10 Steps on How to Stop Drinking Alcohol
Choose alcohol-free days.
Decide not to drink two or three days each week. You may want to abstain for a week or a month to see how you feel physically and emotionally without alcohol in your life. Taking a break from alcohol can be a good way to start drinking less.
Psychological counseling.
Counseling and therapy for groups and individuals help you better understand your problem with alcohol and support recovery from the psychological aspects of alcohol use. You may benefit from couples or family therapy — family support can be an important part of the recovery process.
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The "20-minute rule for alcohol" is a simple strategy to moderate drinking: wait 20 minutes after finishing one alcoholic drink before starting the next, giving you time to rehydrate with water and reassess if you truly want another, often reducing cravings and overall intake. It helps slow consumption, break the chain of continuous drinking, and allows the body a natural break, making it easier to decide if you've had enough or switch to a non-alcoholic option.
The "3-2-1" (or often "1-2-3") drinking rule is a guideline for moderate alcohol consumption: 1 drink per hour, no more than 2 drinks per occasion, and at least 3 alcohol-free days per week, helping to pace intake and reduce risks. It aligns with official health advice, emphasizing that the body processes only about one standard drink (e.g., 12oz beer, 5oz wine) per hour, and provides a framework for mindful drinking to avoid binge patterns and health issues, though it's a simplification of broader guidelines.
If you do experience early symptoms of ARLD, these are often quite vague, such as:
Psychological warning signs of SUD
Some of the most common relapse triggers include:
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AA shines. Most of the studies that measured abstinence found AA was significantly better than other interventions or no intervention. In one study, it was found to be 60% more effective.
Allowing the liver enough time to metabolize the alcohol is the only way to remove alcohol from the body. A cold shower, fresh air, exercise, or black coffee will not help sober a person up. Time is the only thing that will remove alcohol from the system (about an hour per standard drink).
End stage alcoholism is marked by a complete loss of control over drinking. This stage brings severe health complications and potential social and legal issues.
Distract yourself with a healthy, alternative activity. For different situations, come up with engaging short, mid-range, and longer options, like texting or calling someone, watching short online videos, lifting weights to music, showering, meditating, taking a walk, or doing a hobby.
The first month after you stop drinking is one of the most challenging months because you may experience the detox stage, where your body may go into alcohol withdrawal if you have a physical dependance.
Disulfiram. Disulfiram (brand name Antabuse) can be used if you're trying to achieve abstinence but are concerned you may relapse, or if you've had previous relapses. Disulfiram works by deterring you from drinking by causing unpleasant physical reactions if you drink alcohol.
Relapse is most likely to happen during periods of stress, or when someone is exposed to people or places that are associated with past drinking.
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Alcohol. Alcohol is the most regularly used addictive substance in America, with nearly 29 million people aged 12 or older having a past year alcohol use disorder in 2023.
not being able to function without alcohol - for example, do your job or carry out daily tasks. drinking has become an important, or the most important, thing in life. continuing to drink despite the negative effects for you or your loved ones. finding it hard to control how much, or when, you drink.
With the help of good nutrition, exercise, and better lifestyle habits, health will return. Researchers believe the lingering physical effects of addiction in the brain can last for 12-18 months, with the greatest improvement occurring in the first 30-60 days.
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Myth 3: Drinking hard liquor is worse than drinking beer or wine. Contrary to popular belief, the type of alcohol you drink doesn't make a difference – what matters is how much you drink. "The safe limit is fixed at 14 units a week," explains Dr Lui. "Below this limit, alcoholic fatty liver is less likely to occur.
Early signs your liver is struggling often include persistent fatigue, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain/bloating (especially upper right), and itchy skin, with changes in urine/stool color and easy bruising also being key indicators, though sometimes symptoms are absent in early stages. Pay attention to changes like dark urine, pale stools, or jaundice (yellow skin/eyes), as these signal the liver isn't filtering toxins or processing bilirubin properly.
To cleanse your liver, focus on a healthy lifestyle: drink plenty of water, eat antioxidant-rich foods like leafy greens, berries, and cruciferous vegetables, limit processed foods, sugar, and alcohol, and get regular exercise, as your liver naturally detoxes with these supportive habits, while avoiding unproven supplements that can be harmful.