Stop Drinking Beer

Whatever your reasons are – to get healthier, save money, improve your personal relationships and work life, or just to see if you can – giving up beer may be a good choice for you. It’s difficult to give up anything you enjoy, and cutting out alcoholic beverages can be especially hard for some people. You can work towards your goal of giving up beer by making a plan, creating healthy habits that help you avoid the urge to drink, and getting the support you need to quit.

Steps

Making a Plan

1. Decide why you want to stop drinking beer. While beer is okay for most people in moderation, it can cause a variety of problems if you drink too much of it. Long-term overuse of beer can lead to obesity, problems with the heart, liver, pancreas, and digestive tract, and neurological problems. When consumed by a pregnant or nursing mother, beer can be harmful to fetuses and breastfed babies. Excessive drinking can also impair your judgment, damage your relationships, and leave you feeling tired and sick. If you are considering reducing or eliminating your beer consumption, you may find it helpful to identify some of the reasons you want to stop drinking beer.
   • If you are concerned that drinking too much beer may be affecting your health, talk to your doctor about it. Your doctor may be able to give you a better idea about what sort of effect the alcohol you consume is having on your body.
   • Consider whether the amount of beer you are drinking may be affecting your work or your relationships. Are you having arguments with your family, friends, or significant other(s) because of the amount of beer you drink? Are you often too tired to get work done because you had too much beer the night before?
2. Make a list of the reasons you want to stop drinking. Once you have identified some of your reasons for wanting to stop drinking beer, you might find it helpful to write them down. You may wish to ask a supportive friend or family member to sit down with you and help you come up with your list.
3. Talk to your doctor about the best way to quit. Depending on how much beer you drink and how dependent you are on beer, you may need to quit gradually rather than just stopping abruptly. Your doctor can assess your overall health and help you come up with a plan that works best for you.
   • Depending on your health and how alcohol-dependent you are, your doctor may recommend quitting beer altogether, quitting for a specific period of time (e.g. 30 days), or simply reducing your beer intake.
   • Bring up any questions and concerns you may have about how drinking beer is affecting your health.
4. Write a plan and put it where you will see it. Once you have discussed a possible course of action with your doctor, write up the steps you intend to take to stop drinking beer. Post the plan somewhere in your home where you will see it every day, like on the door of your refrigerator or on your bathroom mirror.
   • Make a list of strategies that you will use to keep yourself on track, e.g. avoiding going to the bar with friends after work, getting all the beer out of your house, or filling your regular drinking time with some other activity.
   • Include a list of possible obstacles to carrying out your plan, and strategies for dealing with these obstacles.
   • If you have decided to scale back your use of beer gradually, include a timeframe for reducing your beer drinking in your plan. (E.g. cut back to two glasses a day the first week, one glass per day in the second week, and so on).
5. Keep track of your progress. Make note of any relapses, but also keep track of your successes. When the period of your plan ends, evaluate how you did and revise your plan if necessary. Then, keeping the things you learned in mind, try again.
6. Tell people you trust about your plan. Tell people that you know will be supportive. This may include family, close friends, or your doctor. They can help keep you accountable and take steps to support your efforts.

Creating Strategies to Avoid Drinking Beer

1. Get rid of beer in your home. If you have a fridge full of beer at home, chances are you will be tempted to drink it. Give away or throw out any beer that you still have in the house. Ask anyone else living with you or visiting you to respect your efforts by not bringing any more beer into your home.
2. Avoid tempting situations. If you find yourself too tempted to drink in certain places or situations – for example, at parties, sporting events, or bars – then avoid those situations if you can. If you are unable to avoid going somewhere where you know you’ll be tempted, make a plan to help yourself resist the urge to grab a beer.
   • Try asking a supportive friend to go with you as an accountability buddy.
   • Step outside for a few moments if you find yourself too tempted to drink.
   • If you have to, make an excuse to leave early.
3. Spend time with supportive people. Hang out with friends and family who respect your desire to give up beer. If you know someone is going to offer you a beer, give you trouble about your decision not to drink, or tempt you by drinking in front of you, it may be best to avoid that person for awhile.
4. Stay active. You’ll be less tempted to drink beer if you’re keeping yourself busy doing other things. Use the time that you would otherwise spend drinking by doing something that you enjoy or working towards something you’d like to accomplish. Try picking up a new exercise routine, working on a creative project, or learning a new skill or hobby.
5. Refresh yourself with something else. If you feel tempted to drink beer, treat yourself to some other kind of refreshing treat or beverage. Try fruit juice, herbal tea, or an electrolyte-rich sports drink. Alcohol-free beer is also an option, if you really crave the taste of beer but want to avoid the alcohol content. However, keep in mind that many “alcohol removed” beers do contain a very small amount of alcohol.
6. Reward yourself for not drinking beer. If you reach a major goal (like 30 days without a drink of beer), treat yourself. Use the money that you saved by not buying beer to buy yourself a nice gift or have a fun (and beer-free) evening out.

Getting Support

1. Talk to your doctor. If you’re having trouble giving up beer on your own, your doctor may be able to help. Set up an appointment with your primary care physician to talk about your concerns. They might be able to refer you to an addiction specialist or even prescribe a medication to help reduce your desire to drink.
2. Get Counselling. Mental health specialists, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, or licensed clinical social workers, can provide excellent resources for helping you quit drinking. Your counselor may suggest a support group, offer practical advice and strategies for quitting and staying on track, or simply be there to listen while you talk through any frustrations and anxieties you have surrounding your drinking habits.
3. Join a support group. Support groups can come in the form of group therapy (led by a trained counselor or addiction therapist) or peer-based support groups (like Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs). Support groups have the advantage of offering the support of peers who are going through the same things that you are. Ask your doctor or therapist to refer you to good support groups in your area.
4. Get help from friends and family. If you’re feeling discouraged or tempted to drink, it can help to reach out to someone who cares. Pick up the phone and call someone you trust, or schedule some quality time together to talk about what you’re going through or just hang out.

Tips

• When you slip up in your plan to stop drinking beer, write down what caused you to drink along with solutions to avoid that situation again.
• Don't give up, even if you slip from your plan and drink. Breaking habits takes time. It’s normal to slip back into old behaviors occasionally. Just do your best to learn from the experience as you move forward.
• Write out a plan for those situations that cannot be avoided where beer drinking will be present. This can help you stick with your plan to avoid alcohol at these occasions.

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• Quit Drinking Alcohol
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• Stop Binge Drinking
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Sources and Citations

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