5 Ways to Kick Alcoholism and Stay Sober

Alcoholism can be a terrible and debilitating disease. But one of the worst things about it is that it's truly difficult to kick. Alcohol is a strangely addictive substance.

A lot of people who drink a lot don't even realize that they're hooked on it until they try to stop (and even then, they tend to remain in denial about it). 

In a lot of ways, alcoholism feels a lot like a bad habit that just keeps coming back. But the truth of the matter is that it's actually a lot more serious than that.

If you or a loved one are concerned that you may be dealing with a full-blown bout of alcoholism in your life, then you should take measures to curb it. 

Top Tips to Overcome Alcoholism

By using the tips below, you’ll be able to stay away from the bottle, beat alcoholism, and get sober for real.

Let's dive in…

1. Join a support group

Joining a support group (or finding an accountability partner) is probably the best way to stick with your goal of staying sober and kicking alcohol for good. 

When other people are supporting you and encouraging you, it'll help to motivate you. 

However, being accountable to other people will also help—because you won't want to let them down. This is also very motivating.

2. Write down and understand your goal

Writing down your goals always makes them more clear and likely that you'll achieve them. 

In other words, if you have a goal of not taking another sip of alcohol for 30 days, write down that goal and strive to stick with it—every day.

When you wake up every morning, review the goal and write it down again—either in a planner, in a journal, or even just on some notebook paper. 

If you keep it fresh in your mind, it will help you stay motivated and committed to it.

3. Be open with friends and family about your struggles

Be honest with your friends and family about your alcohol problems.

Let them know that you're struggling with addiction, and that you can't really be around anyone who's drinking or in any situations where alcohol is being served. 

Your friends and family love you and care about you. They'll take that to heart and will likely take measures (within acceptable reason) to help you meet your goal. 

However, if it doesn't matter to them, or if your friends and family don't listen to you, then you may want to start finding different people to hang out with.

4. Stop spending time around people and places that trigger your alcoholism

A lot of restaurants and eateries serve alcohol. There are also a lot of events where you can purchase alcohol. And to be honest, if you go to most parties, you're going to find alcohol available there as well. And don't even get started on bars!

If you want to quit drinking, you're going to have to stop spending time in places where they serve alcohol. And also avoid hanging out with people who drink alcohol too.

Instead, go to places where you'll find people hanging out in a sober atmosphere. For example, go hiking, canoeing, or to professional functions where alcohol isn't a fixture.

You're going to need to get away from all the people and places that trigger your alcoholism, if you really want to kick the bad habit and live a healthier and sober life.

5. Replace the bad habit with a good and healthier habit

The most powerful way to break a bad habit is simply to replace it with a good one. You don’t eliminate a bad habit—you replace it.

So, the bad habit of drinking too much alcohol can be replaced by a healthier habit like working out, or even opting to smoke marijuana instead may not be a bad trade-off. 

There's a lot to be said about the idea of smoking cannabis as a means of quitting alcohol. For one thing, cannabis is nowhere near as destructive. If you smoke cannabis, you won't wake up with a hangover the next day. Plus, it can be soothing to your body and mind.

Studies actually show that it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to break a bad habit and form a new one. Go and make it happen—kick alcoholism out of your life for good by replacing it with a good and healthier habit. You’ve got this!

In Conclusion

Alcohol is just plain bad for you. It interrupts your life, wastes money, prevents you from accomplishing your goals, and jeopardizes your health — both physically and mentally.

By making simple lifestyle changes like the ones listed here, you can kick the bottle and stay sober for good. Life is too short and precious to waste it being drunk all the time, anyway.