about the fact that you will someday relapse and go on a rampage again. Since the meaning of pastime associated with alcohol will already be lost for you. You will have no reason to drink it!

You can be sure that you will never use other drugs! This is an excellent result, worth the time, effort, and patience that needs to be spent on it.

So I wish you good luck, everything is in your hands and depends only on you, and not on some alien will and uncontrollable arbitrariness! If you want to quit drinking, then you will do it and you will enjoy life again, no matter how severe and neglected the stage of your addiction may be.

This is where this huge article comes to an end. In conclusion, I want to say a couple more words that may inspire you and open your eyes to some things.

There is no need to isolate yourself from people who drink

Some people advise not to join a drinking party if you decide to quit. I don't entirely agree with this advice. Except for situations in the advanced stage of addiction, when the sight of a drinking person will automatically make you grab a glass, I do not advise you to avoid drinking company. Of course, you can do this, but only for the first time, during the most acute phase of withdrawal.

I have already said that the essence of quitting alcohol is not only the abolition of physical dependence, but also getting used to a new sober lifestyle. You need to learn to have fun and... What will be the point of quitting if you “break down” at home, not seeing your friends, and then, a couple of months later, at the first party on the occasion of your new life, you get drunk until you lose your pulse?

This will happen because you have not felt the strongest temptation before and you did not have to fight it. And then suddenly it’s a holiday and everyone is drinking. How to resist? Therefore, you need to immediately accustom yourself not to drink in companies that drink. Yes, at first you will be bored, you will leave the holiday earlier. But then everything will be easier.

I believe that you should learn to fight the most powerful temptation as early as possible. If you learn not to drink at those moments when you want to drink most, then in other circumstances it will be much easier for you to restrain this need.

Think about the younger generation. Information for parents

It is clear that if you are going to have children soon, then there should be no talk about drinking. If you already have children, then you don’t have to think that they are small, stupid and don’t understand or notice anything.

They notice how you drink, see you in a drunken state and “absorb” all these unpleasant impressions.

Parents' drunkenness, even the most harmless one in their opinion, leaves a painful imprint on the child's memory and is a prerequisite for alcoholism in their grown-up offspring.

Therefore, if you drink and you have children, try not to let them see you doing this. Better yet, stop drinking. If you don’t think about yourself and your health, then at least think about your offspring.

Program for those who decide to quit drinking

If you decide to quit drinking, then I have prepared a special 30-day experiment for you that will help you learn how to spend time and relax without alcohol. You can find a description of this experiment in the second part of the article.

Alcohol addiction is a serious and dangerous disease . Its elimination requires systematic approach And long period treatment.

Drinking alcohol in large quantities causes enormous harm to human health and as a result he turns into an asocial element. This problem is familiar to many. Some people personally encountered it, and others observed it in their families.

Everyone makes their own choice; if desired, you can find a way to stop drinking alcohol yourself at home.

Due to the urgency of the problem, a lot of ways have been invented to get rid of alcohol addiction.. Among them are medical, esoteric and folk.

But nothing will change until a person has the desire to overcome himself. There are people who understand the harmfulness of their habit, but are embarrassed to turn to a specialist for help and are afraid of publicity.

In this case, it is important to find a way to remove alcohol from your life on your own.

Not everyone who is addicted to alcohol can admit that they have alcoholism. Narcologists identify 5 signs of this disease:

For those who are afraid to admit their addiction, it is important to give up alcohol if at least one of the above signs is present.

Alcohol addiction is more common among men, but women are also susceptible to this disease. The disease develops equally in both sexes and the treatment methods are also the same. Only the reasons that provoke alcoholism differ.

There are features of female dependence:

The above factors provoke faster addiction to alcohol. Increased need to feel alcohol intoxication, which often develops into binge drinking.

It all starts with a glass of wine after work, and ends with vodka not only on weekends, but also on weekdays.

Therefore, it is much more difficult for a girl to overcome addiction. We have to resort to a variety of methods.

Many rehabilitation clinics offer their services to get rid of alcohol addiction. But not every person is ready to go to such institutions.

The following tips help with treatment:

Often, people who are dependent on alcohol do not have enough willpower to undergo a rehabilitation course in specialized clinics or stop on their own without coding.

It is very important to know how to stop drinking correctly. There is nothing wrong if family and friends help you overcome such a disease by using traditional medicine recipes.

Folk remedies can be used as the main treatment or as an addition to medication.

The most common method of treating alcoholism is herbal medicine.. In folk medicine, such herbs for drunkenness are used as fireweed, kukulnik, European hoofed grass, lovage root, St. John's wort and others.

They are used to prepare decoctions and infusions for internal use. The main ones:

Beer is in high demand alcoholic drink . A few drinks can relieve stress after a working day. But soon it becomes a habit and a person cannot relax without drinking his favorite liquid.

