There is no shame in admitting that your alcohol consumption exceeds that of normal people or that you might be on your way to developing an alcohol problem. If you are hesitant to call for professional help immediately then there are some measures that you can take to cut down on your alcohol consumption by yourself. If these measures don’t work, then that means that you already have a problem and need to seek medical or professional help to fix it. Here are a few basic steps that should help you bring your drinking down to a healthier level.

Put It in Writing

Write down how many drinks you can have per day and how many days in a week you will drink and keep this paper in your wallet. People who have fixed limits for themselves tend to have moderate alcohol consumption because even if they do exceed the limit, the guilt does not let them drink too much.

Count Your Drinks

Making an effort to count each and every drink you have during the day whether it is home, in a club or at a restaurant will make your mind more aware regarding your drinking and it will automatically cut down your alcohol consumption.

Pace Yourself

A good idea to ensure that you have moderate alcohol consumption is to pace yourself. This means that you should make your drinks last longer, sipping slowly so that the time gap between two drinks is increased. People most likely to develop alcohol dependence are those who drink too much in the first hour or so.

Eat Beforehand

Firstly it is not wise to drink on an empty stomach so make sure you have had something to eat before you go out drinking. And secondly, a lot of people find that their alcohol consumption is cut down if they have had something to eat before because there are higher chances of vomiting etc. if you get drunk.

Keep Away From Your Demons

If you are trying to cut down on your alcohol consumption, it is only wise to stay away from those people, places or situations that tempt you to drink. It may be a particular club, a certain group of friends or certain situation acting as your trigger for drinking and your job is to stay away from them.

Say No!

There might often be situation when you are offered a drink and you are stuck because you have been drinking with the person in the past. Always remember, it is not a problem if you say no! Tell the person that you are trying to cut down on your alcohol consumption and they should understand. Make sure that you do not cave in to peer pressure and that your no is firm so that you and the other person both believe it.