Potential alcohol withdrawal symptoms

Short-term effects

Even if you haven’t been a heavy drinker, it’s possible you will experience some short-term effects when stopping drinking. Some people can feel a bit irritable, shaky or tired, or find they have poor concentration, difficulty sleeping or bad dreams. 2,3

These symptoms can happen even if you used to drink at relatively low levels, if you were drinking regularly. For most people they pass quite quickly, and are just a temporary blip before they start to feel the benefits of cutting out alcohol. But if you experience these symptoms for more than about five days after stopping or find them particularly troublesome, your GP will be able to offer some advice.

Physical symptoms

Most people don’t experience any physical symptoms from stopping drinking. But if you are a heavy drinker or alcohol dependent, going ‘cold turkey’ (suddenly drinking no alcohol at all, if you are used to drinking heavily) can cause serious alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

These physical withdrawal symptoms can include trembling hands, sweating, headache, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, and lack of appetite. In severe cases, symptoms can include convulsions, fever and even hallucinations. 4

Your doctor may be able to prescribe medication that can help, or you can usually refer yourself to a specialist alcohol team for support. Your GP may be able to arrange or signpost you to counselling and psychological support, and you could access local support groups to help you stay on track.

Practical tips on giving up alcohol

When you’re ready to stop, the following tips and techniques can make it that little bit easier.

16 Expert Tips For Reducing Your Alcohol Consumption

Table of Contents

If you enjoy drinking, be it a glass of red wine with dinner or a tumbler of your favorite spirits poolside, you might have experienced the urge to keep pouring after a long day. But serious health problems can develop from drinking too much, including liver disease, heart disease, depression, stroke, stomach bleeding and certain types of cancer, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). And even moderate drinking is associated with increased risks of injury from violence, falls and car crashes.

How to Know When It’s Time to Cut Back

How much is too much? One simple sign: “If people think they need to cut back, then they probably do,” says Fulton T. Crews, Ph.D., a pharmacology and psychiatry professor and director of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine.

Women should limit their alcohol intake to no more than one drink a day while men should limit their alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks a day, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Medical experts now use the term “alcohol use disorder” rather than “alcohol abuse” to address the concern of excessive drinking. “The healthcare field has also moved away from the term alcohol and drug ‘abuse’ because studies show the word ‘abuse,’ which literally means ‘willful neglect,’ is inaccurate and perpetuates negative stigma and bias,” says Shawntrell Moore, a certified alcohol drug counselor with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Chicago.

To determine whether—and where—you fall in the alcohol use disorder (AUD) spectrum, answer the following questions.

In the past year, have you…

If you answer “yes” to two to three questions, your symptoms align with mild AUD. If you answer “yes” to four to five questions, your symptoms align with moderate AUD. If you answer “yes” to six or more questions, your symptoms align with severe AUD. Consult with a licensed mental health professional to further explore AUD.

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16 Ways to Reduce Alcohol Use

If you identify with any of the scenarios above, try the expert tips below for reducing your alcohol consumption (or even eliminating it altogether).

1. Measure your drinks.

“The first step is to understand how much you’re actually drinking,” says Katie Witkiewitz, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of New Mexico and author of the 2019 study, “Advances in the Science and Treatment of Alcohol Use” in Science Advances.

A standard glass of wine is 5 ounces, which contains about 12% alcohol. A shot of distilled spirits like vodka is 1.5 ounces and equally 40% alcohol. One 12-ounce can of beer contains about 5% alcohol, and a standard glass of sherry is 3 to 4 ounces and contains about 17% alcohol, according to the NIAAA.

Use the NIAAA’s drink size calculator to determine the amount of alcohol in various drinks.

2. Track your intake.

“Once you have a sense of how much you’re drinking, it’s helpful to track how many drinks you’re having per day,” says Witkiewitz. “You could use a calendar, journal or any number of tracking apps.” Drink Control Alcohol Tracker or Less are two examples of free tracking apps available on iOS devices.

3. Make a plan.

People who set daily drink limits consume 10% fewer drinks each week than those who don’t, according to data from 10,000 U.S. users of the app Sunnyside. And beginning the week well is an indicator of success: Members who stay under their planned limit on Monday and Tuesday are nearly four times more likely to reach their goal for the week.

“Start easy,” suggests Crews. Instead of aiming for complete abstinence, for instance, aim to drink fewer than seven days a week. “Try sober Mondays or sober Mondays through Wednesdays,” he says.

4. Tell family members and friends you want to get healthier.

Reframe drinking as you would any other health behavior you want to change, such as eating better or getting more exercise, and share it aloud with those closest to you. This social approach can help normalize the change you’re trying to make, says Witkiewitz. “You don’t have to have a problem with drinking to want to improve your health and quality of life by reducing your drinking.”

