It might surprise you to learn that approximately one in eight adults meets the criteria for alcohol use disorder. Millions of Americans meet the criteria for both alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Many feel compelled to drink out of force of habit due to social obligations or mental health disorders, which can breed chemical dependence.
Perhaps you or someone you know is suffering from symptoms of alcoholism. If so, there is no one cure, but a continued commitment to sobriety can help you along the path to a healthy recovery. Here are three key self-help steps that can allow you to feel better faster.
- Commit To Cutting Alcohol Out of Your Life
When it comes to abstaining from drinking, the brunt of the work will be in committing to new habits. Think about the situations or times of day in which you feel most compelled to consume alcohol. In those scenarios, it is important that you find a new and healthy activity, non-alcoholic beverage, motivational reading, or some other distraction to pull you away from the temptation to drink.
The initial act of abstaining is the hardest part of conquering any addiction. Oftentimes, you may experience unpleasant physical withdrawal symptoms as you change habits. Nonetheless, try not to intimidate yourself with the longevity of a commitment to sobriety and simply view each sober day as its own accomplishment.
- Set New Goals in Your Day-to-Day Life
Recovery from alcoholism extends to more than whether or not you defeat the simple inclination to drink. Similar to creating new habits, try setting new goals to achieve in your life now that you are not held back by drinking. For example, think of any wishes you might have for expanding your social life or getting a new job.
Even a healthy pursuit of such self-improvement landmarks can help you not only stay sober but also more thoroughly enjoy your healthy recovery.
- Maintain Your Healthy Recovery
As previously mentioned, whether you’ve accomplished weeks, months, or years of sobriety, each day is always its own achievement. Once you feel you’ve successfully cut your inclination to drink from your life, be sure to stay committed to living a healthy lifestyle. After all, it always pays to leave yourself feeling better at the start of each new day.
Should you still need to tend to any residual health problems from your days of drinking or perhaps fix leaky gut, a focus on nutrition and fitness will only help you all the more in the long term & medication assisted treatment.
Stay Informed and Stay the Best You Can Be
Once you’ve committed to a healthy recovery from alcohol, a bigger, wider world of health-consciousness will be open to you. Always stay informed, set new goals, and commit to being the best version of yourself.
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