Some people are able to have a couple of alcoholic drinks occasionally, and it’s not an issue for them. They can have a beer at a barbecue or on the weekends, and they don’t have the desire to drink any more. Others will start with one drink, though, and they have the urge to keep going until they’re blackout drunk.
If you struggle with this problem, you may need to look into an alcohol detox near you. There are always suitable programs that can get you back on the right track. Finding the correct one can be the first step toward sober living.
Even once you get sober, though, you might strive to find the secret to an alcohol-free life. Does such a thing exist? We’ll talk about it right now.
There’s No One Simple Answer
First, it’s crucial to say that there’s no single answer or solution if you want to live a totally alcohol-free life. What works for one alcoholic may not work for someone else at all. That’s why some people swear by AA, but others find it restrictive and frustrating.
It’s usually best if you’re trying to get sober to try the proven solutions, though. Something like AA has helped so many drinkers, so at least giving it a try probably makes sense.
If you find that the conventional methods don’t work for you, at least you tried them. You can now fall back on other options.
Your Career and Hobbies Can Help
What you do for work and when you have some free time will go a long way toward determining whether you feel happy and content or not. If your work is stressful and you have no engrossing hobbies to occupy your time, those can be two huge determining factors that drive you to drink.
If you can find a job that you love, then that won’t be a source of stress for you. It should be easier for you to stop drinking then. If you can also come up with a hobby that occupies your time that causes you no stress, that should help you too.
Maybe you’ll join a sports league or get into gaming. Perhaps gardening, jogging, or mountain biking appeals to you.
Surrounding Yourself with the Right People Helps as Well
The people you surround yourself with are also sources of pleasure for you or possibly sources of annoyance, exasperation, or outright anger. If you can surround yourself with individuals who don’t cause you any stress and who love and cherish you instead, you are much less likely to engage in destructive behavior like excessive drinking.
Think about each of the people in your life who you see regularly. Do they cause you stress, or do you enjoy your time with them? If thinking about them makes you want to take a drink, you may need to purge them from your life.
All of these are huge determining factors in whether you can forge a new alcohol-free existence for yourself.