Alcoholics promise to stop drinking almost every day. Unfortunately, most relatives believe that it is impossible to cope with the disease on their own. So, how to stop drinking alcohol at home and is it really possible?
Psychology of an Alcoholic: What's Preventing You from Quitting Drinking?
Quitting drinking on your own is quite difficult without psychological support, not only because of the strong chemical bond but also because of a certain mindset of an alcoholic. The following psychological aspects prevent the drinker from overcoming the addiction:
- inability to express love. Under the influence of alcohol, a drinker has a feeling of lightness in his soul, while he begins to love not only those around him, but also himself. Self-esteem awakens and criticality disappears. After the effects of the alcohol wear off, negative emotions, guilt, and pity return, which do not go away until a new dose is taken;
- Oversaturation with negative emotions. Emotional pain is the most common companion of an alcoholic. Sometimes this condition can only be drowned out with the help of alcohol. The more alcohol is drunk, the more painful are the attacks of mental pain, and the more alcohol is required to quell them;
- presence of complexes. In this case we are talking about complexes that form throughout life, for example, when parents instill in a child that he will not succeed or that he is worse than other children. alcohol allows you to "let go" of complexes for a while, a person begins to feel strong, beautiful and successful;
- lack of ability to deal with difficulties. If throughout life decisions have been constantly made for a person, then he finds himself in a difficult situation in an environment for which he is not fully ready. Also, people often get drunk who, on the contrary, have been entrusted with too much responsibility.
Is it possible to stop drinking at home?
According to the famous phrase - Nothing in the world is impossible! It is possible to stop drinking at home, but according to statistics from psychotherapists, only 2-5% of alcoholics succeed. What to do to be one of those "lucky ones" who were able to change their lives?
First, you can only quit if you have the support of family and friends. At the same time, it should be understood that any pressure on the alcoholic at the moment when he is trying to recover can throw the whole process far back.
Secondly, it is extremely important to change the environment. It's unlikely that drinking mates can be called best friends. These are just familiar people who, by the will of fate, ended up in the same boat with an addict, but no more.
The duration of the binge is another criterion that you can use to answer the question. If the binge lasted up to 1-1. 5 weeks, then it is possible to cope with the problem yourself. However, with prolonged breakdowns in the initial stages of recovery, you cannot do without the help of a psychotherapist.
General tactics for avoiding alcohol
Giving up alcohol requires a complete overhaul of lifestyle and thinking. In order for this period to pass as comfortably and without complications as possible, experts recommend adhering to special tactics. The main activities include:
- recognize illness. You don't have to deny the problem, for that you can go to the mirror and honestly admit to yourself that you have a disease. This is an important prerequisite for not drinking;
- gaining the ability to control the emotion of drinking. When an unbearable craving for a dose of alcohol appears, you can start saying the following phrase out loud: "I will not drink anymore. "In addition, the replacement method is very effective, for example, you can replace drinking with running or reading: As soon as you feel like drinking, you pick up an interesting book or go jogging;
- Start with contrast showers. This process can be repeated 2-3 times a day. In this way you strengthen the vascular system and reduce the desire to drink.
- Drink plenty of fluids and avoid spicy foods. It is important to drink at least 10 glasses of pure water daily;
- Avoid old companies. This rule applies not only to companies, but also to places where you used to be. It's best to change route and try not to miss the bars.
Having learned how to bypass drinking establishments and the craving for alcohol subsides, you can proceed to the general restoration of the body. To do this, you can undergo a comprehensive examination, take multivitamins or enroll in a gym. Remember that the atmosphere around you should be positive: walk more, watch comedy, visit cultural places.
Folk remedies that provoke aversion to alcohol
Treatment with folk remedies is not a panacea. Before using this or that recipe, you should consult a specialist. In addition, in no case should the dosage be exceeded, since a number of folk remedies for alcoholism are made on the basis of poisonous plants.
Decoction and hoof of the puppeteer
For a decoction you need to take the roots of the puppeteer and hoof. The crushed raw materials are mixed and take a teaspoon (no more) of the roots, which are poured with a glass of boiling water. The drug should be infused for an hour, after which it must be filtered. To induce lasting disgust in an alcoholic, 10-15 drops of infusion per bottle of vodka are needed. The product itself should be stored in a dark and cool place. After drinking vodka with infusion, the addict will experience severe vomiting, general weakness and dizziness. After some time, the patient develops an aversion to alcohol and becomes unable to drink alcohol at all.
