Alcohol affects people in more ways than one can imagine. Alcohol addiction is also known as alcoholism. The habit of drinking alcohol is called alcohol addiction. The addition can be raised from various factors such as psychological, socioeconomics, behavioural and genetics. This addiction varies from person to person depending upon their frequency & amount of drinking alcohol. Alcohol has also become a part of trending social life where people think that drinking alcohol increases their personality, but it is not. The frequent drinking of alcohol leads to various mental & physical effects. Addiction is very dangerous as it affects your health very badly. It is very important to find out whether you are alcohol addicted or not; if yes, then stop this addiction to live more.
Multiple solutions can help you to stop drinking alcohol and get free from alcohol addiction. Note: If you live in Jaipur, you can also join the best alcohol rehabilitation centre in Jaipur for a quicker recovery from your Alcohol addiction. You may be wondering how, to begin with, various questions in mind, such as how to stop alcohol cravings or move forward with treatment processes. Let's take a look at them all one at a time. Why Do You Crave Alcohol? Once you start drinking alcohol, then it develops the habit of drinking it. When your body adopts this habit, your mind will ask you to drink it when internal or external factors trigger. You start craving alcohol as it is fixed in your mind that whenever I feel the internal or external triggers, I need to drink alcohol for relief. When you consume alcohol, dopamine is released in the brain, which acts as a reward chemical and motivates you to engage in similar behaviour.
Alcohol craving arises because of internal or external triggers. Let's first understand the internal triggers & external triggers.
Internal triggers- internal triggers are emotions, depression, sadness or boredom. If you drink alcohol when you feel the factors mentioned above, the internal triggers force you to drink alcohol.
External triggers- external triggers are the people, place or things that are associated with drinking.
The following are the signs & symptoms that can help you to understand your craving for alcohol.
Anxiety and depression
Frequent mood shifts
Indecisiveness
Nausea followed by vomiting
Increased irritability
Low energy
Poor appetite
Sleep deprivation
A person may face the severe symptoms of alcohol craving if he/she suffers major withdrawals.The following are the severe symptoms.
Seizures
Hand or body tremors
Increased heart rate
Elevated blood pressure
Excessive sweating and discomfort followed by breathlessness
High fever
Hallucinations (in rare cases)
Disorientation
Insomnia
A person may face the severe symptoms of alcohol craving if he/she suffers major withdrawals.The following are the severe symptoms.
It is possible to stop craving alcohol. You just need to make an effort. You can follow a simple approach of recognize-avoid-cope to stop alcohol cravings in the initial stages of addiction. The following are the tips that will help you to stop alcohol craving
Whenever you feel about drinking alcohol, first recognise that craving for alcohol generates internal triggers (feeling sad, emotions, angry or joy) or external stimuli (thoughts or feelings). Also, analyse the factors that are responsible for triggers
Once you identify the triggers, then start controlling yourself not to drink alcohol. Self-awareness of your drinking habits can help suppress the craving. The outcome of this tip may vary from person to person as it depends upon your drinking behaviours or your controlling power. Don't lose hope, as one day it will be possible that you no longer crave alcohol, so try your best in controlling yourself.
You should avoid the high-risk situation for alcohol. A high-risk situation is when you have an intense alcohol craving, and you easily give up on drinking. If you want to stop drinking alcohol, don't keep alcohol in your home or even remove the word from your mind. When you follow the tips, avoid meeting people or attending a social gathering where alcohol is consumed.
You may find it very difficult to control yourself in a high-risk situation in the initial days, but don't try your best. The following are the easiest strategy that you can opt to avoid the high-risk situation-
Remind yourself - keep reminding yourself of the reason why you are stopping the craving for alcohol. This reminder gives an alert message & provides you with the strength to control yourself. Alcohol addiction is devastating for both your family and you, so you must keep reminding yourself of its consequences.
alk to someone you trust - Talking with the people you love or trust can solve many issues. Spend more time with your families & close friends.
Distract yourself with healthy habits - concentrate on your hobbies, engage yourself in mental & physical activities. Simply keep your mind busy with the right things, as this will help you avoid drinking alcohol.
Accept your new life without any craving for alcohol.
Meditation is the best way to control the mind & suppress the urge of drinking alcohol. Adopt the habit of meditation as it will help you to stay aware of the unhealthy impulses and remove negative thoughts from your mind.
Short-term methods may not be helpful for the persons having intense & severe craving for alcohol or extreme withdrawal symptoms, so long-term holds are also there to solve alcohol cravings. The long term method does not deteriorate your mental health. Long term treatment for alcohol addiction depends upon your regular intakes & its effects on your body & mind.
Support groups are also helpful when you are following short term methods to stop alcohol cravings. Suppose you attend the support regularly, then you can learn how to stop alcohol craving. They try to make you understand about the disadvantages & how seriously it can affect your life.
The therapist & the certified counsellors can also help you stop craving alcohol. They allow you to identify your root cause for craving. There are many therapies that the therapist gives you to cope with the cravings.