Once, at a younger age, we knew happiness without alcohol. We didn’t require intoxication to engage socially, or to relax after a long day. Our friends did not urge us to drink every time we got together, and true friends still don’t need us to.
Examine your friendships
Often, heavy drinking results from social structures that are built on a foundation of alcohol. Social groups can center around drinking, and once alcohol’s dependency cycle takes hold it’s easy to start drinking outside of those social groups as well.
True friends are the ones who enjoy spending time with you even if you aren’t drinking. And if you’re like most people, in reality you’re probably less likable as you grow increasingly drunk.
Ask for support
Change is harder alone. Find a true friend to support you in your journey to cut back your alcohol consumption. Share your goals, and celebrate your success. Establish new activities and routines together, spending more time with your friend and less with the bottle.
Sometimes such a friend can only be found outside of the usual routines, through new activities and social settings, or with the help of support groups full of like minded people.