Help quitting alcohol Pennsylvania

Deciding to Quit or Cut Back

You may feel ready to change. If so, start small by making a plan to drink less than usual. That can be a good way to see if you're ready for a more permanent change. But you may not be ready just yet.

If you decide to cut back but find yourself drinking more than planned or feeling uncomfortable after a few drinks, then stop and call it quits.

You may need some extra support to get there this time around.

If you've decided to cut back on your drinking or quit completely, congratulations! You're taking a big step toward improving your health and the quality of your life. Many people who change their drinking behavior are able to do so on their own. If you don't feel ready for that option or need additional help, however, there is evidence-based treatment available.

If you're thinking about quitting completely and have had alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the past, seek medical help before attempting to go through withdrawal on your own.

Is It Safe to Stop Drinking Suddenly?

Heavy regular drinking and then stopping suddenly may cause symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. These can be uncomfortable and even dangerous for people with a history of heavy drinking. Doctors are trained in recognizing the signs of these problems and can provide treatments that make the process safer and less distressing. People who stop drinking after heavy, prolonged use should get medical attention to help avoid serious complications.

Stopping drinking suddenly and without support is not recommended for people with a history of long-term heavy drinking because of the risks associated with alcohol withdrawal.

It's best to work with your provider or a treatment program to develop an individualized plan that considers any medical and mental health conditions, how much you are used to drinking, and whether there is any family history of AUD. A doctor can help prevent serious complications from stopping heavy drinking.

Quitting without medical supervision may cause complications due to alcohol withdrawal. These include seizures, irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), fever, confusion, sweating, nausea, and vomiting.

If you have severe AUD, it may be dangerous to stop drinking suddenly. If you're not sure how much you've been drinking, talk with a health care professional before you stop. Stopping suddenly can cause seizures, hallucinations, and delirium tremens (DTs).

Don't try to treat this at home or alone. Call your provider, go to the emergency room, or call 911 if you think someone has severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Tips for Cutting Down

Tips that help people cut down on alcohol include these:

• Keep a small notebook and count how many drinks you have.
• Measure your drinks at home (especially mixed drinks).
• If drinking in a social setting, set an amount to drink before going out.
• Don't drink when you feel sad or angry.
• Learn new ways to relax, deal with stress, and enjoy yourself.
• Avoid situations where people drink heavily.
• Avoid having alcohol in your home.
• Limit your drinking to certain hours or days.
• Learn how to say no. Practice saying "No thanks" in front of a mirror.

If you drink at home: Try keeping little or no alcohol in your house.

If you usually drink at parties and other social gatherings: Choose nonalcoholic beverages or only one alcoholic beverage when you are out. Ask others to stop offering you drinks. Learn how to say no politely.

Tips that help people cut down have included:

• Having a goal of reducing to moderate drinking or stopping altogether
• Taking steps to stay sober when tempted to drink, such as avoiding places where alcohol is served and staying away from friends who drink
• Learning new ways to relax without drinking
• Keeping track of your drinking with a journal
• Getting support from a spouse, family member, or friend who knows about the problem and is willing to help

Handling Urges to Drink

Urges to drink are short-lived and often appear when they're least expected. Although external triggers may be obvious, such as seeing people having a beer at the beach or your favorite bar, internal triggers can be more puzzling because you may not know what set off the urge in the first place.

Identify your own triggers so that you can handle them effectively and avoid situations that might make it harder for you to stop drinking. Keep track of your urges for two weeks, noting the time and situation when each one occurs, how intense it is, and what thoughts or feelings you're having at the time. Then analyze your notes and look for patterns.

When an urge to drink hits hard:

• Remind yourself of the reasons for change.
• Challenge the thought that drives the urge.
• Talk it through with someone you trust, such as a supportive friend or healthcare professional.
• Distract yourself with a healthy activity.
• Leave tempting situations quickly and gracefully.

Remind yourself that the urge will pass. It will not last forever. Look for distraction. Distract yourself from your thoughts or feelings with an alternative activity. Talk to someone else about what's upsetting you. Focus on how well you've done in handling other urges. Think of a time when you resisted drinking.

Instead of fighting the urge, accept it as normal and temporary. When you feel an urge coming on, remind yourself that it is a short-lived feeling.

Getting Help From a Doctor

Talking with a doctor about quitting alcohol is often a good first step for getting support. If you're not comfortable talking with your own doctor, talk with another health care provider such as a counselor or nurse practitioner. You can also ask to be referred to an addiction specialist.

