Stop Alcohol Addiction Even Before It Starts: How to Prevent Alcohol Addiction

Recovering from an addiction to alcohol is difficult to say the least. The reason for this is that there is no single cause for the development of the addiction. This doesn’t mean that alcoholism is hereditary. It simply means that alcohol abuse can be influenced by a variety of factors, including environmental, psychological, and social factors. Experts prefer using the term risk factors. To be more precise, they recognize the fact that certain conditions or experiences increase the probability of abusing alcohol. 

Image source

Now, why is alcohol addiction so hard to conquer? Because it touches several areas of your life. Drinking alcoholic drinks is just as socially acceptable as drinking coffee or tea. The point is that it’s hard to stay sober these days. You know what they say… prevention is better than cure. So, put a stop to addiction before it starts. In this article, you’ll find out what the necessary steps are to preventing alcohol addiction.

Keep your home alcohol-free

While some people have milk at hand, others have alcoholic beverages. With the sun setting in the evening, you call it an end to your day’s efforts. Your fridge is fully stocked with beer, quite a beautiful selection. And when your buddies come over, they bring whiskey and bottles of wine. If you have alcohol in the home, you’re bound to have a drink at one time or another. The best way to maintain sobriety is to have an alcohol-free home. Alcohol isn’t something you desperately need in your life. 

Booze in the house isn’t a good idea, especially if you don’t trust yourself. Maybe you’re not a heavy drinker. Maybe so, but if there’s alcohol in the home, you’re tempted to drink more often and consume higher quantities than you normally would. It’s easy to become a heavy drinker when your life takes an unexpected turn. Having no alcohol in the home will help limit your drinking. Drinking isn’t a harmless pleasantry. Ideally, you shouldn’t have alcoholic drinks in the home. If it’s not possible to eliminate them completely, at least make sure it’s not in plain sight.  

Find healthy ways to cope with stress 

Life is so stressful nowadays. There is a lot to do and so little time. Perhaps you’re trying to climb up the corporate ladder. While some people do it with so much ease, others barely manage to succeed. Advancing in your career is more stressful than it should be. If you’re like others, you cope with stress by drinking. This will make you feel better for the time being, but it’s not a solution. The only thing that booze does is to make the brain release feel-good chemicals. Smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages do the exact same thing. In other words, they trigger short-term happiness. You still feel awful the next day. You should find healthier ways to deal with stress. 

If using alcohol to alleviate stress isn’t helpful, then what is? Here are some things you can try: 

• Get more sleep 
• Practice exercise and clean eating 
• Try relaxation techniques (deep breathing, let your imagination run wild, give yourself a massage) 

The point is that you shouldn’t resort to alcohol consumption to feel better. What is more, relying on booze for relaxation leads to dependence. If someone offers you a glass of wine when you’re feeling down in the dumps, politely refuse it. the last thing you should be doing when you’re depressed is to drink. 

Understand your limits

You have the impression that you can control your drinking. You think that you can stop after only one drink. But what if you get carried away and consume more alcohol than you should? Before you know it, you’re tipsy. Chances are that you can’t control your drinking. And if you don’t change the way you drink, you’ll soon succumb to addiction. You drink to pretend that your life is more interesting than it is and because you enjoy it. Is your drinking really out of control? Let’s find out. 

If you recognise any of the following signs, you don’t simply stop at the buzz: 

• You need a lot more alcohol to get drunk. 
• You’re thinking about the next drink. 
• You find it impossible to stop drinking, no matter how hard you try. 

If you can’t control your drinking, it’s better to stay away from liquor altogether. Learn to live a life without alcohol, one that gives you more willpower to undertake projects, not to mention more money in your pockets. If you desperately feel the urge to drink, consider seeking therapy or counselling. You don’t have to stay in the hospital for a long period of time. there are all sorts of programs that offer the support you need during tough times. Do you think you’ll become addicted? Then you go to rehab and get sober & alcohol rehab. The therapists surrounding you will teach you a new way to live. 

Don’t go to bars that often 

How often do you go out? If your friends want to hang out, you’re glad to do so. So, you pay regular visits to the local bar. The space feels cosy enough that you join the neighbouring conversation and even have a drink or two. This is where you’re mistaken. Going to bars and sipping on booze is inherently addictive. If you want to hang out with your friends, do it during happy hour. Better yet, you should try new activities. In the United Kingdom, we’ve noticed the rise of the pub without alcohol. It’s not a figure of speech. There literally are pubs where you can’t consume alcohol.  

The bottom line is that if being sober is important to you, you don’t have to give up going out. You just have to make better choices regarding the location. You’re completely safe in a pub without alcohol because you don’t have to deal with the appetizing smell. There are many entertaining things you can do on a Saturday night. Play board games or try to learn something new. You could use new skills, you know?