Tuesday, March 26, 2024

How Do You Stop Drinking Wine

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I Didnt Really Care What People Would Think

How to Stop Drinking Alcohol | Recovery 2.0 | Holistic Recovery

This is a benefit of making changes later in life. Most of the time when I think people are thinking deeply about me they arent so Ive stopped letting what others may or may not think impact personal decisions I make about my life. Chances are, your relationship with alcohol is very personal. Mine was.

There are some things that are only your business. Why you choose not to drink falls into this category. However, its normal for people to think that when you arent drinking alcohol, you have to tell everyone why. When you decline a drink, they may wonder, and often ask out loud one or more of the following questions

  • Are you pregnant?
  • Dont you want to have fun?
  • Do you have a problem with alcohol?
  • Are you dieting?
  • Whats wrong with you?

People may push too . My sister told me when she stopped drinking, friends often asked, Cant you just have one? Just a sip? Just for the cheer or the toast? Dont let that discourage you. People want you to drink with them so they feel better about their own drinking. Shouldnt we support each other in making healthy habit changes even when they challenge our own habits?

Why is it that when someone says theyve quit smoking, or eating sugar, or just about anything else, we celebrate them, but when they tell us they quit drinking, we question them?

How to respond when someone tells you theyve stopped drinking:

  • Well done!
  • Tell me how I can support you!

Involve Your Loved Ones

Family and friends can provide encouragement and support when you stop drinking.

Maybe your partner, sibling, or roommate is also thinking about making a change. Changing drinking habits together allows you to support each other while also boosting your motivation and accountability.

Turner notes the importance of bringing along a trusted support person when attending events that involve alcohol. Its often easier to turn down a drink when you dont have to do it alone.

Figure Out How Much You Actually Drink

Maybe you dont think you depend on alcohol, exactly, but you still wonder whether you might be drinking too much.

Say you dont have any cravings when you go without drinking. All the same, a quick drink often turns into three or four drinks. When youre having a good time, you find it hard to stop, especially in the company of friends having the same amount.

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My Relationship With Alcohol

Ive questioned my drinking, Ive managed my drinking. Ive enjoyed my drinking and Ive hated my drinking. Clearly, alcohol took up a lot of space in my mind and my life says the woman who enjoys freeing up space in her mind and her life.

Long story short

I started drinking when I was a teenager and didnt stop until earlier this year. I managed alcohol well except for a few times a year, often when traveling or getting together with friends or family when I didnt. I enjoyed drinking and occasionally I abused alcohol but I wasnt addicted to it. I could easily quit drinking for a month or more at a time. The older I got the harder drinking became. Just a little bit affected my sleeping and made me feel crappy the next day. I noticed it affected my moods more too.

Here are 7 other things I noticed when I stopped drinking.

Take Note Of Your Mental Health

Stop drinking alcohol

What do you notice about your mood, your anxiety level? When you have a craving for alcohol, Kazez says, ask yourself: What do I truly want right now? “Oftentimes, it’s not literally alcohol that you want,” Kazez says. “You might want a sense of release or you might want to let off some anger. You might want a hug. You might want to be alone.”

“The alcohol was certainly a numbing agent,” listener Mark Vowers told us. “When I drink I’m kind of out of this world,” he says. Vowers says not drinking makes him feel more present more grounded. “More in tune with my kids,” he says.

The irony of alcohol is that we often drink to feel relaxed, to tamp down anxiety. But over time, White says, this can lead to escalating levels of anxiety. “You might drink at night to reduce your anxiety. And then, as a result, the next evening, you feel more anxiety, which then motivates you to drink again,” White says. And, day by day, as the anxiety returns, it may become more intense, which can lead people to drink more heavily. “Having one glass of wine started to not provide the same effect that I was looking ,” says listener Ash Weber. She says it no longer gave her a quick fix. “I suppose growing intolerance and needing more than two glasses to feel the warm and fuzzies.”

Read Also: What Snacks Go Good With Wine

Enjoy Your Freedom Dont Be Afraid Of Quitting Alcohol

Of course if youre worried about stopping drinking you should talk to your GP but first maybe decide to find out a little more about Allen Carrs Easyway to Stop Drinking and why you really dont have to be afraid of alcohol withdrawal. Why not take a look at our alcohol seminar and online video programme information andFrequently Asked Questions on our website?

You’ll Be More Hydrated

If you’re used to having a few brews or glasses of wine at home each night, you might want to stop drinking and replace the ritual with flavored seltzers or detox waters you make yourself. Plus, alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it flushes your body of water through urine. Less alcohol means your body can retain the right amount of water for proper hydration and electrolyte balance.

