How To Stop Drinking Alcohol In A Week's

What is a Standard Drink?

Some people may be unaware that their “regular” amount of alcohol consumption may already be approaching problematic levels. It’s feasible that some of these Issues with gauging drinking are added to by the fact that it’s somewhat difficult to understand what a standard drink is and how much drinking is considered “moderate. In the United States, a standard drink contains 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol which is found in:5

• 12-ounces of beer (5% alcohol content).
• 8-ounces of malt liquor (7% alcohol content).
• 5-ounces of wine (12% alcohol content).
• 5-ounces of 80-proof (40% alcohol content) distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., vodka, whiskey, gin, rum).

Heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week for men or 8 drinks or more per week for women.12 According to the NIAAA, binge drinking entails a pattern of alcohol consumption that results in blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of 0.08 g/dL and above.4 For adult men, that’s usually around 5 drinks in a couple of hours, and for adult women, it’s generally about 4.4

        Defining Alcohol Use Disorder

AUD or alcoholism is a chronic, relapsing disease that is diagnosed based on an individual meeting certain criteria outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).6 To be diagnosed with AUD, individuals must meet any two of the below criteria within the same 12-month period:6

1. There have been several times when you drank more than you intended or for longer than you intended.
2. You spend a lot of time drinking, and/or feeling sick the next day because of drinking.
3. You tried to stop drinking more than once, but you were unable to do so.
4. You experienced cravings for alcohol.
5. Drinking or being sick from drinking interfered with work, family responsibilities, school, or social engagements.
6. You continued to drink despite consequences at work, at school, with family, etc.
7. You cut back on hobbies or activities that were important to you, so you could drink instead.
8. You continued to drink despite changes to mood, such as depression or anxiety, or drinking too much began to affect other aspects of your mental or physical health. Alternately, you suffered more than one memory blackout.
9. You drank even though doing so increased your chances of getting hurt, such as drinking before driving.
10. You continue to drink even though you feel like you need to drink more to achieve the original effects.
11. You experienced withdrawal, including physical symptoms, when you did not drink.

How To Stop Drinking Alcohol

While no single form of rehabilitation will be an appropriate fit for everyone, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) outlines several principles of effective treatment for treating drug and alcohol addiction.7 Many alcohol addiction treatment programs operate with similar principles. In general, treatment for AUD will include:

Detox:

When making attempts to quit drinking, a medical detox is often the starting place on the road to recovery. Detoxing from alcohol can be unpleasant the associated acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome can be life-threatening when left unmanaged. However, proper medical management can help ease any discomfort and/or address serious complications that may occur. The process involves medical supervision and medication to help you stay as safe and comfortable as possible while dealing with the Symtoms of alcohol withdrawal .8 At a medical detox facility, you can expect to receive 24-hour supervision, monitoring and, when needed, appropriate medical intervention.9

Treatment:

Depending on your needed level of treatment, you may be treated in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Inpatient rehabilitation programs include both short- (28 or 30 days) and longer-term (90+ days) programs.10 In an inpatient or residential setting, patients live at the treatment facility while receiving round-the-clock supervision and support from staff and their peers.10

In outpatient programs, those working toward recovery live at home or other outside residences while receiving addiction treatment.9,10 Though these programs only require attendance during treatment sessions, they may vary in intensity and time commitment. Programming can range from hour-long sessions a few times a week to several hours per day.

Regardless of setting, all treatment plans offer a variety of recovery programming such as individual and group counseling, coping skills education, and relapse prevention techniques. Individuals may also participate in behavioral therapies (i.e., Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy) designed to change maladaptive thoughts and behaviors, promote stress management and effective coping mechanisms, and decrease relapse risks.9,10

Aftercare:

Following the successful completion of a rehabilitation program, it is important to find avenues of continued support to improve chances of avoiding relapse and remaining sober. For many, maintaining sobriety is a lifelong process that requires commitment, self-compassion, and patience—all of which may benefit from ongoing support via aftercare services According to the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 84% of treatment facilities offer aftercare services,11 and those that don’t will typically help alumni devise an aftercare plan prior to program completion. Some of the more commonly utilized aftercare services include 12-Step meetings (AA), regular sessions with a counselor or therapist, sober living residences, and non-12-Step groups like SMART Recovery.