How to Stop Drinking Alcohol and Why You Must Do It Now

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Do you want to know how to quit drinking alcohol? Many people have trouble with alcohol. They want to stop drinking for better health. Alcohol can hurt your body and mind in many ways. When you drink too much, it affects your work, family, and daily life.

Stopping alcohol is not easy, but it is possible. Millions of people have quit drinking and changed their lives. They feel better and sleep better. They have more energy. Their relationships get better, and they save money too.

If you are wondering how to quit drinking alcohol, you are in the right place. In this article, we will share some tips to help you stop drinking and explain why you should do it. We will also share some extra tips to help you stay sober after you quit. We gathered the information from various sources, Monday (22/9/2025).

Before we begin, you may want to know why you need to quit drinking. Drinking too much alcohol brings so many negative effects for your health and life, and quitting can be very beneficial for you. Here are several reasons why you must quit drinking:

1. Your Heart Will Get Stronger

When you quit drinking, your heart becomes healthier. Alcohol can damage your heart muscle. It causes serious problems. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism explains that drinking heavily for a long time makes the heart muscle weak. This causes a heart disease called cardiomyopathy. Alcohol also makes blood pressure go up. It creates uneven heartbeats. By stopping alcohol, you protect your heart. You reduce these dangerous risks.

2. You Will Have Better Sleep

Quitting alcohol helps you sleep much better. Many people think alcohol helps them sleep. But it actually makes sleep worse. The NHS explains that alcohol might help you fall asleep faster. But it breaks up your normal sleep patterns. It stops deep, restful sleep. When you stop drinking, you will wake up feeling more rested. You will have better energy all day.

3. Your Cancer Risk Goes Down

Stopping alcohol greatly reduces your risk of getting cancer. The CDC states that all alcoholic drinks are linked to cancer. This includes wine, beer, and liquor. Even small amounts of alcohol can increase your cancer risk. This is especially true for breast cancer in women. When you quit drinking, you protect yourself from throat cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, and other types of cancer.

4. Your Immune System Gets Stronger

When you stop drinking, your body can fight illness better. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that drinking too much alcohol weakens your immune system. It makes your body an easy target for diseases. Without alcohol, your immune system works properly. It keeps you healthy against infections and illnesses.

5. You Will Look and Feel Better

Quitting alcohol makes you look and feel better every day. The NHS notes that people who stop drinking notice changes right away. They feel better in the mornings. They have less tiredness during the day. Their skin looks better. They feel more energetic. They control their weight better. Your skin clears up. You have more energy. You feel happier overall.

Just like any other addiction, quitting drinking is not easy. It needs a strong willingness to be successful. However, there are some tips that will help you quit drinking alcohol. If you want to know how to quit drinking alcohol, here are several tips to help you achieve your goal:

1. Keep Track of Your Drinking

Before you quit completely, write down when and how much you drink. Harvard Medical School suggests keeping a detailed drinking diary. Do this for three to four weeks. Write down every time you have a drink. Include what you drank, how much, and where you were. This helps you understand your drinking patterns. You will see how much you really drink.

2. Find and Handle Your Triggers

Learn what situations make you want to drink. Plan how to handle them. The CDC says that some people, places, or activities make you want to drink more than planned. You should spend less time in those situations. Write down your triggers. Create a plan to avoid each one or cope with each one.

3. Set Clear Goals and Write Them Down

After understanding your drinking patterns, decide exactly what you want to achieve. Harvard Medical School recommends writing down all the reasons you want to reduce drinking. These might be feeling healthier, sleeping better, or improving your relationships. Write down why you want to quit. Keep this list where you can see it every day. This will give you motivation.

4. Get Professional Help

Talk to a doctor or counselor about your plans to quit drinking. Verywell Mind explains that getting help from a mental health professional is important. They can help you cope with the many challenges you will face. These challenges happen on your path to sobriety. A healthcare professional can help you quit safely. They will give you the right support.

5. Remove Alcohol from Your Home

Getting rid of alcohol in your house makes quitting easier. The CDC suggests removing alcohol from your home. Also, remove it from places where you spend a lot of time. When alcohol is not easily available, you are less likely to drink. Ask family members to support you. Ask them not to bring alcohol home.

6. Set Daily Limits and Budget

While you are reducing your drinking, set clear limits. Decide how much you will spend and drink each day. The NHS recommends setting a budget. Only take a fixed amount of money to spend on alcohol. This stops you from drinking more than you planned. Decide how many drinks you will have. Stick to that number.

7. Plan Alcohol-Free Days

Start by choosing specific days when you will not drink at all. The CDC recommends planning alcohol-free days every week. You might start with two days per week without alcohol. Then increase to more days. This helps your body get used to life without alcohol.

Now that you have quit drinking alcohol, the next challenge you must face is to stay sober and never touch it again. This can be really hard because it's very easy to be tempted to taste alcohol again. Here are some useful tips to help you stay sober after you quit drinking alcohol:

1. Build a Strong Support Network

Having people who support your sobriety is very important for success. WebMD recommends relying on close friends and family for support. This is true even if your relationships have been damaged. Consider going to counseling or family therapy. This can repair relationships and deal with personal issues. Tell your family and friends about your goal to stay sober. Ask for their help.

2. Avoid Risky Situations

Stay away from places and people that make you want to drink. Verywell Mind explains that some things make quitting harder. If you quit drinking but continue with the same routine, it will be difficult. If you hang around the same people and places without making any changes, it will be much easier to return to your old drinking habits. Change your daily route if needed. Find new places to spend your time.

3. Find New Activities You Enjoy

Replace drinking with healthy activities. Choose things that give you pleasure and purpose. WebMD suggests finding meaningful activities. You could start an exercise routine. Exercise releases feel-good brain chemicals called endorphins. You could also volunteer for a good cause. New hobbies help you meet sober friends. They help you stay busy.

4. Learn to Handle Stress

Develop healthy ways to deal with stress without alcohol. WebMD says that at some point in recovery, you will feel stressed out. This could be major stress like losing a job. It could be minor stress, like running late for an appointment. Try exercise, meditation, or talking to someone you trust when you feel stressed.

5. Celebrate Your Progress

Recognize and reward your success in staying sober. Verywell Mind notes that acknowledging and celebrating the hard work of recovery helps. It keeps you motivated. It reminds you why you took this brave step toward sobriety in the first place. Celebrate each week, month, and year of sobriety. Use healthy rewards that support your new lifestyle.

6. Prepare for Social Situations

There will be times when you have to go to an event where there are alcoholic drinks right and left. For this moment, you should prepare yourself and find a reason to refuse any drink offer. There are many ways you can do it. For example, WebMD suggests being the designated driver. This gives you a quick and easy explanation for why you are not drinking. It also gives you a sense of purpose that helps you stay focused. You can also try mocktails. These look like alcoholic drinks but contain no alcohol.

Quitting drinking is one of the best decisions you can make for your health and happiness. With determination, support, and the right strategies, you can successfully stop drinking. You can enjoy a sober life. Remember that recovery is a process. Each day without alcohol is a victory worth celebrating.