Beer lovers see nothing wrong with this, but in fact there are detrimental effects:

• beer alcoholism.
• negative effect on the heart - beer acts in the same way as vodka and harms the entire body;
• the belly grows - constant consumption of beer leads to a significant increase in the belly;
• beer can cause impotence or infertility; in men, this drink suppresses testosterone production.

Therefore, it is worth thinking about how to stop drinking beer every day. Few people can immediately give up their favorite habit. In this case, they resort to the developed plan and strictly adhere to its points:

1. It is important to understand what drives you to drink alcohol. If this is a relaxing remedy after work, then you need to find another useful activity.
2. You should defend your decision. When meeting with friends, you need to control what you drink; the amount should not exceed two glasses. The main thing is not to give in to pressure from friends.
3. Think about the future and remember the consequences of beer alcoholism.

Beer addiction is a disease that needs to be treated at an early stage. If a person realizes that he has become addicted and wants to know how to stop drinking beer in the evenings, then everything is in his hands.

There are many ways to get rid of this habit. The main thing is to realize everything negative consequences From this, find something to do after work that will bring you pleasure.

It’s better to plan your evening so that there is no time or desire left for a bad habit. Playing sports or going to the pool is a great distraction. In addition, it is good for health and figure.

Alcoholism is serious illness, and alcohol itself is a poison that causes severe intoxication of the body.

After termination long-term use alcohol, the following changes occur in the body:

1. The flow of poison that poisons the entire body stops.
2. Brain stimulation stops psychoactive substances which are found in large quantities in alcohol.
3. The process of cleansing the body of toxins begins.

Many people are interested in the question of what will happen if you suddenly stop drinking alcohol.. After all, toxins that enter the bloodstream worsen your well-being after a sudden cessation of alcohol.

This can manifest itself like this:

• nausea and vomiting;
• upset stomach, diarrhea;
• rapid heartbeat, arrhythmia;
• strong headache and dizziness;
• malaise and weakness;
• trembling of limbs;
• shortness of breath.

Sometimes the consequences can be much more serious. There is a risk of internal bleeding, heart attacks and strokes.

After long binges you need to throw correctly. Abrupt withdrawal often causes delirium tremens, auditory and visual hallucinations.

Do not neglect the help of loved ones, it plays a big role. Negative consequences must be overcome. After all, you won’t be able to quit a bad habit if you drink every other day.

Alcohol addiction exists only in the patient’s head. Don't be afraid of what will happen. After some time, the body is rehabilitated. And being intoxicated causes much more harm than abrupt refusal.

Allen Carr Method

Allen Carr is recognized as a leading expert in helping smokers and alcoholics. Based on his methodology, a worldwide network of rehabilitation clinics has been created. People who have completed this course enjoy a new life.

Carr claims that his method is effective for all types of addiction. The main thing is not to give in to the idea that alcoholism is an incurable disease.

Instructions to help you quit drinking forever:

1. Think about how wonderful it is to live without alcohol, which ruins your life.
2. Don't doubt your decision.
3. Don't try to avoid the thought that you have stopped drinking alcohol.
4. Remember that alcohol is a monster, but it will die soon.
5. A person should not worry if he sometimes forgets that he no longer drinks.
6. There is no need to wait for the right moment to become a teetotaler.
7. Accept that there will be good days and bad days.
8. Remember that a person controls his desires, and not the other way around.
9. Do not mourn the death of an enemy.
10. Don't change anything just because there is no alcohol in your life.
11. Do not agitate your friends until they ask.
12. Change what you don’t like in life, but only for selfish reasons.
13. Do not resort to alcohol substitutes.
14. Get rid of false associations of joyful events with alcohol.
15. You should never envy people who drink.
16. And the most important thing is to enjoy life.

Alcohol addiction - terrible disease which poisons life. This is a direct path to degradation. But everything can be fixed if you sincerely want it.

There are many different ways to treat. Not only rehabilitation clinics, but also traditional medicine offer their options.

If you don’t have the willpower to seek help from specialists, then you can resort to Allen Carr’s method, which is described in his book. In addition, the use folk recipes will also help in the fight against alcoholism.

According to the latest data from Rospotrebnadzor, almost 500 thousand people die from alcoholism in our country every year. Many people die from epidemics and natural disasters less population. Statistics clearly show that drunkenness is dangerous and requires immediate treatment. Only 1.7% of people who want to quit a bad habit turn to specialists. The rest either do not consider it necessary to get rid of drunkenness, or are embarrassed to seek the help of specialists, trying to stop drinking alcohol on their own, at home.

Alcoholism is one of the most pressing problems social problems in our country

Things to remember: this problem- one of the most acute social ulcers in our country.