5. Try a month of abstinence.

“Try doing a ‘dry’ month like Dry January, Go Dry for July or Sober October,” says Moore. In January 2020, more than 6 million people reportedly participated in Dry January, a campaign to reduce alcohol consumption organized by Alcohol Change UK. Follow-up research suggested that most tended to drink in healthier amounts afterward.

6. Get exercise.

If you turn to alcohol to ease anxiety, try exercise as a healthy alternative. “For those who have access to and enjoy outdoor activities and other physical activity options, we know that physical activity, particularly in nature, can be very helpful in reducing anxiety and coping with other negative moods,” says Witkiewitz.

7. Drink water.

You might reach for alcohol when you’re really just thirsty, says Crews. Drink a cup of soothing tea or a tall glass of water before you imbibe—once your thirst is quenched, you may not feel the need for as much—or any—alcohol.

8. Eat before and in between drinks.

Food can absorb the alcohol in beverages, so eating before or even while you drink can dampen the effect and may make you want to drink less, says Crews.

9. Make a plan for cravings.

The urge to drink will inevitably come—so make a plan for it. Remind yourself of why you want to cut back, talk to a friend about it and distract yourself with a hobby or exercise, the NIAAA suggests. Accept that you have the urge and that it will pass.

10. Remove alcohol from your house.

If you tend to drink too much whenever there is any alcohol in the house, get rid of it altogether, the NIAAA recommends.

11. Watch out for anger, resentment or grudges.

Do you turn to alcohol when stewing in anger? In its book Living Sober, Alcoholics Anonymous suggests navigating these feelings with exercise, talking the situation through with a trusted friend, getting rest and choosing a “live and let live” mindset instead of drinking.

12. Avoid loneliness.

If you drink to ease the pain of loneliness, then make a conscious effort to connect with others. Alcoholics Anonymous cautions its members not to get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired—all of which can make you more vulnerable to the urge to drink. Find activities that are mentally and emotionally nourishing and bring you joy, and identify ways to connect socially with friends, says Witkiewitz.

13. Get online support.

You don’t have to leave the house to get support from other people who understand and respect what you’re trying to do. In fact, you can find it online with sites like Sunnyside, which helps you create a customized plan, Tempest, Moderation.org or Ben’s Friends for people who work in the food and beverage industry.

14. Avoid triggers.

What makes you reach for a drink? An acquaintance who talks nonstop? Watching news about the stock market? “We encourage using an informal mindfulness practice when feeling triggered,” says Witkiewitz. “Stopping in the moment to take stock of what’s actually happening, what emotions, sensations, thoughts are present, bringing awareness to breath, and then making a choice for how you want to respond to the situation. Maybe it’s still drinking, maybe not. Maybe it’s calling an old friend, going for a walk or spending time with a beloved child or pet.”

15. Learn how to say, “No.”

Prepare yourself for those times when someone is going to offer you a drink. Find words to help you decline politely but firmly. “No thanks” is a simple, clear statement. You might also hold onto a nonalcoholic drink instead, ask a friend to support you in difficult situations or simply exit early if temptation gets too strong, the NIAAA suggests.

16. If you slip, return to your plan.

Don’t give into shame and regret—just restart your plan. “Success really is about how you respond to setbacks and things that are thrown your way,” says Moore. “If someone’s strategy to drink less doesn’t work, it’s crucial to recognize and reflect on lessons learned and take action—at least one next, right step—to begin making a change.”

What to Expect When You Stop Drinking

If you’ve become dependent on alcohol, cutting it out of your life may produce withdrawal symptoms, such as a rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, sweating and shaking. Psychological symptoms can include irritability, anxiety and restlessness. Talk to your doctor if you experience these symptoms.

When to Seek Help

If you’re unable to cut back on your own despite your best efforts, if you get frequent hangovers or if you’ve had a DUI, then it’s time to seek help from a therapist or consider going to an AA meeting, says Crews. Other options include SMART Recovery, Recovery Dharma and the 24/7 helpline provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which can connect you to an appropriate treatment for you. Just call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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Sunnyside uses a psychology-based approach to help you drink more mindfully, no matter what your goal is. You’ll get a 100% custom plan, then use daily texts to track your progress and help you stay on target.

Sources

What’s a standard drink? National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Accessed 5/14/2021.

One Year No Beer

Live Life Better

How to stop drinking: Practical tips and a ‘how to’ guide

Written by:
Amy Collins

Tips to help you give up alcohol

In this post we are going to share with you some practical tips to help you if you decide you want to stop drinking alcohol altogether, or if you want cut down on what you drink:

Our advice

Set goals

A great first step can be to set yourself a goal, whether that’s for the next week, month or however long. Good goals are specific and a little bit challenging, but also achievable. And remember you can always change them if you find them too easy or too difficult.

