How to quit drinking or cut back

If you’re worried about how drinking is affecting your life, you’re not alone. We asked an addiction counsellor how he helps people manage their drinking or quit for good.

By Lindsay Jolivet

Close to one in five Canadians report alcohol abuse or dependence in their lifetimes, according to Statistics Canada.

How much drinking is too much? Canada has alcohol guidelines to lower your risk of health problems from drinking. For women, it’s a maximum of 10 drinks a week with no more than two a day most days. For men, it’s a maximum of 15 drinks a week with no more than three drinks most days.

But knowing when to quit drinking is about more than numbers, says Raymond Moore. He’s the program director at Trafalgar Addiction Treatment Centres, based in their Trafalgar West location in Erin, Ontario. He’s also an International Certified Alcohol and Drug Counsellor. He says people come to the treatment centre because they’re facing consequences from drinking. For example, it’s affecting their relationships or they’ve been charged for driving under the influence. Moore says often, people drink to cope with difficult underlying emotions. “It isn’t necessarily about the drinking. It’s about answering the question: why are you drinking?”

Know the signs of alcohol abuse and dependence

At one time, we talked about alcohol addiction in terms that were black and white, Moore says. Either you were an alcoholic or you weren’t. But in reality, he says addiction exists on a continuum. Many people drink socially without any problems. But when you drink to numb bad feelings, that’s a concern, Moore says. For example, someone who abuses alcohol may be having a difficult time in their life. Abusing alcohol may cause consequences in their lives and hurt their relationships. It could also affect their work by leading to lower attendance and even loss of employment.

Dependence is different. “Those who are dependent on alcohol are the ones that actually have a psychological and a physical dependence on the substance,” Moore says. Symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol dependency can include:

• Delirium
• Tremors
• Shaking
• Sweating
• Panic
• Hallucinations
• Headache
• Seizures

Quitting drinking versus cutting down

To decide if you want to quit drinking for good or cut down, consider your situation. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism strongly suggests quitting drinking if you are:

• Dependent on alcohol
• Struggling to cut down when you try
• Dealing with another medical issue that drinking affects
• Taking certain medications

Whether you’re abusing alcohol or dependent on it, Moore recommends seeing a doctor. Quitting alcohol cold turkey can be dangerous if you’re dependent. If you’re abusing alcohol but not dependent, medical guidance can still help.

Advice to manage your drinking

Addiction counsellors like Moore use different strategies to help people quit drinking and stay sober. Many are useful for those who want to cut down too. Here are five tips you can try from Moore and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

1. Improve your mental health

Asking yourself why you drink can lead to deeper questions about how you’re feeling. For example, Moore says many of his clients drink partly because they have social anxiety. Treatment for that can include learning assertiveness skills and improving self-esteem. The key is to stop drinking to cope. “A lot of what we do is about just taking that unhealthy way of coping and replacing it with a new one,” Moore says. Healthy coping mechanisms can include meditation and supportive communities.

2. Build community

Friends and support networks matter for everyone. If you’re trying to quit drinking, Moore says it’s especially important. Whether it’s people you enjoy playing squash with, your church, or your book club, find community. Spending time with supportive people who will be cheerleaders for you can make all the difference. Avoid people who aren’t interested in seeing you get better.

3. Learn your triggers

Do you drink when you feel low, frustrated or stressed? Do you tend to drink too much at weddings and parties? You need to know your habits before you can change your habits. Sometimes Moore helps people learn their triggers through journaling. “It’s all rooted in emotion. So writing it down is basically addressing the emotional trigger.” If you’re not the type of person who likes to write, voice recordings can work too.

4. Set goals

If you are not quitting completely, set limits for how many drinks per day and per week you’ll have. Clear goals help you stick to your plans to cut down. Choose some days every week when you won’t drink at all. Tell friends or family members about your goal so they can support you.

5. Keep track

Count every drink you have and measure each pour. You can even use a printed card to help you track your drinks. There are apps that can help with problem drinking too. For example, CAMH has a mobile app called Saying When to help with tracking drinks and triggers.

If you try these tips and you struggle to control your drinking, speak with your doctor. You can always go back to Canada’s Low Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines to check how you’re doing.

Originally published on Lumino Health