Stopping Drinking Without AA

Is stopping drinking without AA a good way to go about things? What alternatives do you have?

This article answers all your questions. 

In 2018 47 Million adult European had an alcohol use disorder. Not everyone wants to talk about what’s going on in their personal life in a room full of strangers. Whilst the AA has a fairly good success rate for certain types of full-blown alcoholics, stopping drinking without AA is far from impossible.

The truth is AA was never designed for problem drinkers; it was created to help hopeless alcoholics. Yes, there is a difference!

Stopping drinking can prove extremely difficult if you try and do it on your own. Without the right tools, staying sober after you decide to stop can be even tougher. One of the main problems to be found when looking at methods such as the ‘12 steps’ is the focus on drinking itself as the problem.

So much emphasis is placed on the admission of a fault, but what if there was a much more productive way to focus your attention? What if you were to focus on the cause?

Part of the reason the Stop Drinking Online program provides such an effective alternative to AA is it does not seek to lay blame or to label the drinker. 

Why not join our daily FREE Online Session where we discuss how to stop drinking?

Why Do We Drink?

Of course, alcohol addiction is a problem, but it is also a cure for another problem. Beneath almost every addiction is deep-rooted psychological pain. In Keith Richard’s autobiography ‘Life’ he writes “All the contortions we go through just not to be ourselves for a few hours.”

This is to say that addiction is a form of escapism of some sort. Drinking is a form of escape. If we focus solely on alcohol addiction, we neglect to tackle the reason we are drinking, and this is often rooted in past trauma.

Many individuals who find themselves facing addiction as adults have experienced trauma prior to developing an addiction. This can stem from childhood or traumatic events experienced later in life.

Neglect during childhood can lead to feelings of worthlessness in adult life. It may manifest as a drive to succeed; to show that world that we are needed, but it is still a desire to escape that sense of worthlessness. Something that can also be attained by drinking.

With this in mind let’s take a look at different ways we can approach alcoholism 

Stopping Drinking Without AA

Let’s start by assuming that alcoholism comes about because of the relationship we have with ourselves. If you want to stop drinking, then you have to re-establish a better relationship.

Slowly introducing positive activities into your life can help subdue the need to drink. It’s not just about finding alternative distractions; it’s about developing a sense of becoming a better version of yourself too. 

Why not join our daily FREE Online Session where we discuss how to stop drinking?

Fitness

Exercise can have a huge impact on the brain. It releases endorphins and dopamine, which you might previously resort to drinking for.

Making an effort to become healthier can provide the necessary focus for beating alcoholism. It can help to develop a positive image of yourself and make you more consciously aware of the damage that drinking is doing to your body.

Taking up running, joining a martial arts class, or going to the gym are just three ways you can begin to take the steps towards becoming a healthier you. Many studies have suggested that participating in regular exercise can help individuals beat substance abuse. 

Creativity

Creativity is a therapeutic relationship with yourself. Something as simple as keeping a diary can help you to better understand how you see yourself. You don’t necessarily have to have those difficult conversations with someone else for them to be cathartic.

Taking up a musical instrument or writing are both great ways to learn how to spend time with yourself without having to be working through a bottle of whiskey. A creative hobby can help lower stress levels and begin to instil some positivity in your own feedback loop. 

Why not join our daily FREE Online Session where we discuss how to stop drinking?

A Few Tips to Cut Down on Your Drinking

Forcing yourself to go cold turkey and avoid alcohol, without addressing the subconscious programs you have around this drug is always going to lead to failure. As long as you believe that alcohol is a benefit to life you will always want to return to it at some point.

In our course, we demonstrate that there is not one single benefit to drinking alcohol – not one!

Removing alcohol from your life is more than just stopping drinking. Finding things to help rebuild your relationship with yourself is not only the first step but also one that can take some time. The reason it is so important is that if the root of alcoholism isn’t addressed then the chances of relapse are high.

Whilst you’re working on the cause, it is important to have a few tricks up your sleeve for facing the drinking problem itself. 

Socialise Without Alcohol

A problem drinker will inevitably centre all their social activities around drinking. So, find some that aren’t! Joining clubs, exercise classes or team sports are a great way to spend more time away from the bottle.

Not only that, but it will give you the opportunity to develop genuine connections and improve your overall health.

You can’t expect to remove alcohol and change nothing else. You may have to stop some social routines. Friday night with the boys or wine with your girlfriends may need to take a break while you deal with this.

Why? Well, if you don’t want a haircut don’t go sit in a barber’s shop. If you do, eventually you will end up getting a haircut. 

Why not join our daily FREE Online Session where we discuss how to stop drinking?

Drink at a Slower Pace

The idea of going cold turkey can scare the bravest of alcoholics away from tackling their addiction. If your life has been built around drinking, then stopping suddenly can risk leaving a huge hole.

You don’t necessarily need to ban yourself from all the bars straight away. Alternating your drinks and drinking less potent beverages means you can keep the social aspect of your drinking without racing towards annihilation.

That might sound like a strange suggestion from Stop Drinking LTD but you do not have to be sober before you start our stop drinking course. At no point in the course will I order you to stop drinking, that will always be your decision. Anything else means you are using willpower and in turn are doomed to fail. 

Practice Abstinence

Once you’ve got to grips with drinking less it’s time to test drive not drinking at all. Going sober for a month might be terrifying, so why start with something you’re likely to fail.

Try not drinking for one day, then two. Finding early morning activities that require you to be sharp and lively is a great way to help you make the decision to take a night off the alcohol.

Gently extend these breaks from drinking. Take note of how it feels not to drink -physically and emotionally. It will inevitably feel uncomfortable at first, but over time you’ll pick up coping mechanisms and things will get easier.

Once you get a taste for how good life feels without this poison in your system, you can get started on the full course and start to explore the possibility of living a sober life for good. 

Why not join our daily FREE Online Session where we discuss how to stop drinking?

Seek Out a Positive Role Model

Don’t cringe! Having a positive role model in your life can be a huge asset. Someone such as a fitness coach or even a good, sober friend will not only give you something to aspire to. They can also help to keep you on track when things get difficult.

Our members have a secret (hidden) community online where they encourage and support each other. It is the most positive and powerful club you could ever imagine. it’s included free of charge with our stop drinking course. 

Go Easy on Yourself

One of Jordan Peterson’s rules for life is ‘treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.’

If you’re going to have a damn good go at stopping drinking without AA, then you need to do just that. Treat yourself with compassion. If your nerves are shot through and you can’t take it anymore then have that one glass of wine. There’s no point in killing yourself in an attempt to save yourself!

Just remember to always keep your goal in mind and try and every day knowing that you’ve taken at least one positive step towards an alcohol-free you.

If it’s time for you or a loved one to stop drinking, then don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

Next step is to join our daily FREE Online Session where we discuss how to stop drinking?

You will get some free coaching with Dan Grové and a copy of his bestselling book ‘My Life in a Bottle’.