How to Stop Drinking Alcohol without AA
For the alcoholic, quitting drinking is extremely difficult and something that takes time, patience, and dedication. Recovery is not a task that can be entered into lightly or without reservation. When quitting drinking, many approaches are available to help the alcoholic assist in their endeavor. The most well known approach is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). In addition to AA, there are other approaches to recovery that can be used and each person needs to find the ideal path for them. The best approach will be one that is comfortable and employs the techniques that are best suited for each individual alcoholic.
It is important that the treatments that are used fulfill the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of the person. When these needs are met, regardless of the approach that is used, the three-year cure rate is 50%-90% for many of the new alternative approaches. Some of the new alternative approaches are:
1. Self-help books: The self-help approach is based on a simple premise, which is for the alcoholic to take responsibility for his own health. Once the person knows the specific problems they need to overcome and the best methods to achieve that goal, it can be done with relative ease.
2. Self-Recovery: By putting together their own plan of action and choosing his own techniques, the alcoholic takes an active role in the recovery process. The more common techniques include examining the individual's need for alcohol, decide whether to quit drinking altogether, or just to cut back, identify the reasons for quitting drinking and sharing the recovery plan with others. These are just a few steps that can be involved in self-recovery.
3. Combine more than one approach to recovery: Many people choose to employ the use of more than one approach in their recovery process. It is always important to involve other people in the process and it works very well to benefit from a combination of techniques that play off the success of the alcoholic. Many people will use this approach along with attending and participating in Alcoholics Anonymous as well.
Regardless of the approaches or techniques that are used in the recovery process, it is also beneficial to attend a self-help group. Some people attend these groups to help with the craving of alcohol or the withdrawal effects on their recovery progress. Other people use the self-help groups to get yet more ideas for what works for recovering alcoholics. It is a good idea for the alcoholic to share his plan and what he is going through with other people.
It is also important to recovery success to avoid stumbling blocks as much as possible. Many things can interfere with the process of quitting drinking. An example of this might be if the recovering alcoholic works in a bar or a restaurant that serves alcohol. It might be beneficial if not necessary for the person to change jobs in order to remove the temptation from everyday life.
Regardless of what method or approach is used to quit or cut down on drinking alcohol it is most important for the person in recovery to reward himself or herself. They could choose to use the money formerly spent on drinking on something personal or even a reward for the entire family. This keeps the momentum going and increases the chances for success. Alcoholism in the News
09/04/2008
Neighborhood Alcohol Outlets Tied to Kids' Injury Risk (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
THURSDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The more places that sell alcohol in a neighborhood, the greater the number of injuries that occur to children who live there, a new study reports.
Neighborhood Alcohol Outlets Tied to Kids' Injury Risk (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
09/05/2008
Neighborhood Alcohol Outlets Tied to Kids' Injury Risk (MedicineNet.com)
Title: Neighborhood Alcohol Outlets Tied to Kids' Injury Risk Category: Health News Created: 9/5/2008 2:00:00 AM Last Editorial Review: 9/5/2008
Neighborhood Alcohol Outlets Tied to Kids' Injury Risk (MedicineNet.com)
09/05/2008
Former Fresno DA learned law the hard way (The Fresno Bee)
William Ardell "Bill" Smith, a former Fresno County district attorney, then a renowned defense attorney, admitted to struggles with chronic alcoholism that never eclipsed his reputation for character and honesty in his professional and personal life.
Former Fresno DA learned law the hard way (The Fresno Bee)
09/05/2008
For Even Healthy Men, Alcohol Seems to Lower Heart Attack Risk (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Suppose you're a healthy, physically fit, nonsmoking male. Your risk of heart attack is already low. Would having a drink or two of alcohol a day provide any additional protective benefit?
For Even Healthy Men, Alcohol Seems to Lower Heart Attack Risk (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
09/04/2008
More off-premise alcohol outlets can lead to more injuries among neighborhood children (EurekAlert!)
( Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research ) Injuries are the leading cause of death among children ages one to 14 in the United States. A first-of-its-kind study shows that numerous off-premise alcohol outlets in neighborhoods can reduce overall guardianship of children's activities, leading to increased injuries.
More off-premise alcohol outlets can lead to more injuries among neighborhood children (EurekAlert!)
09/05/2008
Former Fresno DA learned law the hard way (The Fresno Bee)
William Ardell "Bill" Smith, a former Fresno County district attorney, then a renowned defense attorney, admitted to struggles with chronic alcoholism that never eclipsed his reputation for character and honesty in his professional and personal life.
Former Fresno DA learned law the hard way (The Fresno Bee)
09/05/2008
For Even Healthy Men, Alcohol Seems to Lower Heart Attack Risk (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Suppose you're a healthy, physically fit, nonsmoking male. Your risk of heart attack is already low. Would having a drink or two of alcohol a day provide any additional protective benefit?
For Even Healthy Men, Alcohol Seems to Lower Heart Attack Risk (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
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