Alcohol creates a lot of problems for everyone who deals with it. Many lives have been derailed by this insidious substance, many families have been destroyed. However, no negative examples can make an alcoholic give up his favorite poison. A non-drinker thinks that you can simply stop drinking alcohol, and life will immediately shine with new colors. But the fact is that any addiction has a reason. Therefore, it is foolish to eliminate the symptoms, ignoring the disease itself, here you need to understand what alcohol gives a person, why he needs his dubious help.
Causes of alcoholism
Of course, after drinking alcohol, the body experiences a bunch of negative consequences. Many curse alcohol in the morning, swear that they will never touch this muck again, but next weekend they obediently go for a bottle of their favorite drink. Why, despite the catastrophic damage to he alth, people continue to drink strong drinks? They give a person something that is not in his daily life - the opportunity to relax.
The average hard worker is so busy during the working day that he has no time to rest and relax. Yes, and during the holidays, things rarely leave the poor fellow alone, disturbing thoughts constantly rush through his head, prevent him from cooling down and restoring peace of mind. And here alcohol comes to the rescue - it relieves nervous tension, relieves stress, allows you to forget. Therefore, while your life is filled with stress and anxiety, it will not be easy to break the addiction.
Replacement or substitution?
Every drinker must have a period when a close relationship with alcohol begins to interfere with normal life. An understanding comes that without it life would be much better, but the addiction has already been formed, the insidious habit will not go away without a fight. Few know what they replace alcohol with, but even fewer are those who are trying to replace it, and not just replace it. It often seems that you can keep the old way of life, just replace strong drinks with their non-alcoholic counterparts.
Purchases of kvass, non-alcoholic beer, juices and other drinks begin. Only the habit itself does not go anywhere, just instead of alcoholic drinks, mineral water is poured into glasses, and beer glasses are filled with kvass. This approach almost always leads to a breakdown, since the craving for alcohol does not go anywhere, and the relaxation that it brought disappears. Yes, and the company remains the same, which only increases the temptation to skip a glass. Therefore, you need to find something that can replace alcohol, and not just replacehim, creating the illusion of a former life.
Sports
One of the best options for getting rid of alcohol addiction is playing sports. Physical activity relieves stress no worse than alcohol, but at the same time brings only benefits to the body. The relaxation mechanism here is almost the same as when drinking alcohol, but the reason for these processes is different. After you plow an hour or two in the gym, there will simply be no strength left for tension and stress. The nervous system will relax, anxiety will go away, leaving room for bliss and peace.
At the same time, sports training becomes more and more interesting over time, and when the first results begin to appear, you will be irresistibly pulled into the gym. Sport is the best thing that replaces alcohol, since it is impossible to achieve a good result in it by continuing the romance with strong drinks. Moreover, feeling strong and he althy, a person is unlikely to want to give up his he alth for the sake of dubious pleasure.
Sleep
Finding what to replace alcohol with to relax rarely leads to the most simple and obvious option. Meanwhile, he althy sound sleep is an excellent natural stress reliever. Having slept, a person completely removes the stress accumulated during the day, and also restores strength for a new working day. Deep prolonged sleep removes the need for artificial rest, makes a person balanced and he althy.
For a start, you can simply develop the habit of going to bed early and getting enough sleep. This will lead to the fact that the thirst for alcohol will become less, if not completely disappear. The best time to sleep is from midnight to 5 am, since it is at this time that hormones are produced that contribute to the speedy recovery of the body. For someone who is used to living at the crazy pace that the modern world offers us, it will be a real discovery how much life changes if you get enough sleep.
Food
Delicious and he althy food is another way to say goodbye to unnecessary addiction. In search of something to replace alcohol in life, we often forget that every gathering with strong drinks is accompanied by a hearty snack. Food at such events is often much tastier than coveted drinks. At the first urge to skip a glass or two, you can just start cooking something delicious. It will distract the mind and occupy the hands. The taste of good food is much more enjoyable than drinking. Over time, this will become apparent, and cravings will lessen, if not subside.
Of course, there are pitfalls that can spoil all the joy of a sober lifestyle. There is a possibility that one addiction will simply be replaced by another. Against the background of the refusal of alcohol, an unhe althy addiction to food can arise, which will lead to obesity and other he alth problems. Therefore, in food, as in everything, you need to know the measure.
Holidays
The hardest thing for a beginner teetotaleroccurs during the holidays. Here is the usual company, which, most likely, will negatively perceive your decision to stop drinking. Alcoholic drinks will flow like water, and you will be offered a drink more than once, sometimes even very persistently. It is important to be firm in this matter, and when your friends realize that you are serious, they will respect your decision, since many of them probably secretly want to get rid of alcoholism for a long time.
Just because you quit drinking doesn't mean you can't have fun with everyone. Drinks that replace alcohol will perfectly help here. You can slowly sip the juice, enjoying its taste, so as not to feel like a black sheep. Moreover, food taken on a sober head will be much tastier, since alcohol dulls all sensations, including taste. And you can enjoy communication and good company without alcohol. What's more, when your drunken comrades are dreaming, nestling their faces comfortably in their bowls of olivier, you can continue the fun.
Life without alcohol
If you have to look for a substitute for alcohol, then you have already felt the influence of this poison. The fact is that since childhood we have been deceived, talking about the mythical culture of drinking, creating an image of something good around alcohol. In fact, no matter how much alcohol you take, it is harmful in any amount and in any form. Of course, today many medical professionals talk about the benefits of small doses of alcohol at dinner. It is important to understand that they are also people capable ofmake mistakes and justify your actions.
TV commercials are constantly shown in which happy people sip beer with pleasure or brutal men pour vodka into glasses on the hunt. Alcoholic beverage companies will go to any lengths to get you hooked on their products. Unfortunately, no one takes alcohol seriously, although its effects are comparable to hard drugs. We have become accustomed to the fact that to relax you need to drink a bottle of beer or smoke a cigarette. No one can enjoy life just like that, without psychotropic substances. But life is the best substitute for alcohol for relaxation.
To a future without booze
Every year in our country, and beyond its borders, fewer people fall into the network of alcohol addiction. Sports are becoming more and more popular among young people, the new generation is not willing to pay money to be bullied. Of course, the alcohol companies won't go away without a fight. And it’s not a fact that other, equally harmful substances will not take their place. Pharmacists are ready to offer pills that replace alcohol, uplifting, removing anxiety and stress. But replacing one addiction with another is not the best option. We will always be taught that without this and that it is impossible to enjoy life, that only a bottle, cigarette or tablet can make the evening unforgettable. It is important to remember that the best substitute for alcohol is life itself.