They say that the first step to solving a personal problem
is to admit that you have just that-a problem. While this
is somewhat true, especially when the problem is alcohol
related, you need to slowly work yourself to some desired
desire, whether its to stop drinking all together, or to
moderate your consumption (which a doctor can help you
decide based an overall health analysis).

Back in college (or university), there was a track coach
(who eventually coached the Olympic team) who told his
runners that you had to visualize your goals, and in your
mind, watch yourself run the entire race in optimal form.
He also told his runners to write down their goals in a
small journal each and every day.

When this is applied to someone suffering from alcoholism
or abuse, it may help him or her substantially control
certain drinking habits. For the first entry in your "stop
drinking journal," write down the reason that you want to
cut down or abstain from alcohol. You might either write it
in paragraph form or contruct a list that youll be able to
read clearly if you ever need reminded. The list can
include such reasons as: to sleep or get along with my
family better, or to improve health.

Next, as the track coach would have his runners jot down
their goals, so should you. Each and every day you should
limit your alcohol intake to only one or two glasses, and
no more. Write down this desire for each new day in your
journal. And, if you dont think you can beginning there, go
ahead and create a chart that diagrams how much drinking
you do each week.

Be honest with yourself and record how much youve drank
each and every day. After three to four weeks, see how much
youve consumed. And, if you feel able, share this
data with your doctor, then s/he will help you
assess if your drinking is should be considered problematic
(which is usually a male who drinks more than two drinks
per day, and a female who drinks more than one).

So, instead of allowing yourself to be victimized by your
own emotions or self-control issues, start getting control
with this simple step. If youre not sure that you have a
problem, but you feel like you might, then chances are you
do.

So, do not build excuses, monitor yourself daily. Once youre
ready, perhaps you can share your material with your doctor
or other professionals (or a therapy group) who understand
what youre going through.