According to the Baldwin Research Institute organized treatment programs actually lessen your chances of success. The reasoning is that programs typically fail due to many alcoholics seeking external resources for recovery instead of internal wherewithal.

According to a 1990 article, Research Issues in Assessing Addiction Treatment Efficacy, posted on the Stanton Peele Addiction Website, “Contemporary treatment for alcoholism owes its existence more to historical processes than to science…”

Increase your chances of success by using your support system, resources, and most importantly trust in yourself to keep to your decision to stay sober.

.1 Don?t forget that it’s o.k. to simply say, “No thank you,? when you are offered a drink. If you?re questioned merely say that you don’t drink, or that you don’t feel like drinking just then.

2. Attempt to stay away from situations that might lead to being pressured to drink. Visiting a bar with your drinking buddies might not be the best place to work on your resolve to quit drinking.

3. Hang out with those who support your decision. Surround yourself with sympathetic people who care about you, your health, and your resolve to quit drinking.

4. Be kind to yourself. Make peace inside yourself regarding your decision to quit. Don?t let uncertainty take over your thoughts regarding your ability to stay sober. You are in control of the decision and nobody else. Tim Kizer, who has been sober for over 7 years quips, “quitting drinking is the easy part, it’s the staying quit that is the key.”

5. Don?t simply take it one day at a time. You must take it one moment at a time. The decision whether to drink or not drink is made in a moment?s time. When faced with that question, make the decision to stay healthy and sober.

Here are some steps can help you if your doctor tells you to cut down on your drinking:

1. Write down the reasons you wish to cut down or stop.
Why do you want to drink less? There may be a number of reasons why you want to cut down or stop drinking. The reasons may be to improve your health, sleep better, or get along better with your family or friends. Make a list of all the reasons why you want to drink less.

2. Set a goal of how much you will drink.
Decide, before you begin drinking, exactly how many drinks you will have. You may decide to cut down or not to drink at all. If you are cutting down, keep below these limits:

Women: No more than one alcoholic drink per day
Men: No more than two alcoholic drinks per day

A drink is:
one 12-ounce bottle of beer;
one 5-ounce glass of wine; or
one 1 1/2-ounce shot of liquor.

Depending on any medical issues you may have these limits may be too high. Talk with your doctor and decide on a limit that is right for you.

Write your goal on a piece of paper. Put it where you can see it daily, such as on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the last two free audios on “Programming Yourself for Success”, this next audio is all about “How To Get In Life What You Ask For”.

(These audio extracts are taken from Lee Milteer’s highly acclaimed “Life Strategies” course, which contains 6 full hours of life changing information)

All you need to do is hit the play button below and it will start automatically (make sure you turn up your speakers - audio lasts about 6 minutes).

I hope you enjoy this great audio “lesson”, and please let me know what you think in the comments area below.

I’ve just uploaded this excellent audio on how to “Program Yourself for Success”, it’s taken from Lee Milteer’s highly acclaimed “Life Strategies” course…

…and shows you how to take control of your life and tap into your inner talents to realize your true potential.

All you need to do is hit the play button below and it will start automatically. (It’s just over 8 minutes long and is 100% useful information)

Enjoy, and please leave your comments below. Thanks.

…..

If you believe that you are drinking too much you can recover your life and health by reducing your alcohol consumption. What exactly entails drinking too much?

Read the following questions and answer “yes” or “no”:

Do you drink alone when you are angry or sad?
Does your drinking ever make you late for work or appointments?
Does your family believe your drinking excessive?
Do you drink after telling yourself you won’t?
Do you ever not remember what you did while you were drinking?
Do you frequently have a hang-over or get headaches after you have been drinking?

You may have a problem with alcohol if you answered “yes” to any of these questions. If you have any questions you can always consult with your medical doctor to be sure. Your doctor should be able to tell you whether it is in your best interest to simply cut down or completely abstain.

If you are having medical problems directly related to your alcohol consumption, you should not just reduce the amount you drink –you should stop drinking completely. Your doctor will advise you about what is right for you.

In comparison people living in Europe also consume a lot of alcohol. Much of it is wine drank during meals and, as it’s drunk with meals, it is consumed pretty slowly.

Most European countries therefore don’t see the same problem with binge drinking that the UK does.

In the UK, research shows that people are more likely to drink for shorter periods of time although consume much more alcohol. Beer is a typical favorite and it gets knocked back quickly. Also in the UK, getting drunk is often the goal for the evening.

In the rest of Europe, people go out to have a drink. In the UK, they go out to specifically get drunk. This is something that I don’t understand.

Recent studies appearing in the British Medical Journal illustrate a definite increase in binge drinking and alcohol abuse in the United Kingdom over the past 20 years. For many years the United States has had its own binge drinking problems; however when you look at the size of the population, the problem in the UK is worse than the US. Why?

I lived in England for the first 20 years of my life and from there moved to the US for the next 20 years. I went to university in the US and instantly recognized while college students do enjoy partying, the college binge drinking atmosphere tends to end when students graduate.

On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, binge drinking seems to be a lifestyle later on in life for many people, and from medical studies it appears like the problem is getting worse.

The time between Thanksgiving and New Years in the United States is the most dangerous and trying time for those trying to maintain sobriety and anyone of us driving on the public highways!

The holiday season sees the most number of driving fatalities than any other time during the year.

My Advice this season: - Use a Designated Driver.
This is always a smart move if you or anyone you know is planning to Celebrate whist drinking.

Stay Sober during the Holidays.
For some of us, the problem is not to avoid driving, the problem is to avoid drinking altogether! This season is not quite so Merry for alcoholic and their families. Unfortunately it becomes a time to ?get through? without any major incident or falling off any wagons.

The Holidays are supposed to be time for fun and family. This can be accomplished without alcohol.

There are many ways to have fun without drinking and have a safe and most importantly of all SOBER holiday

According to the results of a recent study, women who binge drink increase their risk of developing cancer.

The results of the study showed that women who drank roughly two bottles of wine during a two day period more than doubled their risk of developing breast cancer.

The study was conducted by doctors in Denmark. The results of their research have recently been published in the European Journal of Public Health.

During the study the drinking habits of 17,647 nurses were observed. What was discovered is that women who drank something like 22 to 27 alcoholic beverages a week more than doubled their risks of getting for breast cancer than women who only drank 1 to 3 drinks each week. The threat for cancer reached its highest point when alcoholic drinks were consumed over a short time period.

The usage and behavior information found that 10 percent of the women who participated in the study women could be classified as weekly binge drinkers. Binge drinking is defined as having on average four drinks each day. The number of women who were considered weekend binge drinkers, those who consumed a minimum of 10 drinks over the weekend, was 13 percent of the women.

For the study one drink is considered to be a glass or wine or spirits or one bottle of beer.