Drinking people and their relatives believe that quitting drinking abruptly is much better and more correct than giving up the bad habit step by step. Such a method does not work equally effectively for everyone, and then people ask how to gradually stop drinking, causing minimal damage to health?
Is it possible to quit drinking abruptly
Having decided to abruptly give up alcohol, drunkards often fail, again returning to their addiction. Moreover, the dependence on alcohol is only getting stronger, since the body, having abruptly stopped receiving the usual ethanol, tries to store it for future use.
People who have been drinking for a long time become so accustomed to the effects of alcohol on the body that a sharp refusal brings them not only unpleasant sensations, but also ties them even more to the bottle when they break off. Also, often such attempts to part with addiction affect the physical and mental state of a person's health, exacerbating it even more. Yet alcoholism is not a desire to drink, but rather an addiction that forms on several levels, and the abrupt abandonment of which leads to disastrous consequences.
Important!It is possible to stop drinking alcohol abruptly if the addiction lasts less than one year.
People with long-term alcoholism will not be able to give up the "green serpent" once and for all. Their throwing should be phased, and ideally under the supervision of a narcologist. This is due to the fact that with a sharp abandonment of the habit, chronic diseases can worsen, mental problems that did not exist before will develop. To prevent the negative feelings of refusal from becoming a reason to take alcohol again, control by doctors, support from relatives and friends, and the use of a gradual refusal technique instead of a sharp parting with an addiction is necessary. Tools that are freely sold on the Internet also help in this regard.
What changes will occur in the body
After giving up alcohol for the first time, feelings in a person can be subjectively unpleasant. This is due to the negative effect of ethanol on the body, as well as the fact that the drunkard has not yet restored his health.
In the first weeks from the moment of refusal, a person may feel a breakdown, often get sick, and experience bouts of depression. Such a reaction is explained by a decrease in immunity and the fact that the body has not yet adapted to new conditions and is trying to return everything to its usual course. People during this period tend to grab the bottle again, convinced that this is better than being constantly ill.
Important!At first, there should be people next to the former alcoholic who can provide him with psychological support and explain that health will return to normal as soon as the body is completely rid of toxins.
When the crisis is over and the body recovers, the former drunkard will feel much better and even be able to notice it. Improvements will show up in:
- increasing the body's defenses;
- improving the condition of the skin;
- improving memory;
- stability in the work of the heart and blood vessels;
- normalization of the processes of digestion and urination.
Alcoholics do not have an immediate improvement in their general condition as soon as they stop drinking. It takes some time for the body to cope with the addiction. You must remember this and not expect quick results.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome
Drunkards often refer to their fear of alcohol withdrawal when defending their desire to drink. What is it, and how to stop drinking alcohol so that this unpleasant type of complications does not develop?
Withdrawal is the normal response of the human body to a sudden rejection of something. In the case of alcoholism, it manifests itself primarily in such a dangerous condition as delirium tremens.
Delirium tremens is expressed in the fact that a few days after refusing to drink, a person loses control of himself. In this case, the following symptoms may appear:
- insomnia;
- panic attacks;
- hallucinations;
- rave.
In a state of such a psychosis, a former alcoholic poses a serious danger not only to himself, but also to those around him. The symptomatology mainly develops in the evening and in the morning, while the person is calm during the day and at night.
It has been proven that alcoholic psychoses develop mainly in drinking people who have been drinking alcohol for a long time and have abandoned it abruptly.
With the gradual abandonment of regularly consumed harmful products, withdrawal syndrome develops very rarely. This is another reason for the step-by-step tying with the "green snake".
Gradual failure is the key to success
If you drink for a long time and can no longer imagine yourself without a bottle of beer or a glass of vodka, then doctors recommend seeking specialized help. The narcologist, to whom such a patient comes, who realizes that he has a problem, will give recommendations regarding the gradual rejection of alcohol.
Quitting drinking gradually is the best option for chronic drunkards. At the same time, it becomes possible to combine various methods of treatment for addiction, ranging from medication to psychotherapy sessions.
Gradual failure consists of several stages.
- First, a person must accept the existence of a problem and be ready to deal with it. This stage is one of the most difficult, as alcoholics often do not consider themselves sick with anything.
- Secondly, you need to overcome your pride and seek medical help. This stage can also be difficult for a person with an addiction, as it means admitting that they have weaknesses that they have to deal with.
- Thirdly, it will be necessary to start a consistent and gradual struggle. To do this, you will have to follow the doctor's recommendations, avoid drinking companies, radically change your approach to life.
If a person stops drinking gradually, they are much more likely to cope with their addiction once and for all. In this case, the body manages to adapt to changes, gets rid of accumulated toxins, forms new positive habits to replace negative old ones.
The gradual refusal to drink alcohol is an option for people whose addiction has already passed into a chronic stage, when it is impossible to quit drinking abruptly. With a similar method to part with an addiction, medical advice, a positive attitude and perseverance, as well as support from loved ones will be needed. The more responsible a person is about the need to stop drinking, the higher the probability of success.