Your goal (or goals) could be based on a certain number of alcohol-free days, a maximum number of units or a maximum cost for example. If you don’t know where to start with setting your goals, you could start off with the UK low-risk drinking guidelines, which recommend that people drink no more than 14 units (about 6 pints of beer or 6 medium glasses of wine) and have several alcohol-free days each week.

Once you have decided on your goals, write them down, that way you can check back to see how you are doing. If you’re finding your goals too easy, you can always make them harder and work towards stopping drinking altogether (if that is your aim).

If it helps you, you could also have a think about the reasons why you are setting these goals, whether that is to do with your health, relationships, career, or sleep. And write this down alongside your goal as added motivation.

Get our free 4 part video series with easy mindset hacks to reduce what you drink.

Track your progress

One of the best things you can do to help you achieve your goals is to track your progress by monitoring how much you are drinking with a drinking diary. You can do this in a number of ways, you could keep a daily journal of your drinking and drinking habits or there are lots of apps available to do this, including one developed by a research team at UCL. There are lots of things you could keep track of such as:

Example of a journal entry:

Day 17 – Tuesday 5th December

Today I consumed 2 pints of beer while out with my team for a Christmas meal . I am very proud of myself as last year I can’t remember how much alcohol I had and ended up having to waste a holiday. During the day I ate a late breakfast and a sandwich for lunch before our 3 course Christmas meal. I went to bed feeling great and even got a good night’s sleep, waking up before my alarm and had some extra time to spend with the kids before heading to work.

By tracking how much you are drinking, you will be able to see whether you are meeting your goals.

Think about your triggers

It can be useful to have a think about what your triggers for drinking are. These could be social or environmental situations and events, such being out with friends or being home alone after putting the kids to bed; or emotions, such as feeling happy or anxious.

By recognising when you are most likely to drink, or drink more than you had planned, you can then come up with specific plans (see our next tip – ‘have a plan’) for those situations.

The availability and convenience of alcohol can influence people’s drinking, so one way to remove potential triggers is to change what’s physically available to you.

Have a plan

Achieving a goal is easier when you’ve got a plan.

Planning helps you manage tricky situations when you may be tempted to drink or drink more than you had wanted to. This relates back to your triggers, any situation or emotion which might be difficult for you, and coming up with a concrete plan for how to deal with that specific situation to still achieve your goal.

One of the best ways of doing this is to make an ‘if…, then…’ plan. This is a way of saying if a certain thing happens, then you’ll do something else. For example, if I’m feeling stressed after work, then I’ll have go outside for a run instead (or whatever you find stress relieving); or if I’m out drinking with work friends, then I will have an alcohol-free drink every other drink.

Another way of planning to help you achieve your goal is to organise a new activity to keep yourself busy – in short, substituting one behaviour for another. This involves coming up with a plan in advance to do something else fun that doesn’t involve alcohol. This could be something you already do and enjoy, or it could give you the opportunity to try something new. You could even think about taking up a new hobby, trying to learn a new skill or finding something creative to work on.

Get social support from friends and family

You could also let your friends and family know and share your goals with them. You could ask for their support and who knows, they might even decide to join in with you.

Those of us at One Year No Beer find that one of the best ways to stop drinking is to find an accountability buddy this could be a friend or loved one, someone you trust to help keep you on track and provide you with the support you need during these first few days and weeks.

Having some support and guidance going alcohol-free can make all the difference to feeling confident in your decision. It can help to have the social ‘excuse’ of taking part in a challenge, or just knowing you are part of a wider community of people across the globe all on the same journey as you – sharing and championing one another’s successes.

Join us for one of our alcohol-free challenges and receive daily videos taking you though our proven step by step method to changing your relationship with alcohol and gain access to a private group of your fellow challengers.

If you are struggling, seek further support

And finally, if you are struggling and finding it difficult to cut down on your drinking, or you think you might have a problem with your drinking, then we advise that you get in touch with your GP. They will be able to provide confidential advice and refer you for extra support.

You can also find support over the phone:

If you are alcohol dependant, then you might experience physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly cut down or stop drinking and should seek medical support. Visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-misuse/ for more information.

Embrace change

As with any challenge or lifestyle change, progress can take time. However, there can be so many positive outcomes of reducing your alcohol in take. Our members have experienced improved sleep, reduced anxiety, have lost weight, saved money and most importantly, feel happier as a result.

Take the first step today and change your relationship with alcohol and watch the whole world change around you.

Become the most productive, present and healthiest version of yourself just by making one change today!

If you would like to have the support of like minded people and be part of the the best online community that help people change their relationship with drinking alcohol then you can go some way to improving your health today by taking part in OYNB’s free 5 day challenge.

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