Most people who have quit drinking have done so on their own, without the need for an expensive treatment facility. This self-treatment begins by recognizing that one MUST change their daily habits if they are to be truly healthy and happy with their lives.
After committing to changing their lifestyle, they attack the problem from all directions. They do not let one mistake ruin their resolve, but change their approach when they need to.
Self-Treatment Checklist
1. Look in the mirror and you will see your best friend. The most effective treatment you can receive will be what you give yourself. It is SELF-TREATMENT. You must come to the realization that YOU have the ultimate control over your daily habits. Don’t have a hatred towards the person in the mirror – have a hatred towards alcohol and what IT’S done to the person in the mirror.
2. Recognize the truth that you’re going to have to change your daily habits if you want to get sober. Remember, nothing changes if nothing changes. You will begin to see your life changing for the better AS SOON AS you begin to change what your DO each day.
3. Remove temptations and reminders – The power of out-of-sight, out-of-mind cannot be overestimated. Stop storing alcohol at home or work. Throw away any supply you may have. Throw away glassware or bar-ware that is specifically designed for drinking. Once you remove these things from your life you will notice a dramatic sense of having cleansed yourself of negative influences.
4. Make a list of SPECIFIC changes and attack your problem from multiple directions. The most effective form of self-treatment for alcoholism is to simultaneously make several SMALL changes in your life. Even if you do not succeed in one area, or have a setback, you can still achieve success in all the others. Do not let one mistake ruin your resolve, but continue to attack the issue from all angles.
5. Notice what works, and what doesn’t work. Each of us has a different path to sobriety, and what has worked for someone else may not work for you. A failure to quit drinking is almost always due to a flawed strategy, not a flawed person.
Self Treatment: Help Yourself to a Better Life
The best treatment you can receive for alcoholism is that which you give to yourself. The statement of “once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic” is simply not true, because the past does NOT equal the future!
As soon as you commit yourself to changing your daily habits, you begin to move yourself in the direction of sobriety. Commit yourself to making that change today. You’ll be glad you did. ♦