Decoction of St. John's wort
To prepare a decoction, 4 tablespoons of herbs are poured into ½ liter of boiling water. After that, the broth is placed in a water bath and heated for about 20-30 minutes. When the broth cools a little, it must be filtered and removed in a cold place. It is necessary to drink the remedy according to a strict scheme - 2 times a day before meals for a month. Most of the time, the drug is given out as a liver remedy or another drug. After a month of taking the alcoholic, a feeling of alcohol intolerance actually develops.
Mushroom dung beetle from alcoholism
To do this, dung mushrooms are collected, thoroughly washed and fried. They can be mixed with potatoes or added to any other dish and served to an alcoholic. Substances contained in mushrooms interact with alcohol, while the consequences for the body are manifested in the form of intoxication. You can use mushrooms for treatment until the alcoholic stops drinking. With this tool you can stop drinking at home in 1-1. 5 months.
raspberry beetle
Our grandmothers also used this tool. In order to induce a persistent aversion to alcohol, you need to catch two raspberry bugs (small gray bugs with an unpleasant smell). After that, the insects are crushed and thrown into a bottle of vodka, after which the container is removed for 2-3 days in a dark, warm place. After the time has elapsed, the alcohol is filtered and placed in its usual place. A few glasses of this tincture will not cause the most pleasant sensations in an alcoholic.
lovage root
Root infusion is prepared as follows: 3 tablespoons of raw materials are poured into a glass of vodka and cleaned in a dark place for 2 weeks. During steeping, it's important to shake the mixture once a day. After two weeks, the product is filtered and divided into two parts. The alcoholic gets the first portion on the first day, the second on the next day. The root causes severe intoxication, stomach pain and diarrhea, against which an aversion to alcohol develops.
Drug treatment of alcohol dependence
Treatment of alcoholism is carried out both by psychotherapeutic methods, which make it possible to find out the causes of addiction, and by medication. The following are the most effective drugs that reduce alcohol cravings:
- A cyanamide-based drug that reduces alcohol cravings, is tasteless and odorless, making it easy to add to any beverage or product. The duration of treatment is about 14 days and the first changes will be noticeable after the first dose;
- A homeopathic remedy (antibodies to the brain-specific protein S-100) that reduces alcohol cravings and has virtually no side effects. However, to achieve the result requires a fairly long treatment. This is the best remedy when willpower is lacking;
- An inhibitor of the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is a pill that slows down the process of breaking down alcohol, allowing the toxic components of alcohol to be carried through the bloodstream throughout the body, causing severe intoxication. At the same time, the alcoholic is tormented by headaches, fever, diarrhea, joint pains, etc.
Drugs that suppress the urge to drink should only be prescribed by a doctor.
coding techniques
Coding is another way to treat alcoholism. Elimination of alcohol addiction can be done in the following ways:
- hypnotic effect. The essence of this method lies in a fairly strong psychological and hypnotic effect on the psyche and mindset of an alcoholic;
- drug therapy. This method works in two directions at once. The influence is not only on the psyche of the patient, but also on the general condition of the body through special preparations.
In addition, there are many alternative methods that affect the perception of alcohol and allow a man or woman not to drink alcohol at all.
Literature to help you stop drinking
The role of literature in treating alcoholism is difficult to overstate. The right books are the easiest way to get rid of alcoholism. In addition, they allow a person to look at the problem from a different angle and provide an opportunity to give up alcohol yourself.
There is a lot of good literature on this topic on the internet.
How do you organize your time after giving up alcohol?
The emptiness that forms in an alcoholic's soul after refusing alcohol can drive them to drink alcohol again. In order for this not to happen, it is necessary to properly organize free time. The most effective ways in this situation are:
- Sports. You can start going to the gym, swimming pool, or yoga classes;
- Communicating with people who are in a similar situation. There are Alcoholics Anonymous clubs in almost every city, otherwise you can find such people on the Internet in specialized forums;
- self-education. For self-actualization and self-esteem, you can go to college and learn a trade that you really enjoy. In addition, abstaining from alcohol is the best time to put your desires into action. If you've always dreamed of mastering music notation, now is the time.
It is important to understand that you can finally stop drinking only after a change in lifestyle and worldview. In other words, you must become a new person. In order not to think about what to do when you stop drinking, it is best to come up with a plan of action in advance.
conclusion and conclusion
The treatment of alcoholism is a long and complex process, in which all relatives and friends of the patient must participate. It is important to give the patient the right attitude and choose really effective methods. In addition, do not forget about professional psychotherapeutic help. A therapist will tell you how to stop drinking alcohol at home.