How to stop drinking

How to stop drinking

how to stop drinkingDrinking isn’t a scary thing until it becomes a problem. It gets especially scary when you find yourself drinking even when you don’t want to. It can seem impossible to overcome your drinking but there are actually steps you can to stop drinking. As long as you haven’t reached the point of no return you can do what you need to rewind and stop your problem drinking in its tracks.

How to stop drinking: acknowledge why you do it

Why do you engage in your drinking? You have to be able to answer that question in order to stop drinking. Is it to help you with anxiety and stress? It may be hard to admit why you have you are drinking but you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge exists. Admit why you engage in the problem drinking to yourself and you are on your to stopping drinking.

How to stop drinking: Think rational thoughts instead of sitting in denial

You probably understand at a conscious and intellectual level that your drinking is unhealthy yet you keep on using or drinking and this baffles you. If you are in denial about your drinking this is probably why. If you can’t get through the day without a shot of vodka, you may be self-medicating and if you have reached the point of knowing its bad and can’t stop you may need outside help from something like a drug rehab to stop drinking. Realizing this is a rational thought.

How to stop drinking: Using coping skills

People never break bad habits they merely replace them with new ones. Recognize that you get a reward of some sort from smoking, using drugs, and drinking. Find something else to give you that reward and you have found new coping skills and have stopped the drinking. If you have reached the point of no return and need to attend rehab it is still a very good idea to find new coping skills for life for when you are out of rehab. Finding new coping skills can stop drinking in its tracks. And if you can stop drinking then you can begin to live a healthy life again. You have the ability to quiet yourself without drugs and alcohol; without your alcohol. You also have the ability to reduce stress without drugs and alcohol. Find new things to use to stop drinking instead of drugs and alcohol which fuel it.

How to stop drinking: Have a support system and become accountable

If you truly want to stop drinking and get clean then you are going to need help from people and you are going to need to be accountable to those people. Accountability means showing up when you say you are going to and no longer engaging in alcoholic drinking behaviors like being flaky. The support system you have is meant to help you stop drinking by telling you the truth about yourself when you want to go into denial about your drinking. Your support system will also help you to find new ways to be healthier and do those things with you. Support and accountability can also come in the form of rehab to stop drinking.

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcohol Poisoning

Last weekend, Indiana law enforcement picked up a man with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .552, almost seven times the legal limit. James Henderson, 28, was found unconscious on the side of a road.  His level of intoxication would kill most people, or put them in a coma. Remarkably, Henderson was alive, though suffering from extreme alcohol poisoning.

Alcohol poisoning is a serious — and sometimes deadly — consequence of drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. When a person has alcohol poisoning they have consumed a toxic amount of alcohol, usually over a short period of time. Their BAC is so high it is considered toxic to their body. Alcohol poisoning can be life threatening and requires immediate medical care.

Signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:

  • Cold, clammy, pale, or bluish skin
  • Unconscious or unable to be roused
  • Slow or irregular breathing
  • Puking repeatedly or uncontrollably
  • Seizures

Alcohol poisoning commonly results from binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as more than five drinks in a sitting for men, and more than four for women.  Alcohol poisoning can also occur when someone drinks household products containing alcohol, either accidentally or on purpose.

Alcohol slows involuntary body responses like gag reflex and breathing. With enough alcohol, these reactions can slow to a dangerous level or stop altogether. Someone who has alcohol poisoning is at risk for decreased breathing and gag reflex. Alcohol also irritates the stomach. Many people who are suffering from alcohol poisoning vomit. If the person suffering from alcohol poisoning is unconscious when vomiting begins, they run the risk of asphyxiating on the vomit, particularly if they are lying on their back. People with alcohol poisoning may have seizures or succumb to hypothermia, since alcohol lowers your internal body temperature.

When you drink alcohol, your liver has to filter out the alcohol, a toxin, from your blood. Alcohol poisoning occurs because you are ingesting alcohol more quickly than your liver can metabolize it. In general, the liver metabolizes one drink an hour, although there are slight variations based on sex, size, and race. If you consume more than one drink per hour, the alcohol begins to build up in the blood stream and you increase your risk for alcohol poisoning. Even after a person stops drinking, alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. This means that your blood alcohol content continues to rise, even after you have passed out.

If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning, you should immediately call 911. Stay with the person until help arrives. If the person is vomiting due to alcohol poisoning, turn them on their side. Try to keep the person suffering from alcohol poisoning conscious by talking to them. Cover them with a blanket and wait for emergency personnel.  It is important to call for medical help, because someone suffering from alcohol poisoning could seize, die, or experience permanent brain damage if they are not medically treated in a timely manner.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.