How Can I Stop Drinking?

Jan 18, 2019 | Education, I'm Ready to Quit, Next Steps, Positive Changes, The Science, Treatment Types | 0 comments

When you’re addicted to alcohol, you feel hopeless. You want to quit drinking but it seems impossible. You have tried to stop before, but inevitably, you end up picking up the bottle again. This can make you feel like a complete failure. The truth is, it isn’t your fault. There is a legitimate biological reason why you haven’t been able to go sober, despite your many attempts.

Why Can’t I Stop Drinking?

You want to quit, but it seems that every time you have your “last drink,” inevitably, you end up drinking again. This has nothing to do with your “willpower.” Over time, regular alcohol consumption alters your brain chemistry to make you dependent on it. Essentially, binge drinking causes the GABAA neuroreceptors in your brain to become reliant on alcohol to produce dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that is essential for making you feel energetic, motivated, and happy, so when you have alcoholism and you stop drinking, you just don’t feel “normal.” It gets to the point where you have to drink just to feel okay. Without sufficient dopamine, you’re left feeling depressed, tired, and unable to get through the day. No wonder you end up drinking again! Fortunately, you are not resigned to a life of alcohol dependence. You can retrain your brain to stop thinking about drinking all the time.

Know Your Reason for Quitting

Chances are, if you have gotten this far, you truly want to stop drinking. However, the road ahead is not easy, so it’s important that you are truly committed to this decision. For many drinkers, giving up alcohol means you have to restructure your life. While many people with alcohol dependence are surrounded by people who are concerned about their wellbeing, others are surrounded by other problem drinkers who would not support them going sober.

Make a Pros and Cons List

It can be helpful to write out all the pros and cons of drinking. This way, you can identify the most important reasons why you want to quit. It might look something like this:

Pros	Cons
I only feel normal when I drink.	I feel depressed, anxious, and ashamed of my drinking.
It takes my mind off my problems.	I have trouble in my relationships because of my drinking.
It helps me escape my responsibilities.	I don’t feel healthy.
All my friends are drinkers too.	I don’t have the time, energy, or money to do things or spend time with people I care about.
	It interferes with my job and other responsibilities.

Tell Your Friends and Family

Talk to your friends and family about how you want to quit drinking. While your drinking buddies may discourage you, chances are, you have relationships that have been negatively impacted by your alcohol addiction. Talking to people who care about you establishes accountability with your goal to stop drinking, and gives you the support system you need to be successful. Knowing that your family is counting on you to stop drinking can be a very compelling reason to go into alcohol treatment.

Keep a Journal

Keeping a journal about your drinking can help you identify exactly how big of a problem you have and how drinking makes you feel. You can keep it very simple by just writing down the number of drinks you have every time you drink, or you could expand on this by writing down how you’re feeling, where your thoughts go, and how other people react to you.

Outpatient Alcohol Treatment in Denver

At our outpatient treatment center in Denver, we use medical interventions to address the biological and psychological causes of addiction. Under two months of medical treatment, we are able to provide FDA-approved medications, physician supervision and guidance, and psychotherapy to help your brain relearn how to function without alcohol. For every individual, this course of treatment will look different based on lifestyle. It may involve treating underlying medical conditions contributing to your alcohol addiction, counseling you on nutrition, providing additional psychotherapy or physical therapy, or any number of treatments, depending on your unique needs. Regardless of the specifics of your treatment, we are confident that our highly successful program can help you go sober forever. For a free consultation with an addiction specialist, contact us today.

What Do They Mean When They Call Alcohol a Depressant?

Alcohol is the most widely used and consumed drug in the entire world. Alcohol is all around us, and many times our society conditions us to view alcohol as a fun party boosting activity. Unfortunately, alcohol consumption can become excessive and eventually lead...

The Brain and Addiction

The term “addiction”is derived from the Latin term meaning “enslaved by” or “bound to”. It is not a character or personality flaw that occurs in people, which is how it was traditionally seen as and still can be seen as that. However, we need to look at addiction as a...

What is Alcoholism?

Alcohol is not a new substance. Since the beginning of time, almost every single culture has used some type of alcoholic beverage. We even know that alcoholic beverages like wine and beer were considered healthier alternatives since they did not have the knowledge or...

Getting A DUI for the First Time: What You Need to Know

It’s never a good idea to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming alcohol. All states in the union take drunk driving very seriously. Colorado is no exception. Even your first offense can have severe implications. Here, we answer some of your most frequently...

Symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder

Many people don’t realize that they have a troubled relationship with alcohol until something happens that forces them to face reality. They lose their job, face DUI charges, or a significant relationship falls apart. Suddenly, they can’t deny the impact alcohol has...

Alcohol and The Affects on Your Brain

Alcohol consumption, while often socially accepted and widely practiced, has profound effects on the brain, influencing everything from neurotransmitter function to long-term cognitive abilities. This article delves into the scientific understanding of how alcohol...

What Makes Go Sober Different: Words We Don’t Like To Use

Go Sober is unlike any other alcohol treatment program you’ve ever seen before. Due to our unique setup, we’ve become highly successful at helping people say goodbye to alcohol forever. Here at Go Sober, we’re changing the game when it comes to alcohol treatment,...

Fun Things To Do This Weekend That Don’t Involve Alcohol

Weekends are the perfect time to unwind and have fun after a long week of work or school. However, many people associate fun activities with drinking alcohol. While there's nothing wrong with having a drink or two, it's important to remember that there are plenty of...

The Physical Effects of Alcohol

We’re all aware of the effects that alcohol has on your brain. The impaired judgment, blurry vision, and slower motor skills are all common effects of alcohol than adults are, for the most part, very familiar with. However, it's important to look at the physical...

What Happens to Your Body When You Quit Drinking?

Alcohol has negatively impacted your life in so many ways that you’re finally ready to go sober. You may be prepared to live a healthier lifestyle, you may be wondering what to expect when you finally do put down the bottle. Here are some things you can expect to...