People drink for various reasons such as to socialize, to celebrate, to forget bitter moments and sometimes people even drink to muster courage to face a difficult situation.
Alcohol makes you feel happy. It helps you feel comfortable talking to people and helps you make friends. If you are a person who feels awkward in a social situation, alcohol makes it easier to shed your inhibitions and often makes you a better conversationalist.
Alcohol is a highly addictive drug. Not drinking may be a simple solution for a non-drinker, but it is much more complex than that for a person who is an alcoholic.
So why is it hard to quit drinking?
There are several reasons that make it challenging for someone to stop drinking on his own.
Long-term use of alcohol causes chemical changes in your brain. It affects your brain in such a way that it takes away your worries and stress, liberates inhibitions and makes you feel cheerful and happy. And when you begin to count on the benefits of consuming alcohol, it becomes harder for you to quit drinking.
Alcohol is one of the easily accessible drugs. Liquor shops are available everywhere. It's available for sale in restaurants, bars and clubs. Its presence everywhere and easy availability makes the person who is trying to stop drinking even harder to quit.
Alcohol affects different people differently. The alcohol stimulates and increases the production of feel good chemical “dopamine.” This generates feelings of happiness and contentment. More it is consumed, the greater the effect.
The regular use of alcohol drains the body of its vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients. This depletion leads to exhaustion and lethargy. To overcome this condition, alcohol is taken as the remedy and this vicious cycle goes on.
As per the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, uncontrolled alcohol use may lead to symptoms like depression and anxiety. This psychological effect is often dealt with by consumption of alcohol. It should be realized that this state becomes even worse when the effect of alcohol weans off.
A long-term use of alcohol makes an alcoholic physically dependent. The result of quitting abruptly may lead to more painful situations like withdrawals that may even be life-threatening.
A complete lifestyle change may require one to stop visiting bars, clubs and those places where alcohol is easily available. It's easy to stop drinking for 2 or 3 days, but it requires a drastic change in lifestyle to accept the challenge and embrace sobriety.
There may be more factors that may enslave you to be an alcoholic, but there are ways to break off this dependency.
If you understand how complicated it is to quit alcohol and are ready to reach for help, choose Ayurveda.
Ayurveda underlines that the outcome of alcohol affects not only the physical health but mental, emotional and spiritual health.
The effects that one seeks through consumption of alcohol can be achieved by other natural and health-benefiting habits.
Yoga: The practice of yoga enhances mental and physical well-being. It promotes relaxation, heart health, activates metabolism and improves immunity.
Massage: Massage helps in improving blood circulation, hydrates and rejuvenates the body and helps in calming the body and mind.
Aromatherapy: Incenses and wellness candles surround one with positivity and instantly brightens the mood and tranquility. A peaceful environment aids in combating internal state, stress and anxiety. It improves memory, concentration and provides a restful sleep.
Herbal supplements: We all know about the ill effects alcohol has on various organs of our body. Herbal supplements like Drink Stop detoxifies the body and improves liver function. It has no color, aroma, or taste. So, it is easy to mix this medicine with any food or drink without the knowledge of the alcoholic. It reduces the withdrawal symptoms to minimum.
These are the few simple but effective tools to break off from the chains of alcoholism.
Maintaining a balanced diet, exercising regularly, staying well hydrated and getting adequate sleep is essential for physical and psychological well-being.
Studies have demonstrated, alcohol impacts cognitive function and invites various health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and even cancer. It leads to negative and damaging behavior, familial discord and violence.
Thankfully, there are solutions to tackle this problem as discussed above to begin your journey towards sobriety and lead a happier and healthier life.