Stopping alcohol can be one of the best things you can do for yourself. Alcohol is certainly not good for your body and as you continue drinking it, it becomes an addiction than an entertainment propelling you to drink even more. If you have realized that your drinking habit has done enough harm to your body and also to your life, quitting it at the earliest is surely the best way to go. If you are on the mission of quitting alcohol, there are a number of options to assist you to reach your goal. However, first of all, you have to make your mind that you want to stop it and once you have taken the pledge there are a number of ways to help you. Read on to know about the simple ways for quitting addiction,
Medications to stop alcohol
When you are trying to stop alcohol, medications can be of great help. There are different types of medications that can be pretty helpful to control the craving for alcohol as well as the withdrawal symptoms. However, you have to keep in mind that every person needs a different treatment according to his/her conditions and hence it is important that it is only a registered doctor or therapist determining the right medication and its dosage for you. Medications can be helpful to quit alcohol, but it is not the one stop fix and they should be used along with other therapies to attain the best results. The best known medications that are currently in use for quitting alcohol include,
Antabuse
Antabuse is a brand name and the generic name of this medication is Disulfiram. This medicine makes you sick at the stomach even if you have a single drink when you are on the medication and hence when you are taking it you know that you cannot drink, which can be very helpful to control alcohol cravings. Once there is antabuse in your body, your body will start resisting alcohol, and even a minimum percentage of it can make you feel sick. When you are on this medication, you know for sure that alcohol will not generate any pleasantness, which helps you to quit the plan of having it. People using antabuse should be cautious about any food that might contain alcohol in higher percentage and should stay away even from the alcohol based mouthwashes.
Naltrexone
It is the other anti-alcohol medication that is widely in use. The working of Naltrexone is different than that of antabuse, instead of making you sick for taking alcohol Naltrexone blocks the dopamine receptors in the brain which takes away the mental reward of drinking. To put it simply, when you are on Naltrexone, drinking will not initiate any pleasure in your mind or body and hence automatically your cravings will be gone and the person will become less enthusiastic about alcohol.
Acamprosate
Acamprosate is more ideally used for controlling the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol. It does not make one sick for having alcohol even when you are on this medication. It does not also block the endorphin receptors that can take away the pleasantness of drinking; it helps in minimizing the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol by blocking certain receptors helping your brain to cope better with the no-alcohol condition. This medication is best used for treating long time alcoholics and can be actually effective when used along with other treatments.
Herbal remedies to stop drinking alcohol
There are a number of herbs that can be highly effective to stop the habit of drinking. These herbs actually help the body to cope with the alcohol withdrawal symptoms and can be highly effective in making the process of quitting alcohol simpler. These herbs also help the body to get back to its normal condition through detoxification, which can be effective to attain relief. But, again, herbal remedies are not the one stop fix, to fight the problem of alcohol addiction they should be used along with other therapies to get the best results. Some of the best known herbal remedies for stopping alcohol include,
Kudzu
Kudzu is a well known herbal remedy for alcohol addiction. The active ingredient present in the starchy roots of this herb is known as daidzin which is immensely effective in curing the craving for alcohol. Due to the proven effectiveness of this compound in killing the alcohol cravings, currently it is also being used in making medicines for treatment of alcohol addiction. It can also control a number of major alcohol withdrawal symptoms like, headache, nausea, irritability and lack of focus.
St. John’s Wort
This herb is known for being one of the best natural anti depressant. The pigments of the flower of this herb contains the chemical hyperforin which can be effective to control depression and any kind of mental irritability that are common in people trying to quit alcohol. This herb can effectively help in fighting the mental trauma one faces while quitting alcohol and hence can be highly helpful to stop alcohol addiction.
Angelica
Angelica is also highly effective in treating alcoholism. This herb works in more than one ways to make the process of quitting alcohol more comfortable. Angelica has some active ingredients that works on the dopamine receptors present in the brain and blocks the rewarding process, making alcohol least pleasant for you. The herb also has antihistamine properties that can be effective for calming the mind of compulsive drinkers. Moreover, this herb has a detoxifying effect on the body which helps in reducing the alcohol withdrawal symptoms all together.
Evening primrose
The extracts of the seeds of this herb can be effective to negate the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol effectively. It helps in removing the toxins from the intestine and hence makes it easier for the body to cope without alcohol. It helps in rebalancing the intestinal ecosystem by flushing out the intestinal bacteria that has become habituated with alcohol and thus helps in rebalancing the body to its normal state. Evening primrose extract can be actually helpful to overcome the addiction and to get back to the normal.
Apart from the ones mentioned above there are also many other herbal treatments like, dandelion roots, ginseng, chamomile, milk thistle that can be helpful to reduce the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol and to help in getting back to the balanced state of the body and mind.
Hypnosis for curing alcohol addiction
Currently much emphasize is being placed on the hypnosis therapy for curing alcoholism. This therapy is not very old in the field of therapies for treating this problem, but its effectiveness is believed to be amazing. Under hypnosis therapy either the patient is scheduled for counseling by the therapist in his/her chamber or a recording is provided to the person for listening, which helps in giving the results. However, your therapist may suggest you both if needed.
In hypnosis therapy, the person trying to quit alcohol is made aware about how alcohol is ruining his life and health. As it works on the psychological level of the addict, hence it can be highly effective to bring out the expected results. This therapy also makes the person realize that he can easily do it and can do it even better without alcohol. It informs the person about the ways how he can quit alcohol and can stay away from it.
Usually the frequency of the counseling or the prescribed frequency of listening to the recording is high during the first 2-3 weeks and slowly one might need only a few sessions during the week to quit alcohol. However, the effectiveness of this therapy fully depends on the efficiency of the therapist and hence it is really important that you avail this treatment only from the right therapist.
Meditation for curing alcohol addiction
Meditation is the other way that can help you to stop drinking easily. Meditation works in multiple ways to help an addict feel better even without alcohol. Practicing meditation regularly can be highly effective to relax your senses and to lower anxiety. A relaxed mind can work more efficiently and can deal with the problems of life in a better way, which is sure to help in dealing with the issues that might have propelled you to take up drinking, at the first place.
Moreover, as meditation relaxes your mind, you no more need to depend on alcohol for relaxing. By calming your mind it cures many of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms like irritability, not being able to sleep, lack of focus and others. Meditation makes you more aware about yourself and your body, and hence once you start practicing meditation the harmful effects of alcohol on your body and mind becomes even more evident to you, which helps you to develop a natural dislike for alcohol.
Meditation is a simple process and it takes only minimum time to practice, but once you start practicing it, you are sure to feel the results within short span of time. So, if you have been fighting to stop alcohol, start learning meditation from an accomplished master and continue practicing it regularly to get the best results.
