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

02/03/2012
HBT: 'I had a weak moment,' Hamilton says
HBT: Rangers star Josh Hamilton describes how he relapsed from alcoholism in a Dallas bar Monday night.

HBT: 'I had a weak moment,' Hamilton says

01/25/2012
MCA, OUP collaborate to publish Alcohol and Alcoholism journal
Oxford University Press (OUP) is pleased to announce that it has entered a new long-term collaboration with the Medical Council on Alcohol (MCA) to jointly publish the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.

MCA, OUP collaborate to publish Alcohol and Alcoholism journal

01/09/2012
If alcoholism runs in my family, am I at greater risk?
Just as with other diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, alcoholism can also run in families

If alcoholism runs in my family, am I at greater risk?

01/25/2012
MCA, OUP collaborate to publish Alcohol and Alcoholism journal
Oxford University Press (OUP) is pleased to announce that it has entered a new long-term collaboration with the Medical Council on Alcohol (MCA) to jointly publish the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.

MCA, OUP collaborate to publish Alcohol and Alcoholism journal

02/02/2012
US shelter uses alcohol to combat alcoholism
Controversial strategy in a Seattle homeless shelter may sound counter-productive, it has proved anything but.

US shelter uses alcohol to combat alcoholism

01/16/2012
Risk attitude link to alcohol abuse
Teenagers from families with a history of alcoholism have brains wired for risk taking, a study has found.

Risk attitude link to alcohol abuse