Alcohol Abuse - How to Start Helping Yourself First

It is said that the first step to solving a personal problem is to acknowledge you've just that-a issue. Although this is somewhat true, particularly when the issue is alcohol related, you want to gradually work yourself to a desired goal, whether it's to quit drinking all together, or to moderate your intake (which a physician can help you decide based a general wellness analysis).

Back in college (or university), there was a track coach (who finally coached the Olympic team) who advised his runners you had to visualize your objectives, and on your head, watch yourself run the whole race in optimal shape.

He told his teammates to write their goals down in a little journal every day.

When this is applied to someone suffering from abuse or alcoholism, it may help them substantially control certain drinking customs. For the first entry in your"stop drinking journal," write down the reason you wish to cut down or abstain from alcohol. You can either write it in paragraph form or make a list you'll have the ability to read clearly should you ever need educated. The list might include such reasons as: to sleep or get together with my family better, or to enhance health.

Next, as the track coach would have his runners jot down their objectives, so should you. Each and every day you should limit your alcohol intake to just a couple of glasses, and no longer. Write this down goal for every new day in your diary. And, if you do not believe that you can begin there, go ahead and make a chart that summarizes how much drinking you do every week.

Be honest with yourself and document how much you have drank each and every day. After three to four weeks, see how much you've consumed. And, if you feel able, share this information with your physician, then s/he can help you check if your drinking is should be considered problematic (that is generally a man who drinks more than two drinks a day, and a female who drinks more than one).

So, rather than letting yourself be victimized by your own emotions or self-control problems, begin taking control with this easy step. If you are not sure you have a issue, but you feel as though you might, then odds are you do.

So, do not make excuses, track yourself daily. As soon as you're ready, maybe you can share your content with your physician or other professionals (or a treatment group) who know what you are going through.