Read on to take control of your life and put binge drinking in the past. Binge drinking can be a result of social pressure, but may also be a response to uncomfortable or unpleasant feelings. For example, people navigating co-occuring mental health conditions like anxiety or depression may seek alcohol to self-soothe and seek relief. While alcohol can provide temporary relief, it ultimately makes those ways to stop binge drinking negative feelings worse, and can create a cycle of binge drinking. Therapy is an incredibly effective tool for both changing your relationship with alcohol, addressing co-occuring mental health conditions, and learning to tolerate uncomfortable emotions without drinking. Many people believe that the term “binge drinking” refers to the consumption of mass quantities of alcohol in a short period of time.
That translates to about four or more drinks for an adult female or five or more drinks for an adult male. There are many cultural factors at play in binge drinking, and it can be difficult to change a behavioral pattern that society expects, even if those behaviors are objectively not good for your health. Start by talking to your loved ones or a healthcare provider openly about the effects of your drinking, and try to dig deeper into why you are binge drinking in the first place.
Tips to Stop Binge Drinking
Instead of criticizing yourself for having a hard time or slipping up and having a drink, remember that no one’s perfect. What matters most is your ability to maintain an open, curious outlook as you learn what does and doesn’t work for you. Maybe you’ve never been interested in logging your innermost thoughts, but journaling can be a great tool to track your feelings as you work on quitting alcohol. By avoiding alcohol, you’re taking a big step toward improving physical health.
Alcohol can damage body tissues and interfere with your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and break down harmful chemicals. These effects can increase your risk of various types of cancer, including mouth, throat, esophagus, breast, liver, and colon cancer. Binge drinking is particularly rampant among young adults who attend college.
Verbal Learning Skills
Know that you may feel worse in the short term as you practice new behaviors. For example, even though giving up dieting can help you to find peace with food, it may be scary to eat all of the food groups on a regular schedule if you have been a chronic dieter. However, facing these fears will reduce the risk of staying stuck in the binge eating cycle.
With that in mind, try planning alternative activities in place of drinking. For example, rather than going out to a bar or party, ask some of your closest friends if they’d like to have a movie night or game night instead. The National Helpline does not provide counseling, but it does connect callers with local resources such as counseling services, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ support groups, and treatment facilities. You might run into obstacles along the way that tempt you to drink. Keep in mind the reasons you chose to cut back on or quit alcohol. It’s common to have a difficult time when making big changes, but good self-care practices can help you manage overwhelming feelings and take care of your mind and body.