Stop drinking alcohol - I want to stop drinking

Published 22/07/2009

For many people, alcohol is a problem - they know they are drinking too much or that alcohol is having a detrimental effect on their lives. Experts at health charity Alcohol Concern estimate that around 1 in 13 of the British population is dependent on alcohol and a full 1 in 4 drink above recommended limits.

Apart from the health issues arising from prolonged, heavy drinking (heart disease, strokes, cancer, brain and nerve damage, organ damage), people who are drinking too much encounter all sorts of other problems in their relationships and careers.

"Alcohol is a drug and the more you drink, the more tolerant your body becomes to its effects," explains Sue Allchurch, research director at Linwood Group, a leading provider of alcohol detox and rehabilitation services.

"You need to be aware of how alcohol can start to control you and eventually take over your life. Some people can control their drinking - but others can't, and if you suspect you might be one of them, you need to act now," she says.

If you want to stop drinking alcohol, a vital first step is to take a long, hard look at your drinking habits, by asking yourself the following four questions:

1. Why do I drink? If you drink to combat the stresses of modern life or to feel less shy in social situations, you need to consider other ways to achieve this.

2. What are the negative effects of my drinking? Drinking too much can effect your relationships, your health, your job and have a profound impact on your self-esteem and likeliness to develop depressive illness. It's important to make a full and honest account of these effects.

3. What positive effects might I expect to achieve by stopping drinking? How might the problems listed above be minimised or eliminated altogether if you didn't drink alcohol?

4. What are your fears about quitting? What might put you off the idea. Again, this is important, because successful ex-drinkers find ways of addressing these concerns that work for them long term.

Of course, stopping drinking won't just be a case of 'sitting back and waiting for sobriety'. Many people find they need the help and support of professional alcohol treatment specialists to work their way through the above questions and find answers that work well for them. In particular, those who are already physically dependent on alcohol will need to undergo a medically supervised period of detox, as in such patients, the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can be difficult and even dangerous.

But help is available. If you need to stop drinking alcohol and then continue to stay sober, alcohol treatment specialists at Linwood Group are ready to help. For their help and advice, contact 0800 066 4173

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