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What Is Mindful Drinking How It Can Help Your Mental Health

  • Mindful drinking is the practice of being aware of why and how much alcohol you drink.
  • It often leads to healthier relationships with alcohol and less consumption.
  • To practice mindful drinking, pause before each new drink and ask yourself whether it supports you.

Americans are drinking more alcohol than ever. Binge drinking considered having four or five drinks within 2 hours is rising, too.

A cultural counter movement to excessive drinking is here.

A new concept has captured the attention of people looking for a healthier relationship with alcohol but who dont feel like completely giving up drinking is right for them.

Its called mindful drinking.

It skips the strict rules of other trends like Dry January in favor of a long-term approach based in mindfulness, not restriction.

Mindful drinking was popularized by CLUB SÖDA, an alcohol-free social club that brings together people interested in intentionally cutting back on their alcohol consumption.

Notice Changes In How You Feel

How to stop drinking wine – are you drinking wine every day or every night?

Some people notice significant changes when they stop drinking. “Everything is better,” says Blair Benson. She says her skin tone improves and she feels less bloated. Her anecdote fits with a study of about 850 people who volunteered to abstain from alcohol for one month. At the end, 82% said they felt a sense of achievement. 62% reported “better sleep” and about half reported they lost some weight. Many of the participants said they had more energy, which fits with the experience of listener Sarah Black Sadler. “I definitely have more energy,” Sadler told us. “The biggest thing that I noticed is that I don’t need alcohol to have a good time with my friends.”

Read Also: How To Get Red Wine Out Of White Pants

Understand Your Triggers And Cravings

Another important thing to do is to understand your triggers.

There are two options here. If you want to learn more about triggers and cravings, you can get my free guide on the 3 Steps To Beat Your Alcohol Cravings by clicking the link in the sidebar. In the guide, we talk about some important lists to create to help understand your cravings and triggers.

Alternatively, you can read this post about How To Stop Thinking About Drinking by clicking here.

Drinking Wine For Stress Relief

Many ladies that drink wine say they do it for stress relief. Challenging times at work, children playing up and relationship problems seem to be some of the most common reasons for drinking wine.

And they often describe it as a vicious cycle.

So, what does this cycle look like? I asked a member of the Soberclear community.

She said a typical routine looked like this:

Id wake up hungover from the wine I drank the night before. Ive never once woke up and felt happy I drank the night before. Id vow to myself not to drink again.

And, I really meant it.

Id often find myself pouring away the remaining wine in the house. My anxiety levels were higher than normal and Id just feel bad about myself.

Typically, I would either read Quit Lit books ordered from Amazon, read blogs or watch some YouTube videos about stopping drinking.

Usually, my dry-spell lasted a few days. Id start feeling good about myself.

However, it never lasted.

Id have a stressful day at work, or my kids would be driving me mad and Id end up picking up a bottle in the supermarket. Stress-relief I call it.

This cycle repeated for years.

Cycles like this can be extremely hard to break out of. And, its not just her. Its millions of other women that reach for the wine bottle to relieve stress.

Maybe wine does temporarily relieve stress.

Some may argue that its actually contributing to stress. But, thats a story for another day.

Recommended Reading: Red Wine Out Of White Pants

Don’t Let Alcohol Control Your Life

We can help you get your life back on track. Call now to speak with treatment specialist.

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The process of tapering yourself off alcohol begins with planning. First, you need to identify how much you have been drinking. From here, you can plan a schedule for gradually reducing how much you drink per day. Ideally, this schedule will be determined with the assistance of a doctor or addiction treatment professional.

Medical detox programs for alcohol dependency commonly offer medications to ease the discomfort or pain of withdrawal. This is a benefit that isnt available to all who attempt to taper at home. Medicines can be used to reduce nausea, severe anxiety, other flu-like symptoms, and treat seizures.

The symptoms you experience during the tapering process will vary based on:

  • how long youve been drinking heavily
  • how much youve been drinking
  • previous history of alcohol detox or tapering
  • other medical or mental health conditions

Due to the high alcohol-per-volume measure of hard liquor, it is recommended that those who are tapering off alcohol stick to beer or wine that has a low alcohol content.

Finally, it may be beneficial to keep a journal during this process to track how you are feeling, symptoms, and your progress. You can also set goals for yourself and come up with rewards for each milestone you reach and surpass in reducing your drinking.

How To Stop Drinking Alcohol

Quit Drinking Alcohol On Your Own With These 7 Powerful ...

You may consider how to stop drinking alcohol. Since alcohol is relatively easy to get, legal to consume for those 21 and older, and is somewhat socially acceptable, it is one of the most widely-used intoxicating substances. Although not everyone who drinks alcohol will become addicted, its important to understand the risks of heavy and binge drinking in order to prevent the development of an AUD.

In the U.S., 220 million people age 17 and older reported having consumed alcohol in their lifetime according to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health .1 The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2018, there were more than 327 million people residing in the nation.2 Given todays current population and the prevalence of alcohol use among Americans, its not surprising to learn that more than 18 million people aged 18 and older had an alcohol use disorder or alcoholism in 2017.3

The 2017 NSDUH also states that 24.5% of the population aged 12 and older reported binge drinking in the past month, with 1 in 6 adults binge drinking around 4 times per month.12 According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism , binge drinking is defined as 4 or more drinks for females and 5 or more drinks for males on at least one day in the past month.4 Heavy alcohol use is defined as binge drinking on 5 or more days in the past month.4

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I Made The Most Of My Hangover

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One of the best things about giving up alcohol alongside the better sleep, weight loss, clearer skin and having more money is gaining back the time I wouldve spent hungover on the sofa. Now Ive reclaimed my weekends, I decided to make the most of my new found time and energy by running. I know its not for everyone, but Id definitely suggest trying to find something you love that you had neither the time or the energy for after drinking. It could be baking, doing a fitness DVD or simply arranging more early morning outings with the kids.

I actually started running a couple of years ago, but stopped when my hangovers started lasting several days. Back then, I couldnt run for more than two minutes without wanting a break that is no exaggeration but, I very gradually worked my way up to 5k with the Couch to 5k podcast. This is a brilliant and FREE podcast of guided runs that very gradually build up, until before you know it you can run for 30 minutes without stopping. Even the super-sceptical writer Charlie Brooker is a fan.

I moved on from 5K and downloaded a running app by Verv recently . Along with the 5K it also includes other gradual workouts to help you reach 10K, a half marathon or a full marathon.

The plus side of this one, is you can choose between plenty of different soundtracks and it also tracks your distance, speed, GPS route and calories burned.

The Modern Mocktail: 3 Distinctive Nonalcoholic Drink Recipes

As for the health effects, White says it’s been clear for a long time that heavy drinking takes its toll, but now there’s emerging evidence that even for moderate drinkers a break from alcohol can be beneficial. “There is early evidence that even taking a one month break from fairly low levels of consumption reduces some burden on the liver,” White says.

What many people don’t realize is that alcohol produces a toxic effect on the body. As it breaks down, a by-product called acetaldehyde is produced. The liver gets rid of pretty fast, but it is toxic and it damages the liver over time,” White says. Over time, it’s a driver of inflammation and in heavy drinkers sets the stage for cirrhosis.

“Alcohol is a poison that we happen to enjoy,” White says. It’s OK in moderate amounts which means no more than 1 drink a day for women no more than 2 per day for men.

Recommended Reading: Pallet Wine Rack For Sale

Week Four Of Giving Up Alcohol

Giving up alcohol will have a positive impact on your skin due to you having better levels of hydration. As more water will have been absorbed rather than wasted, you are likely to have more hydrated-looking skin, as well as reduced dandruff and eczema.

Removing alcohol from your diet for four weeks can also help to improve your liver function as your liver will start to shed excess fat. If your liver function is not too badly affected by alcohol, it can recover within 4-8 weeks.

With the liver playing a part in over 500 vital processes, you also give your body a better chance of removing contaminants, converting food nutrients, storing minerals and vitamins.

What To Expect When You Stop Drinking

How To Get Someone To Stop Drinking | Stop Drinking Expert

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What can alcohol addiction lead to why? Any addiction can ultimately lead to death if its not treated properly. In short, early addiction of alcohol can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, cognitive and brain impairment and of course legal charges. If youre drinking and driving because youre impaired, it can lead to legal arrest, DUIs, etc.Dr. Kevin Wandler, Chief Medical Director for The Recovery Village

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How To Stop Drinking Wine In 6 Steps

In this post, were going to look at how to stop drinking wine.

If you are asking yourself:

Am I drinking too much wine?

Is a bottle of wine per night too much?

then this blog post is for you.

Wine is typically seen as a more feminine drink. Sure, men drink it. But, the imagery and description of wine is often directed towards ladies.

Its no wonder, with wines being described as foxy, lively and intellectually satisfying.

Intellectually satisfying. Right

Well be looking at some of the marketing tricks around wine, as well as the Wine Mom phenomena. Finally, and most importantly, we will look at how to stop drinking wine.

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