Self-Help Guide to Substance Abuse

Take a look at how keeping an honest log or calendar of your drinking habits can help you to overcome your dependency problem.

They say that the first step to solving a personal problem is to admit that you have just that-a problem. While this is somewhat true, especially when the problem is alcohol related, you need to slowly work yourself to some desired goal, whether it's to stop drinking all together, or to moderate your consumption (which a doctor can help you decide based an overall health analysis).

Back in college (or university), there was a track coach (who eventually coached the Olympic team) who told his runners that you had to visualize your goals, and in your mind, watch yourself run the entire race in optimal form. He also told his runners to write down their goals in a small journal each and every day.

When this is applied to someone suffering from alcoholism or abuse, it may help him or her substantially control certain drinking habits. For the first entry in your "stop drinking journal," write down the reason that you want to cut down or abstain from alcohol. You can either write it in paragraph form or make a list that you'll be able to read clearly if you ever need reminded. The list may include such reasons as: to sleep or get along with my family better, or to improve health.

Next, as the track coach would have his runners jot down their goals, so should you. Each and every day you should limit your alcohol intake to only one or two glasses, and no more. Write down this goal for each new day in your journal. And, if you don't think you can start there, go ahead and create a chart that diagrams how much drinking you do each week.

Be honest with yourself and record how much you've drank each and every day. After three to four weeks, see how much you've consumed. And, if you feel able, share this information with your doctor, then s/he will help you assess if your drinking is should be considered problematic (which is usually a male who drinks more than two drinks per day, and a female who drinks more than one).

So, instead of allowing yourself to be victimized by your own emotions or self-control issues, start taking control with this simple step. If you're not sure that you have a problem, but you feel like you might, then chances are you do.

So, don't make excuses, monitor yourself daily. Once you're ready, perhaps you can share your material with your doctor or other professionals (or a therapy group) who understand what you're going through.

About the Author

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