Strategies for Quitting Alcohol NIAAA

Removing alcohol from your immediate environment gives you more control over when and how much you drink, allowing for more mindful and intentional consumption. Another trick for cutting down alcohol consumption is to use drink spacers—nonalcoholic beverages between drinks containing alcohol. No matter how much you drink, it’s always a good idea to drink plenty of water along with your alcoholic beverages. Some people will alternate a drink of water, juice, or soda between their alcoholic beverages to slow down their consumption. Set reminders of why cutting down on alcohol is important to you.

Tips for Cutting Back on Drinking

By only buying alcohol on the day you plan to drink it, you make a conscious decision to consume alcohol. This conscious purchasing encourages you to be more mindful of your drinking habits. It also helps you avoid bulk buying, which can sometimes lead to excessive drinking just to finish what you have in stock.

• Some people trying to cut down have been successful by pacing their drinking.
• Remember, cutting down on alcohol intake is a journey, and it’s okay to make gradual changes.
• Small changes can make a big difference in reducing your chances of having alcohol-related problems.
• Some of these may be helpful to you and others may not work.

Try bottled beer instead of pints, or a small glass of wine instead of a large one. Live an alcohol-free life and be on your guard not to fall back into the trap. You may be worried that quitting comes with bad physical symptoms such as trembling hands, nausea, sweating and other effects. However, these are extremely uncommon and any site that mentions them will say that too in the small print.

Find healthier ways to relax

Learn what counts as a standard drink so that you can accurately count how many you have had. Stick to your goal even when you are away from home, dining out, or in a bar. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. He is the medical director at Alcohol Recovery Medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Tips on cutting down

You may want to practice what you will say the next time your friends ask you to have a drink. People who consume drinks quickly, particularly the first few drinks, are at greater risk of misusing alcohol and developing alcohol dependence. If you are going to count how many drinks you have, make sure you are accurate.

Understand Detox

If you are currently drinking more than the recommended guidelines, any change that you make—even small changes—can help you reduce the harm that alcohol can cause. The less you drink, the lower your risk of developing problems. Your goal is to improve your health and your life by reducing the effects of alcohol. Then, cut back one glass a week until you’re drinking in moderation — or if you prefer, until you stop drinking. Lowering your alcohol intake over time gives your body and mind a chance to adjust while you create healthier habits. It can tell you if your current habits meet recommended drinking limits, or help you understand how to stop drinking alcohol excessively.

• This is especially important in the early stages of reducing your alcohol intake, when cravings can be more intense.
• Remember, change can be challenging, so it’s important to have a plan and strong reminders of why this change is important to you.
• Being around them could make it harder to stick to your plan.
• We’ve rounded up our top tips to give upalcohol and start on your journey.
• Cutting down on alcohol can bring many health benefits, such as reducing your risk of cancer and improving your sleep.

If you haven’t made progress in cutting down after two to three months, consider quitting drinking altogether, seeking professional help, or both. Storing alcohol at home may lead to impulsive drinking decisions. When alcohol is easily accessible, it can be challenging to stick to your drinking plan or goals.

Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. Cut down the alcohol by swapping strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength (ABV strategies for cutting down drinking in %). Information and shareable resources to help others choose to drink less alcohol and be their best.

Avoiding these triggers can prevent you from drinking when you otherwise might not. Have you been thinking about cutting back on the amount of alcohol that you drink? Maybe you have experienced some negative health effects because of your drinking. With less alcohol in your life, you’re likely to have clearer skin, better sleep, and you may see a boost in your overall mood.

Focus instead on creating new habits that don’t involve drinking. Meals, sporting events, holidays, and even children’s parties often include the option to drink. Next time you’re at a social event, try going without alcohol. You may be responding to social cues that it’s time to drink or just looking for something to hold in your hand.

That is, they sip their drinks slowly or make sure they have only one drink per hour. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) provides tips that have helped others cut down on their drinking. Some of these may be helpful to you and others may not work. The key to successfully cutting down on alcohol is to find what works for you. Although it can help some people fall asleep quickly, it can disrupt your sleep patterns and stop you sleeping deeply.

Record your drinking habits, including the number of drinks, the days you drink, and any challenges or successes you encounter. Tracking your progress will help you stay accountable and identify patterns or triggers. Read our guide to learn the most effective ways to quitting alcohol. By managing your addiction to alcohol, you can lead a healthier, happier life. Write down the maximum number of drinks you want to drink per day and the maximum number of days a week you want to drink.

Call or text a friend and have your goals handy to remind yourself why you’ve dropped drinking. To drop the number of drinks you have each week, start with a daily limit. The federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends not drinking at all, but suggests that if you do, keep it under two drinks a day for men and one for women.