Many people who admit they have alcohol problems are unaware of alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous. This article describes the called cessation program CORE, an English acronym for Commit (Dedicate onself), Objectify (Objectify), Respond (To react), Enjoy (Feel good). Using these simple techniques, you can defeat alcoholism discreetly, for free and in the tranquility of your home.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Why Do You Drink?
Step 1. Try to understand why you drink
Before resorting to the CORE program, it is essential to recognize the problem. In Alcoholics Anonymous this addiction is regarded as a curable disease only thanks to a Higher Power. However, outside of that view, there are other approaches to dealing with alcohol addiction. It may be useful to frame it in terms of survival instinct. The brain is divided into two basic parts, which we will call consciousness (the rational part located in the neocortex) and the middle brain (midbrain). The latter only cares about your survival and, when you develop an addiction to alcohol, mistakenly believes that you need this substance to survive. Therefore, it is possible to call it "alcoholic brain". If you don't know the way it works, it can easily get your conscious side to drink.
Part 2 of 2: Adopting the CORE Program
Step 1. Commit to permanent abstinence from alcohol
You don't need alcohol to survive. Make a plan to stop altogether. When you are ready, say these words: "I will never drink again". Pay attention to your mood. If you're scared, panicked, angry, depressed, or sick, it's the alcohol addicted brain (middle brain) that tries to get you to drink. In all honesty, you will be terrible at first. Your body got used to a massive dose of alcohol during the addiction period and believes it still needs it. He has to learn to do without it and it won't be an instant change. Give him the time he needs.
The neurons, clouded by alcohol for some time, are now again stimulated and activated. As a result, you will find it difficult to rest and sleep in the first few days of abstinence. However, don't be fooled by the average brain; rather, watch TV all night
Step 2. Objective the middle brain
Consciousness is able to hold off the seat of the primary instincts, which does not realize that you can live without alcohol. Learn to see the average brain as a separate entity and to perceive when it speaks to you. Object it by convincing yourself that he wants to drink, not you. When you separate it from your consciousness, you will understand that it has no power over you. You are in control, while the average brain is a stranger. All it can do is get you to drink, but you can stop it every time.
He will try everything to get you to drink and convince you that you need alcohol to survive. If you feel bad, he will tell you to drink to get better. If you feel good, he will tell you to drink to celebrate. It will instrumentalize every life event to foster your addiction. Learn to recognize the thoughts and feelings that prompt you to drink and to attribute them to the midbrain that tries in every way to deceive you
Step 3. React with "never" when the average brain asks you to drink
This will stop him, because he will recognize that he has no control or the power to get you attached to the bottle. He will try various tricks to persuade you (especially at first), but once you discover his behavior, you will know how to react. Remember that all thoughts and feelings that prompt you to drink come from the average brain. When you recognize one, tell him "I will never drink again" and keep going on your way. Don't compromise with him, but learn to master him.
- If friends offer you a drink, say, "No thanks, I'm quitting." You can also say "I want to take it easy" or just "No, thank you" if you don't want to reveal your intentions. However, if people you hang out with tend to raise their elbows, you may want to be direct with them so they can help you. If they're not willing to do it, find some new friends.
- Over time, the midbrain will become more and more discouraged and will not bother you as it did in the beginning. You will learn to manage the urge to drink and stay sober more easily.
Step 4. Enjoy your recovery
When you decide to quit permanently, one of the first difficulties you will encounter will be living without alcohol. You will be sitting in the house with nothing to do, with the average brain pestering you for a drink, and it will be very difficult for it to stop if you do not get distracted. You will have to find something to keep your mind busy. Cultivate (or rediscover) a hobby to kill time. Join the gym, fix a classic car, or start a new relationship. Learn to cook, play a musical instrument, paint, or hang out with friends who don't drink. Write articles on wikiHow. Set aside any money you would have spent on drinking and watch your piggy bank fill up. Whether seven days or ten years have passed without touching a drop, celebrate the anniversary of your sobriety: things will get better and better.
- Don't be afraid of relapses: this fear is induced by the midbrain looking for an excuse to make you drink.
- Eventually, the CORE program will become automatic and you won't have to put in much effort to stay sober. Sure there will be times when you feel sad, angry or depressed, but it happens to everyone. If the average brain uses these moods to induce you to raise your elbow, you are now aware of what is happening and you will be able to react. If you get rid of this addiction, you will be a better person, smarter, interesting, alert and even more mature.
Advice
- The CORE program can also be used to overcome other addictions. It can be used to quit smoking, to overcome addiction to drugs, medications or other dangerous substances. When it comes to quitting, all addictions are similar. Just replace the word alcohol with the one that characterizes the other forms of addiction. Don't use drugs or psychoactive substances when you know they are bad for you. The CORE program and other similar techniques can teach you to quickly take control with minimal effort. Addiction is a powerful enemy, but awareness gives you more power.
- Technically, consciousness is based in the neocortex, while the middle brain is the midbrain. The neocortex is the most complex part of the brain that allows you to have full awareness of your individuality. The midbrain, on the other hand, is the seat of the primary instincts, of the centers that regulate the breath and all the biological and chemical processes indispensable for life, such as nutrition and sex. When you are addicted, the addictive substance becomes part of the survival stimuli of the midbrain. However, the midbrain can only push you to use it if you consciously decide to take it and that decision occurs in the neocortex. If the neocortex can learn how the midbrain works, the midbrain loses power and can no longer push you to drink. At that point, you are in control and are able to quit.
- Find something that replaces alcohol. You can run or walk on the treadmill and talk to your peers. You can ride a bike to a park near your home. Try to get physically tired from being outdoors and in contact with water. You may discover a healthier lifestyle.
- Your friends might make you feel guilty if you don't drink. It is the average brain that speaks. Ignore him.
Warnings
- If you have severe alcohol problems and suddenly stop drinking without any medical help or moral support, but later relapse, you can go back to drinking more than before. It is the midbrain that tries to recover all the "missing" alcohol. Avoid in all ways to end up in this situation. Remember that alcohol abuse can poison you, destroy your liver, and kill you.
- If your drinking problems are severe, you may be forced to go to a detox center to prevent your health from worsening. But if you know Alcoholics Anonymous is not for you, don't agree to go into a quitting program when you've gotten over your physical symptoms. Almost all of these programs are based on "The Twelve Steps" of Alcoholics Anonymous. Go home, follow the CORE program and don't drink.
