Keep a drink journal (on paper or via an app)
To give up successfully you have to be honest about how much you drink. Keeping track of everything can help with this (and don’t lie to yourself, which is what I used to do, then feel ashamed – you will know if you have a problem).
A journal can also help you identify your triggers, which are the feelings that lead to you picking up a drink. For me, it was family visits. Whenever I came home from my parents’ house, I thought: “God, I need a drink.” When you know what triggers you, you can start to manage or avoid it.
Avoid temptation
I used to love a glass of wine when I was making dinner, chopping up the veg. My arm would instinctively go out for the glass. Then I would run a bath and continue drinking while I was in there. So what did I do after I gave up? I started to take showers. And I stopped making dinner for a while.
If you’ve decided to stop drinking and you go to the supermarket, avoid the alcohol aisle. If you find yourself there, ask yourself why.
To start with, I switched to fizzy drinks to get that sugar fix, but that wasn’t particularly healthy either. Three years on, I am happy with drinking camomile tea but it took me a while to get here.
Don’t go out
You go to a bar or a restaurant and everyone around you is drinking alcohol – so why put yourself in that position? If you’re doing Dry January, there’s a built-in excuse: it’s cold and you don’t have any money. Otherwise, just give yourself permission to stay at home or go home early. Nominate yourself as designated driver. Put your sobriety first.
Think of your overall health
It’s not just your liver – it’s your brain chemistry, your kidneys: all of these have to heal. When I was tempted to pick up a glass, I imagined my insides to be lurid neon green. The longer I went without a drink, the nicer the colour they became in my imagination.
Moving around physically can really help: take up yoga or join a gym. If you have been drinking heavily, be aware that your coordination may take time to recover and don’t expect too much.
Fill your brain with books and podcasts to replace the call for booze. If you feel you need therapy to nourish your mind and get rid of the guilt or other difficult emotions, seek it out.
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