Set drinking limits
Decide beforehand how much you are going to drink – and then stick to it. Avoid ‘borrowing’ drinks from the next day. Try to make the limits ‘reasonable’ – ideally within the recommended guidelines.
Keep a record of your drinking
Make a note of your drinking on a daily basis. Calculate your drinking in terms of alcohol units -this is the most accurate way of measuring your intake.
Learn to drink slowly
Avoid ‘rushing’ your drinks as this can often lead to it running out of control. Timing your drinking against the clock often helps – make a pint last an hour or more.
Start drinking later in the day
If you normally start drinking at 7pm say, have your first drink at 8.30pm. Of course this will only work if you avoid extending your drinking time. So resist the temptation to buy a large round at ‘last orders’ or take home a ‘carry out’.
Eat before drinking
Drinking on an empty stomach can lead to rapid intoxication therefore loss of control. It can also be more harmful to the stomach, especially if you have ulcers. A meal before drinking can produce a ‘full up’ feeling and thereby reduce the desire to drink heavily.
Switch to lower strength drinks
Cutting down your drinking can be tricky if you drink the stronger types of drinks such as super-lagers or neat spirits. It’s much easier if you drink ordinary strength beers or ‘light’ wines such as Lambrusco. If you do drink spirits try lots of mixer or iced water. Drinking low alcohol (L.A.) or alcohol-free drinks, such as Barbican, can also help. Some people have drink ‘sandwiches’ i.e. a pint of ordinary beer, followed by 2 pints of L.A. and then another ordinary pint.
Keep occupied
Playing pool, dominoes or cards when drinking can often slow down your drinking and help you drink less.
Avoid heavy drinkers
If you drink with heavy drinkers it’s likely that you’ll drink more and you’ll drink faster. It can be useful therefore to try to drink with more moderate or light drinkers.
Avoid drinking in rounds
Drinking in rounds can often result in you drinking more than you intended, especially when a large group of people is involved. Although it may seem a bit anti-social, buying your own drinks will give you more control over your drinking.
Learn ‘drink refusal’
Some people who do not understand about drinking problems may try to put pressure on you to drink more than you’d planned. It’s important therefore that you have effective strategies for resisting these pressures. Being assertive and practising responses such as “No thanks, I’m under Doctors orders to cut down” can prove useful in dealing with these situations.
Limit your spending power
It may prove useful to limit the amount of money you take ith you when you go drinking. If you only take £5 for example, you will be limited to just 3 or 4 pints of beer. It’s important though to resist the temptation to borrow money to drink more than you planned.
Have a dry period
If you find you’re unable to reduce your drinking to your target level it’s worth considering a period completely off drink. A few weeks without alcohol may be helpful in gaining a useful degree of control over your drinking. If you then want to try a return to moderate drinking start with a very low limit (e.g. 5 units per week) and then gradually increase it to your desired level.
Find a new pastime instead of drinking
Develop hobbies or pastimes that do not include drinking-related pursuits, such as going to the cinema or ten-pin bowling or doing other sports.