You can quickly stop drinking alcohol on your own, but to do this you must follow the following rules:

• Treatment at home is only initial stages alcoholism. Unfortunately, neglected cases accompanied by strong physical and psychological disorders Therefore, only a specialist can help an alcoholic.
• It is very important that a person susceptible to chronic drunkenness himself accepts the need to combat bad habit. Compulsory treatment is ineffective - in best case scenario short term improvement can be achieved. If you drink alcohol beyond measure, then proper motivation is the key to recovery.
• It is necessary to ensure maximum comfort and, if possible, protect the patient from stressful situations that provoke breakdowns. The support and understanding of loved ones is very important.
• Therapy at home involves a complete abstinence from drinking alcoholic beverages.
• You need to stop drinking vodka, as it is harmful to your physical and psychological health- this obvious rule applies to both women and men who drink. When treating at home, it is important to try different techniques: folk recipes (decoctions, herbal infusions), tablets, auto-training, etc.
• You can stop drinking alcohol on your own only when using methods with minimal risks (contraindications and side effects). For example, you should not prescribe and administer a coding agent to yourself - this should be done by a doctor in a hospital.

Both medications and folk remedies.

Home therapy methods

To get rid of an obsessive habit, you can try two main types of home treatment:

• The method is traditional. At home, household alcoholics can quickly put an end to the deadly habit with the help of medications.
• Folk remedies. Alcohol addiction can be overcome with the help of traditional medicine recipes.

Both of these methods have three main goals - cleansing the body, eliminating the main syndromes of alcohol dependence (for example, nausea, headache, tremors after the absence of a new portion of potion) and preventing relapse at home.

Treatment is medicinal

Before Use medicines, you should consult your doctor

To independently cleanse the body of ethyl alcohol residues, you can use folic acid, activated carbon and Enterosgel - they are sold in pharmacies without a prescription. The use of enemas is recommended, as well as the use of diuretics, which are excellent in helping to get rid of intoxication. To remove unpleasant symptoms standard medications are used that are also prescribed for other diseases, for example sleeping pills for insomnia, antihypertensive drugs to reduce pressure.

Before using medications, you should consult your doctor

Drugs that permanently reduce cravings by stopping the “pleasure” effect of drinking alcohol are classified as “light coding” drugs. These are Finlepsin, Diazepam, Pentobarbital ( narcotic drugs, are addictive, take with caution), “Lorazepam” and “Chlordiazepoxide”. As a result of their use, the negative consequences of alcohol consumption remain, but the person does not experience any euphoria or relaxation. Ideally, these remedies form in the patient negative emotional associations associated with drunkenness, and thereby gradually reduce the addiction to the “green snake”, instilling a desire to quit the habit. The disadvantage of these medications is that they have a fairly short-term effect and need to be taken for a long time.

People's experience

Among the many folk recipes, we highlight several common ones that cause a persistent aversion to vodka, beer and other types of alcohol, and also help strengthen and cleanse the body:

1. St. John's wort decoction. Four handfuls dried herb pour a liter hot water. Place in a water bath for about half an hour. The prepared decoction should be drunk for two weeks, 2 times a day - before breakfast and lunch.
2. Decoction of oats and calendula. Pour 2 liters of water into a container. Fill a third of the bowl with unhulled oat grains. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Strain and add 100 g of calendula, the flowers of which can be bought at the pharmacy. Wrap the container with the broth in a warm blanket and let it brew for 11 hours. Take a glass before meals once a day.
3. Herbal tincture. Take dried thyme, chamomile and centaury in equal proportions. Fill with water in a ratio of 5:1. Leave for 3 hours. Strain. You should drink 2 tbsp of the tincture. l. 3 times a day.

Take these folk remedies for at least 2 months. Only this long self-treatment helps a person stop drinking and strengthen the body, weakened by excessive doses of alcohol.

Disadvantages of dealing with alcohol on your own

During the treatment of alcoholism, it is important to use medicinal decoctions and infusions to alleviate general intoxication of the body. But still, fighting addiction on your own is not the best option:

• There is too much risk of failure.

Only one person in a thousand manages to quit drinking alcohol at home forever.

During treatment for alcoholism, it is important to use medicinal decoctions and infusions for general intoxication of the body

• Lack of experience and qualifications.

Unfortunately, due to ignorance, some begin to use methods that are harmful to health (for example, therapy medicinal herbs, which are prohibited for human consumption due to existing diseases).

• Passivity and lack of motivation of the patient.

Within the walls of the clinic, a person becomes more aware that overconsumption alcohol is dangerous for his health.

• Lack of proper psychological support.

Even if loved ones are nearby all the time and help to the best of their ability, this is often not enough to make a person believe in a successful solution to the problem. A qualified psychologist or people in the same situation can make the task easier.

Of course, these risks are not a reason to give up trying to quit drinking alcoholic beverages on your own. Still, some people succeed – the video included in the article is proof of this. The main thing is to choose the right method and follow the rules home treatment alcoholism.

Finally, we repeat our advice: it is better to get rid of prejudices and embarrassment and consult a doctor. He will assess the patient’s condition, help draw up a competent treatment program, and eliminate drugs and herbs that may adversely affect the patient’s health. Only integrated approach capable of providing positive result and help you quit drinking alcohol forever.