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April is Alcohol Awareness Month and a good time to consider cutting back on drinking.
Small changes can help in reducing the harm that alcohol can cause and drinking less can lower the risk of developing problems.
Finding the right tips and tricks to help cut down on drinking is important. Try these tips and if they don't work, try others until you find the ones that help you cut back on your alcohol consumption.
* Set a realistic goal by writing down a plan of how many drinks you want to drink per day and how many days you want to drink. Writing down your goal can help to remind you that you want to limit your drinking.
* Count your drinks. Recording your drinks may help in reducing or slowing down your drinking.
* Measure what you drink. Learn what counts as a standard drink so you can accurately measure.
In the United States, one “standard” drink (or one alcoholic drink equivalent) contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in 12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5 percent alcohol; 5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12 percent alcohol; and 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is about 40 percent alcohol.
* Pace yourself. Sip your drinks slowly and make sure to have only one drink per hour.
* Space your drinks. Using drink spacers such as nonalcoholic beverages between drinks can slow your alcohol consumption.
* Don't forget to eat. For some, eating food will reduce cravings for alcohol. Eating a meal at times when you usually drink may reduce the amount you drink and will certainly slow the absorption of alcohol.
* Know your triggers. It's a good idea to avoid situations in which you are used to drinking.
* Do something else. Try substituting other activities during the times that you usually drink. Finding something you enjoy that will occupy the time like exercising, making new friends, hobbies, or spending more time with your family.
* Learn how to say no. Learn to politely say “no thank you” and really mean it. Say it quickly and firmly so that you don't give yourself time to change your mind.
Cutting back on alcohol consumption can have a range of mental, physical, social, and financial benefits. Ensure you have a plan in place and stick to it to see you through to your goals.
Additional resources can provide support if you find that cutting back isn’t working.
At Fort McCoy, both civilian employees and military members can contact the Employee Assistance Program at 608-388-2441/5955. Online resources include www.aa.org and www.smartrecovery.org.
(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Employee Assistance Program.)
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2020 17:04 |
| Story ID: | 366800 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort McCoy observes April as Alcohol Awareness Month, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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