Learn to recognize the signs of problem drinking and addiction – Family members or friends are usually the first people to bring up the problems around drinking. Unfortunately, many people ignore these early complaints or dismiss them as just “nagging” behavior. Don’t wait for the drinking to get more out of control before you do something about it.
Some of the common signs that drinking has become a problem include:
- Drink more than you intend
- Increased tolerance
- Unable to stop once you start
- Beginning to have consequences from the drinking
- Health
- Family
- Legal
- Friends
- Work
- Activities
- Argue with people about your drinking
- Spending increasing amounts of time thinking about drinking, drinking, or recovering from drinking.
What To Do Next
- Take an honest assessment of your own drinking and your behaviors – It is often easy to convince yourself that your drinking is not that bad and that it doesn’t affect how you feel or act toward others. However, if you start taking an honest assessment, you may begin to realize that the drinking has more control over you than you have over it.
- Be honest with others – Many people feel shame over their level of drinking, so they hide it from others. When you become open about the problem, it is easier to get the support that you need.
- Remove Alcohol from the house – Remove the easy temptations that come when alcohol is readily accessible.
- Change your actions – If you keep doing the same behaviors, you will get the same results. Change your routine. This may mean changing the friends that you associate with, changing where you go, or changing how you cope with problems.
- Change your thinking – If you think that you can’t live without alcohol, then it is easy to act as if this were true. Develop positive thoughts that mirror the kind of life that you want, rather than repeating thoughts that reflect the life that you have had.
- Develop better-coping skills – One of the triggers for drinking is often stress or emotional discord. Learn healthy tools to manage emotions and cope with the stressors of life.
- Get support – Sobriety is easier to obtain when you have support. Whether this is from family, friends, or support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, getting support will help you quit drinking.
- Get treatment – Treatment can help you break the drinking cycle and help you develop the tools that you need to quit drinking.
- Take it one day at a time – Remember that recovery is a process. It may be hard to think about being sober forever, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t quit drinking today. Many people have developed a life of sobriety by being sober one day at a time.
New Dimensions Can Help!
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the above symptoms or problems, New Dimensions can help. Our team of experienced therapists and psychiatrists can help you overcome these challenges and help you develop the skills you need to thrive. To schedule a complementary assessment or to find out more about our programs, contact us at 1-800-685-9796.
Our affiliate, MHThrive, provides Individual Therapy, Couples and Marriage Counseling, and Family Therapy at our locations in Katy, The Woodlands, and the Clear Lake area of Houston, Texas. We also provide telehealth therapy for anyone who resides within the State of Texas. To schedule an appointment with one of the MHThrive therapists, contact us at 713-477-0333 or visit www.mhthrive.com to learn more.