10 tips to help you cut back on your alcohol use
In response to my recent column on the health benefits of Dry January, readers wrote to ask for practical advice on reducing alcohol consumption throughout the year. Here are 10 ways to cut back:
1) Document your current intake.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has a helpful graphic for gauging the alcohol content of drinks, which can help track how much you drink. Are you consuming more than the recommended maximum, which is no more than one drink a day for women and two for men?
There are online questionnaires that can delve further into your relationship with alcohol. Stanford psychiatrist Keith Humphreys says there is one key question everyone should ask: “Who’s in control, you or the alcohol?” If it’s the latter or if you are not sure, that’s a red flag.
2) Realign norms. Many people might not be aware that their alcohol intake is excessive. “A lot of heavy drinkers often hang out with other heavy drinkers,” Humphreys said. They might have eight drinks when they go to the bar and think it’s average compared to their friends.
In fact, consuming more than five drinks on one occasion for men and four for women is defined as binge drinking, which is associated with many negative health effects. About 1 in 4 Americans engage in this behavior.
3) Find enjoyable activities not centered on alcohol.
The NIAAA reports that when asked about their alcohol consumption in the past month, about half of Americans said they didn’t drink at all. This means there are many social groups in which alcohol consumption is not the norm. People looking to cut back should seek out activities with these groups, which could include exercise, volunteering, and civic, cultural and religious activities.
4) Move alcohol out of your house.
“If you have the impulse in the evening to grab a beer or a glass of wine and it’s right there siting on the kitchen counter, that’s very easy,” Humphreys said. But if you have to leave your home, you are adding barriers for yourself. Create an environment “where it’s more work to drink than it is not to.”
5) Track the benefits. On the nights you drink less or not at all, do you sleep better? Are you sharper the next morning? Over time, is reduced drinking helping with your blood pressure or diabetes management? Have you lost weight? All of these positive effects can serve as additional motivation.
6) Note cost savings and reward yourself.
Humphreys told me he encourages patients to figure out exactly how much money they would otherwise have spent on alcohol. Let’s say they saved $150 a month. Think of this as earned prize money. “Buy a blouse, buy a pair of shoes or take your friends out for a movie,” he said. “That makes it not a sort of puritanical fist-clenching slog.”
7) Develop healthier drinking habits.
Experts I spoke to warned against the danger of binge drinking. It would be a mistake to abstain during the week just to “save up” and drink heavily over the weekend.
Another unhealthy habit is consistently drinking alone. Those who do so should ask themselves why they are drinking. Is it because they are bored, anxious or depressed? To cut down, they might need to address what’s prompting them to drink.
8) Embrace reductions. About 38 percent of Americans do not drink alcohol at all. Total abstinence works for them, but many others might find it a daunting goal. They might still want to enjoy the occasional glass of wine, but not drink in a way that’s detrimental to health.
The good news, according to Humphreys, is that this is possible. “There are far more people who can reduce successfully and be much healthier and still continue to drink alcohol,” he said.
9) Seek treatment.
While many can reduce consumption without professional assistance, some will need additional help. Those who consume large amounts of alcohol may be at risk of developing withdrawal symptoms if they stop suddenly. They might require inpatient treatment.
But most people do not need inpatient care, and for them, a variety of outpatient options exist. Underutilized medications such as naltrexone, disulfiram and acamprosate can be of great help, either by themselves or in combination with psychotherapy and counseling. Community-based support programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery have also helped millions of people. NIAAA has a treatment navigator. Contacting your primary-care physician is also a good place to start.
10) Know that a healthier relationship with alcohol is possible.
Humphreys says about 10 percent of the adult population had a significant problem with alcohol or drugs and has since recovered. “It’s a very common experience,” he said. No one should feel ashamed for seeking help, and “it’s rational to have hope.”