Quitting alcohol

Stopping alcoholic drinks for an extended period or with the intention of not drinking again. Some people want to avoid hangovers, spend less or change how they socialize. Others have lost control of their drinking and are facing consequences for their health, work or relationships.

Abruptly stopping can be dangerous if you are physically dependent. Shaking, sweating, nausea after going without alcohol, or needing a drink to feel normal, calls for medical advice before attempting to stop on your own. This is not something to endure alone at home. Seizures or hallucinations during withdrawal require emergency care.

Think about what you will drink instead, which activities you want to do without alcohol and whom you can contact when urges return. You do not owe everyone an explanation, though telling someone supportive can be useful. A primary care clinician can discuss treatment and local support options.

You may need to change plans or handle people insisting that one drink is harmless. If drinking was how you avoided difficult feelings, those feelings still need attention. With dependence, professional follow-up and peer support may be part of the process. Family members cannot be expected to provide all the care you need.

Cravings, stress and familiar drinking places can lead back to alcohol. So can feeling confident that the problem is now under control and deciding to test that belief. Returns to drinking are common among people overcoming alcohol problems; having good reasons to stop does not eliminate urges.

A return to drinking calls for reviewing support and the plan, rather than hiding it in shame or abandoning the effort. Sobriety also does not immediately repair debts or damaged relationships. You can be working hard at change while other people still need time to rebuild trust.