If you drink too much alcohol, you can improve your health – and life – by cutting down. There are many things you can do to successfully get sober, and stay sober. But first: How do you know if you are drinking too much? Take this quiz to find out.
How to Cut Down on Drinking
If you cut down or stop drinking, you can dramatically improve your health, your sleep, and your relationships with family members, friends, and co-workers. The benefits are great. But knowing that doesn't always make it easy to do.
To start the process, set a limit. Decide if you are going to cut down or not drink at all. If you choose to cut down, keep these recommended limits in mind: Women should consume no more than one drink a day. Men should consume no more than two drinks a day. (A drink is a 12-ounce bottle of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5-ounce shot of liquor.) Talk with your doctor about a limit that is right for you.
Keep a diary. Try this for one week: Every time you drink, write down what and how much you drank. Also write down where and when you drank it. If you can keep the diary going for three or four weeks, you'll get a realistic measure of how close to your goal you are.
More tips to consider:
- Keep very little or, preferably, no alcohol at home. This will help you avoid the obvious temptation.
- Sip your drinks slowly, and take a break (an hour or more) between each drink.
- Eat food when you're drinking to keep the alcohol from being absorbed in your system too quickly.
- Make every other drink a non-alcoholic one: soda, fruit juice, or water.
- Take one day off a week from drinking, then work up to taking two days off a week. Then three...
- Learn to say "no" politely when you're offered a drink.
- Avoid being around people who might give you a hard time for your decision to not drink.
- Stay active, play sports, or join a gym with the money you save by not buying alcohol.
Get support. Talk with your family, friends, doctor, counselor, or pastor. Getting support cannot be overstated! If you are drinking alcohol to excess, it can be very difficult to stop – and very important that you do. Find a support group nearby, and go to it.
Most importantly, DO NOT GIVE UP. If you slip, you can start again the next day. |
