The Incremental Path to Sobriety: A Guided Approach
With sobriety on the rise, more and more people are either actively trying to get sober or just plain curious about it. If you belong to either category, don’t plunge headfirst into quitting cold turkey.
As an ex-alcoholic and liver failure survivor, I can attest to the fact that it’s significantly easier to start by just drinking less.
Why drink less first? Because when we’re trying to get sober, we’re essentially trying to recondition our bodies to expect less alcohol. A high tolerance is our body’s defense mechanism in preparation for an addiction, and an incapability to process alcohol efficiently.
By drinking less alcohol, the way a casual drinker would, we’re attempting to reverse that effect.
The downsides? You might not get a buzz as fast. You might not even feel it at all. But that’s exactly the point. If you’re on your way to sobriety, the goal is to avoid getting drunk and blacking out.
Here’s a practical tip: pick a date to start practicing drinking less. If you usually have five drinks a day, try cutting down to four for a couple of weeks. Along the way, hydrate more. The key is to not rush the process. Be patient, be real.
By consuming less, we’re teaching our bodies and our brains to adjust to the new normal. Over time, you might find it easy to drop down to two or even one drink a day.
Once you’re there, you’ll likely find that quitting becomes the easy part. But be warned, staying quit can be challenging. If you’re finding it hard to maintain sobriety, remember that you’re not alone. Reach out, whether it’s to a trusted friend or a professional. As an ex-alcoholic, I offer my support to anyone who’s struggling. Connect with me on Beyond Sober or Sober Not Sober if you need help on your journey.
