Having worked in specialist alcohol treatment centres for many years the most sensible remark I ever heard a doctor say was, "if you are drinking more than 2 or 3 drinks, more than 2 or 3 times a week the chances are it's harming your body." This article simply outlines an easy three step approach to cutting down your alcohol intake if you feel you are drinking a bit too much.
This approach will work, as long as you are not drinking all the time, in which case get yourself off to the doctor immediately.
Drinking problems are insidious; they creep up on people. Over a long period of time, usually about 10 years, it is easy for a heavy drinking pattern to turn from "controlled heavy use" to un-controlled abuse. These three steps will help to interrupt that pattern.
Step 1. You're The Boss
Before you actually do anything it's really important to remember that you are the boss, you are in charge of your life and how you live it. If you want to cut down drinking then you can. The more you say this to yourself, and remind yourself of this fact, the better you'll feel.
Unfortunately, it's very tempting to say and believe the opposite; "I can't do it", "I just can't help it." Very quickly this self defeating message take root and becomes a self fulfilling prophesies. You end up not changing simply because you have convinced yourself that you can't. You can change, you can cut down your drinking. It may not be easy but it doesn't mean that you can't.
Step 2. Manipulate Your Environment
If you have lost control of your drinking changing your environment will be a waste of time. You will drink wherever you are. If though you are, like the vast majority of people, drinking a bit too much, changing how you drink will have a lasting effect.
If you go out with your friends every night and drink too much don't go. If you come home every evening from work and make yourself a stiff drink or three and then eat later on, reverse the order. If you drink through boredom and loneliness, go out and do something. This is not rocket science but surprisingly difficult to identify when you are in the middle of an unhealthy drinking pattern.
So, step 2 is identifying your drinking pattern and changing it. It wont change by itself.
Step 3. Reap The Rewards and Let People Know
As soon as you have made one successful change to your drinking and managed to cut down, let people know and reward yourself (not going out and getting blasted!). Buy yourself something that you have wanted, or some really nice food that you wouldn't normally buy. Cutting down drinking is a great thing, and you should be proud of it, like stopping smoking or eating more healthily. Let people know what you have done as this will reinforce your initial changes.
If you can keep these changes going for 12 weeks your chances of long term change is about 82%, so that is your first goal.
Cutting down drinking, like all the other behaviour changes, such as losing weight, exercising more, stopping smoking and eating more healthily are all possible if you want them to be. It's just a question of finding what method suits you best.
This approach will work, as long as you are not drinking all the time, in which case get yourself off to the doctor immediately.
Drinking problems are insidious; they creep up on people. Over a long period of time, usually about 10 years, it is easy for a heavy drinking pattern to turn from "controlled heavy use" to un-controlled abuse. These three steps will help to interrupt that pattern.
Step 1. You're The Boss
Before you actually do anything it's really important to remember that you are the boss, you are in charge of your life and how you live it. If you want to cut down drinking then you can. The more you say this to yourself, and remind yourself of this fact, the better you'll feel.
Unfortunately, it's very tempting to say and believe the opposite; "I can't do it", "I just can't help it." Very quickly this self defeating message take root and becomes a self fulfilling prophesies. You end up not changing simply because you have convinced yourself that you can't. You can change, you can cut down your drinking. It may not be easy but it doesn't mean that you can't.
Step 2. Manipulate Your Environment
If you have lost control of your drinking changing your environment will be a waste of time. You will drink wherever you are. If though you are, like the vast majority of people, drinking a bit too much, changing how you drink will have a lasting effect.
If you go out with your friends every night and drink too much don't go. If you come home every evening from work and make yourself a stiff drink or three and then eat later on, reverse the order. If you drink through boredom and loneliness, go out and do something. This is not rocket science but surprisingly difficult to identify when you are in the middle of an unhealthy drinking pattern.
So, step 2 is identifying your drinking pattern and changing it. It wont change by itself.
Step 3. Reap The Rewards and Let People Know
As soon as you have made one successful change to your drinking and managed to cut down, let people know and reward yourself (not going out and getting blasted!). Buy yourself something that you have wanted, or some really nice food that you wouldn't normally buy. Cutting down drinking is a great thing, and you should be proud of it, like stopping smoking or eating more healthily. Let people know what you have done as this will reinforce your initial changes.
If you can keep these changes going for 12 weeks your chances of long term change is about 82%, so that is your first goal.
Cutting down drinking, like all the other behaviour changes, such as losing weight, exercising more, stopping smoking and eating more healthily are all possible if you want them to be. It's just a question of finding what method suits you best.
Read about how other people have cut down drinking, quit smoking and made many other important life changes: