Summer drinking that continues into autumn, a persistent craving for alcohol and party nights that time and again get out of hand. These are typical signs that alcohol has become a problem.
The first step is to think about why you want to cut back, says alcohol researcher Sara Wallhed Finn.
January and September last year were the months with the highest pressure on support lines, shows the alcohol aid’s latest annual report.
Sara Wallhed Finn, psychologist and alcohol researcher at the Karolinska Institutet.
Sara Wallhed Finn, psychologist and alcohol researcher at the Karolinska Institutet.
Photo: Magnus Foundation
It is a mirror image of when we drink the most. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it is more normalized to drink more during the summer and that you don’t really recognize that you would be drinking too much, but that might then become clearer before September, says Sara Wallhed Finn.
Can be problematic
For the vast majority of people, it is easy to cut down on alcohol when the holidays are over and the routines are back. But for others it can be a problem.
You may feel that you are not in control. That it repeatedly gets out of control and that you want to drink less but still don’t succeed. Maybe you get nudges from family and friends that something is not right, says Sven Andreasson, professor at Karolinska Institutet and who has done a lot of research on alcohol.
Sven Andréasson is professor emeritus in social medicine at Karolinska Institutet and researches alcohol.
Sven Andréasson is professor emeritus in social medicine at Karolinska Institutet and researches alcohol.
Photo: Magnus Hjalmarson Neideman/SVD/TT
There is professional help available, but also various tricks you can use yourself. The first step is to think about why you want to cut back – what driving forces and benefits are there in stopping drinking.
Motivation is the basis for all types of behavioral change, says Sara Wallhed Finn.
She also believes that it is good to have a goal that describes what you want your own drinking to look like, such as how much you want to drink and when.
Dare to seek support
Sven Andreasson says that you should make a clear picture of your drinking and start keeping notes.
Set up squarely for yourself how many glasses you allow in a week or per drinking occasion and then you note day by day how much you have actually drunk. These are simple measures that work well for many, he says.
Seeking support from relatives and daring to tell that you have a problem is also important, even though there may be a stigma around it.
My view is that the fear of how friends and acquaintances will take it is often much greater than how it actually turns out, says Sara Wallhed Finn.
Another piece of advice is not to buy alcohol home as it becomes harder to resist when it is more readily available.
Facts: Tips for cutting back on alcohol after the summer
Examples of things that can help to change your habits yourself.
The alcohol helpline is a support line you can turn to for help. There is an option to be anonymous.
Source: 1177