Your doctor might prescribe medicine to help you control your cravings and avoid a relapse. Medicines are available that can make it easier to stop drinking if you have AUD. Talk to your doctor about which one may work best for you. These medicines may not be right for everyone, so ask what the benefits and risks are before taking them.

A primary care visit about drinking is one of the best ways to get started. You can talk openly with your doctor or other health care provider and ask for advice on what you should do next. Here are some key questions to consider asking:

• Is there an alcohol problem?
• What can be done about it?
• What is my level of risk?

It's important that your health care provider understand how much you drink, the problems drinking has caused in your life, and whether or not you want to change your drinking behavior. A health professional may also ask if you've had a previous problem with alcohol or other substances.

Your health care provider can give you a more detailed examination of alcohol-related medical problems, such as liver disease, and they can screen for co-occurring mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, which are common in people with AUD.

Support Groups and Counseling

Support groups add peer help when you're quitting. They can be a low-cost option to help you stop drinking. People who have had similar problems or experienced what it's like not to drink at all can share their own strategies for avoiding relapse and overcoming challenges. You can also find support in online forums.

Mutual-support groups include Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-step programs, as well as non-12-step approaches such as SMART Recovery and Women for Sobriety. The key word is mutual: Each meeting is run by peers who are recovering from the same addiction you are; no one is paid. If you're looking to do this, try to find a group that fits your culture or religion and has members who are close to your age.

Support groups add peer help when attending counseling is not enough. They offer you a chance to talk with other people who have been there before. Talking with others who understand your experience is especially important for those who don't have family or friends who can provide support.

Counseling helps if you have trouble controlling how much you drink. It is often provided in individual, group, and family counseling sessions. During the session(s), a trained counselor can talk to you about the issues involved with alcoholism and help identify what changes are needed. The counselor will also suggest some things you can do to change your behavior.

If You Slip

A slip after quitting does not mean that you have failed. It is important to learn from slips and use them to recommit to treatment and prevention strategies.

The most important thing for people with alcohol problems who slip is not to see the relapse as an end. It's the opposite-it can be a chance to start over and recommit to quitting for good.

A slip might happen if you have an event at which people are drinking and you drink for a while. Or you may feel stressed and go out with friends for a few drinks, even though you decided you wouldn't drink again.

If you do have a relapse (start drinking again), it is important to return to treatment as soon as possible. The longer you wait to get back on track, the more difficult it can be. Some people who quit have a couple of slips and then are able to go back into recovery with no problems. For others, however, the process of stopping drinking isn't so easy. You may find that your thinking becomes confused or distorted when you start drinking again. A relapse is often a signal that it's time to get professional help.

Get back on track as soon as possible by:

• Staying away from people, places and things associated with alcohol
• Avoiding any temptation to drink again
• Using all of the tools you learned in treatment (e.g., coping skills)

Even if you fall off the wagon, don't give up. Think of this experience as an opportunity to learn what doesn't work for you and what to do differently next time.

Here are some steps that might help you get back on track after a slip:

• Tell someone right away. Don't wait.
• Go through your list of triggers and identify the reason behind the relapse.
• Plan what you will do if you start thinking about drinking again.
• Remember why you made this change in the first place.
• Make sure that the people around you are supportive.
• Get back to the things you were doing before you had a slip.

Help Available in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Single County Authorities can help individuals find support for substance use disorders or treatment programs.

Pennsylvania also offers resources on its website including information about county drug and alcohol offices, treatment facilities, and detox programs. There is also an online directory for locating providers offering specific services or treatments such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

Licensed alcohol treatment in Pennsylvania includes:

• Inpatient/residential programs
• Outpatient/ambulatory detoxification services
• Partial hospitalization (PHP)
• Intensive outpatient program (IOP) services
• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)

Whether you want to cut back on your drinking, stop drinking completely, or reduce other behaviors associated with alcohol use, there are many options available to you.

Pennsylvania has a variety of community-based and residential treatment programs. You can also seek help from physicians, nurses and counselors who specialize in substance use disorders. Help is available whether you have insurance or not.

You don't need to be embarrassed about seeking help, nor should you feel ashamed if you relapse. It's a fact of life that people with drinking problems sometimes drink again, even after they've been sober for quite some time.

Outpatient treatment can be more convenient when your situation allows it. You can attend regular treatment sessions but do not need to stay in the facility overnight. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a peer-led group that meets regularly to help people recover from addiction and maintain sobriety.

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